>>>ОК, here's a hedge: you have two variables...
>>It works like this:
>What a horribly sad way to view the universe.

The universe is not like this. It is here on Earth alone, and only because sin is here. What God is doing right now is putting away sin forever. That's why we're going through the fullness of evil upon this world. It is a process and God is sorting it out.

>Here's my bottom line: All people have the capacity for good and the
>capacity for evil.

People know evil because Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. And because they did what God said not to do, sin entered in to the world. That ONE sin, eating the one fruit, disobeying God the one time, has produced all evil everywhere. All of the pain, all of the wars, all of the hate, and the "capacity for evil" we all possess, as well as the actual evil itself.

We are being led by our flesh, by our reasoning mind which only knows worldly things and can only reason in worldly ways. We are not being led by God's spirit unless we be born again. This is why all people everywhere succumb to the draws and pulls of our flesh, as the enemy purposefully uses our weaknesses against us, by enticing our flesh (into some area God has forbidden) with some lust or want. He amplifies or suppresses our natural thoughts, feelings, and we believe that we are following the natural course. It's why God gave us the Holy Bible, so we could compare the actions of our feelings, wants, wishes, with God's prescribed manner of life and living for each of us.

Proverbs 14:12, and Proverbs 16:25 both say the same thing:
"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."

This is not without meaning. God is teaching us His ways, which are different than the world's ways. His are the right ways.

>The world is a better place if we exercise our capacity for good.

It seems like there is good in certain acts people in general do, but we are taught in scripture that only those things which relate back to a foundation in the teachings of Christ are actually good. Everything else is a loss because when this world ends, it will all pass away. Everything here will be burned with fire, fervent heat. All of our accomplishments, everything will be lost. We are taught to serve God, and His Kingdom purposes (set your sights on Heaven) and not to store up treasures for ourselves here, because only there (in Heaven) do the treasures we store last. And only there will they endure beyond this life.

The old expression, "You can't take it with you" is true ... provided the "it" you refer to is something worldly. Naked we came, naked we depart. That is in the flesh. There is gain to be had by following God, being His servant upon this Earth, and walking rightly before Him, and therefore also before men, as a witness unto Him.

It is an exceedingly difficult walk because the enemy is very powerful. He's very persuasive. When he fell he took 1/3rd of the angels with him, those angels standing in the very presence of God. That's how shrewd, that's how talkative the enemy is. He has a silver tongue and can make outright rebellion against God Himself, the author of the universe, sound desirable. But it's all a ploy, an effort to keep our eyes off God until we die because we can ONLY be saved in this life by accepting Christ, by following the truth and pursuing it vehemently.

Jesus is coming back soon. Nobody knows when, but the signs are replete. They are everywhere. It is a time of choosing, of galvanizing yourself in your faith if you are a Christian. The Lord reaches a hand out to everybody. Even those in the figurative "born on a desert island to non-believing parents." He reveals Himself, He reveals "THE Truth" to all. And everyone will either follow it or not. He comes to each person to meet them where they are. He brings with Him everything He is, all that He has to offer. We either respond to Him, or not.

This view of the world is recognizing the world for what it is, and where it is, and the condition of the people who are upon it, and of those who are being persecuted for their faith in Christ. It will be this way until He returns. But we read in Revelation 6:15-17 that when He returns, all people everywhere will acknowledge Him for who He is. But then it will be too late. We must accept Him on faith before He returns.

Tamar, I have read your posts on FoxPro with great interest. You are a most knowledgeable man and it is a wonderful thing you do reaching out to people to share your knowledge and help those in need. But as great as all that is, without Christ in your life, when the last day sounds it will all be lost and none of it will have mattered. I urge you to see for yourself about Jesus. He's not a joke. He's not a man like us. He is God, and what He teaches is exactly what you've been missing in your life. You've covered those losses, those longings with different things, but none of them have satiated, none of them have lasted. God is what ALL of us are missing. It's the emptiness inside that He fills.

I pray you will read this, and hear it, and consider it, Tamar. Peace.