Without evil, good could not exist. An attempt to rid the world of evil is futile. Despite how successful the attempt, our definition of evil would change over time. What was once “good” would become “evil.”

The ancient population of Cambodia articulated the necessity of both good and evil in a bas relief carving at the Angkor Wat complex. The sculpture shows the forces of good in a mythical tug of war with the forces of evil. The “rope” in this case is a huge serpent, wrapped around a mountain. As each side pulls and gains momentum, the mountain spins, churning the oceans of the universe. This churning creates the essence of life. In this model, without a battle of good vs. evil, the world would itself cease to exist..