MONOTHEISM AND HUMAN BEINGS

~ 34 ~ The universe is without flaw or failure because it is under the direct control of God. It is in reality an outward manifestation of His attributes. The same cannot be said for the world of human beings. Chekov has rightly remarked: ‘The world is extremely beautiful; the only thing not beautiful is man.’ Indeed, the human being is the only creature in the entire universe who, to our knowledge, harbours ill-will towards his fellow-men. How do we account for this difference between the two worlds? This difference exists because, while the rest of the universe is operating under the direct control of God and is, therefore, bound to function as God pleases, human beings have been vested with the freedom of choice. That is, they have the power to choose a right or a wrong path for themselves, hence the prevalence of evil in the world. The universe external to human beings is bound by the will of God. Hence its order and harmony – as long as human beings are unable