Evil has found a willing servant
The phrase that evil has found a willing servant was employed on October 11, 2002, by President George W. Bush in his Pentagon memorial speech in remembrance of the events of September 11, 2001.
- "The hijackers were instruments of evil who died in vain. Behind them is a cult of evil which seeks to harm the innocent and thrives on human suffering. Theirs is the worst kind of cruelty, the cruelty that is fed, not weakened, by tears. Theirs is the worst kind of violence, pure malice, while daring to claim the authority of God. We cannot fully understand the designs and power of evil. It is enough to know that evil, like goodness, exists. And in the terrorists, evil has found a willing servant."[1]
The phrase "a willing servant" is one frequently associated with Christian beliefs: "a good and willing servant" or a "willing servant of God." Abraham, David, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, have all been offered as examples of willing servants of God. On Mother's Day, Mary is traditionally featured for her role as a willing servant of God.
The Biblical book of Amos (5:14) states that one should "Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken." The Qur'an (7:74), in fact, admonishes one to "Remember ye the bounties of Allah, seek ye not evil in the earth, making mischief."
Other Related SourceWatch Resources
External links
- What is the Evil from Which we Pray for Deliverance?. Sermon: Faith Presbyterian Church, West Lafayette, IN, January 23, 2000.
