“Evil deeds do not an evil person make. Otherwise we should all be evil, because we all do evil things….If evil people cannot be defined by the illegality of their deeds or the magnitude of their sins, then how are we to define them? The answer is by the consistency of their sins. While usually subtle, their destructiveness is remarkably consistent. This is because those who have “crossed over the line” [into evil] are characterized by their absolute refusal to tolerate the sense of their own sinfulness.”
“Evil originates not in the absence of guilt, but in the effort to escape it. It often happens then, that the evil may be recognized by its very disguise. Since the primary motive of the evil is disguise, one of the places evil people are most likely to be found is within the church. Evil people tend to gravitate toward piety for the disguise and concealment it can offer them.”
Quotes drawn originally from M. Scott Peck’s insightful work, People of the Lie. HT: Natalie Klejwa in her article, “Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire.”