120. Why there is always hope for conversion even of the worst sinner
120. WHY THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE FOR CONVERSION EVEN OF THE WORST SINNER
If we have charity, we naturally want to hope for the conversion of everyone without exception, even a monster like Hitler. But isn’t this merely wishful thinking? Aren’t some people beyond hope? On what objective basis could be founded our subjective hope for the worst of sinners?
Augustine says that evil does not exist except in some good. But the evil of sin cannot be in the good of virtue or of grace, because they are contrary to it. Therefore it must be in the good of nature, and consequently it (sin) does not destroy it (nature) entirely. . . . [T]he good of nature that is diminished by sin is the natural inclination to virtue, which is befitting to man (it is an essential property, and therefore it remains in him) from the very fact that he is a rational being; for it is due to this that he performs actions in accord with reason, which is to act virtuously. Now sin cannot entirely take away from man the fact that he is a rational being, for then he would no longer be capable of sin. Wherefore it is not possible for this good of nature to be destroyed entirely (I-II,85,2).
St. Thomas’ analysis is totally logical:
1. Evil exists. It is not a substance, a being, but it is real. It exists.
2. If evil exists, it must exist in some being,
3. But all being is good. For God created all things, and declared them good.
4. Therefore evil must exist “in” a good thing. Evil is the perversion of a good thing, the lack of good in a thing that ought to have it: sight in an eye, or love in the will, or order in the passions.
5. What kind of good can evil exist in? There are two kinds of good: natural and supernatural.
6. Supernatural goods are either human (theological virtues) or divine (grace).
7. Evil cannot exist in either supernatural virtues or divine grace, for these are to evil like light to darkness. They are not open to good and evil indifferently, but their very essence is set on good.
8. Therefore, since evil exists and since it cannot exist in any supernatural good, it can exist only in some natural good, some good which is open to both moral good and moral evil.
9. But if evil destroyed all of the goodness in this natural good, it would have nowhere to exist.
10. Therefore there must be some remaining natural good in every thing where we find evil.
11. This also applies to human souls.
12. The good in human souls is virtue, or the inclination to virtue.
13. Therefore this good must remain in a human soul even among the worst vices and evils. This inclination to know and do the good is the very essence of a human soul, and can no more be destroyed, in this life, than the evenness of the number two or the threeness of the sides of a triangle.
14. Another proof of this conclusion is that in order for a man to be capable of sin, he must be capable of virtue, that is, he must know the good and know its goodness, feel the attraction of its goodness. This attraction to the good must exist in order to be overcome by the choice to do evil instead. If not, the choice to do evil is not a free choice.
15. Therefore we can always find this inclination to goodness, however weak and suppressed it is, even in the most wicked soul.
16. This is confirmed by examples in history: e.g., the repentant thief on the cross, Saul of Tarsus, the Gadarene demoniac, and Mary Magdalene, who had “seven devils”.
17. Therefore when we speak to a wicked man, we should speak to the good man inside him that is suppressed, the man who is being held prisoner. He is there. He needs someone to acknowledge his existence.
18. Sometimes he responds to fear and severity, sometimes to love and compassion. Use both, as Jesus did.