A good friend posted an article by Dennis Prager and suggested I read it.

I’m good with that. I’ve read several of his books and enjoyed his writing.

No red flags there.

Well—maybe one.

Prager has many books, a radio show, numerous speaking engagements.

He also founded Prager University.

I dunno.

A small red flag waves when someone names a university after themselves.

I mean, there are billions of possible names—some brilliant, some horrible.

Settling on your own name feels… iffy.

Maybe he named it after his parents?

Still, we all make choices.

Some might be mistakes.

In the article, Prager presents a kind of moral equation:

Good Intentions – Wisdom = Evil

It’s an interesting formula, but to me, it misses the mark.

It’s too simplistic.

The threshold for evil is, I think, quite a bit higher.

That equation works better for describing a mistake

—or a serious error in judgment.

But to label it evil?

That feels harsh.

Yes, it can be a step toward evil,

but it’s still early enough on the road to change direction.

Not every mistake becomes a turning point.

I’ve known plenty of people who recognize their error

and continue making it every day—for years.

Still…

That doesn’t necessarily make it evil.

Now I’m about to make some of you uncomfortable.

The basic definition of sin is “missing the mark.”

Like an arrow that doesn’t hit the bullseye.

But in religious circles, sin has taken on more dramatic weight.

Fire. Judgment. Condemnation.

I find that unfortunate.

We should have a word that describes failure—

a word that’s stronger than mistake,

but not as final as damnation.

That original definition of sin—as a miss, a misalignment—feels right to me.

Maybe that’s why it’s so unpopular.

Is sin evil?

Possibly.

But I don’t think they’re interchangeable.

Sin is an action that causes the spirit to be grieved.

Sometimes we plow ahead, assuming it’ll resolve itself.

Usually, it doesn’t.

When we analyze it enough to see that our action benefits us

at the direct expense of others—

that’s when it crosses into evil.

Small evils.

Larger evils.

But evil nonetheless.

Prager contends that embracing communism was evil.

I believe it was a mistake—often a tragic one.

And yes, many leaders embraced it for the sake of power,

justifying horrible acts with appeals to the “greater good.”

That tiptoes into evil.

“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Thank you, Lord Acton.

(Most people ignore the “tends to.”)

But it would be a moral mistake to classify millions of people

who once believed in communism as evildoers.

When we sin, we have the option of redemption.

Some of us reach for that quickly.

Some don’t.

The same may be said of true evildoers—

but for them, the road is longer.

It’s not just about knowledge.

It’s a deeper-rooted fracture in the way they think.

A shift in personality.

A hardening.

Evil is pernicious.

Sin is unfortunate—but change is possible.