Satan’s Schemes in Proterozoic Seas

Nito Gnoci
Nov 1, 2019
4 min read

Updated: Feb 21, 2023

Some solutions to the problem of evil

How can God and evil both exist? God gives man freedom which is good, but sometimes man misuses his freedom and commits evil acts. Thus God and evil can coexist. But what of evil not caused by man, what of natural evil? God also gives angels freedom and fallen angels also misuse their freedom. These angels can bring about natural evil. It would seem angels have that capability: Saint Thomas Aquinas considered “all corporeal things ruled by the angels.” Angels are called “stronger and more powerful” than man in 2 Peters.

Evil produces suffering but suffering can only occur in complex organisms which feel pain. God created a universe that brings forth life, but not necessarily complex life. Maybe the default position of the universe is to produce simple even unicellular life and complex life is rare. Complex life is the result of a set of extremely unusual circumstances. For example cyanobacteria, which played a crucial role in oxygenating the ancient atmosphere, evolved only once. They were later incorporated into plant cells as plastids. Eukaryotes, which are the result of an act of endosymbiosis when an archaea cell engulfed a bacteria cell, evolved only once. Higher oxygen levels powered predators which sparked the Cambrian explosion of complex organisms. Many more such rare circumstances which lead to complex life are discussed in Rare Earth: Why Complex Life is Uncommon in the Universe by Peter Ward and Donald Brownlee.

Biota of the Ediacaran period

Even biologists like Simon Conway Morris, who see life pushing toward greater complexity, may conclude that complex life is rare. Morris has described various scenarios wherein life arises but never progresses to complex life. (See chapter 5 of his Life’s Solution: Inevitable Humans in a Lonely Universe). Morris points to a number of rare features found on earth or in our solar system which may be necessary for the rise of complex life. For example, earth’s unusual moon may be necessary to maintain conditions suitable for life.

Objection 1: D. Schulze-Makuch and W. Bains in The Cosmic Zoo: Why Complex Macroscopic Life is Inevitable also claim that life progresses toward complexity. The steps up the ladder are easy to make. They conclude that complex life is common in the universe.

Reply: The authors acknowledge in chapter 5 of The Cosmic Zoo the obstacles for organisms making oxygen from water (an important step up the ladder). The authors also fail to provide adequate evidence that a large number of planets maintain suitable life-friendly conditions for the millions (billions?) of years required for complexity to unfold. We can also ask D. Schulze-Makuch and W. Bains: Why did it take more than 3 billion years for complex multicellular life to arise on earth? And why have no complex alien organisms visited earth?

Perhaps fallen angels, or better angels tricked by Satan, brought about these unusual circumstances - thus producing complex organisms. Satan longed for such organisms because he wanted to watch them suffer. How thrilled he must have been to see anomalocaris despoil the Edenic Ediacaran community or opabina prey upon the worms cowering in the sediment.

Painting by Michael Pacher of Saint Wolfgang tricking Satan

How did angels deceived by Satan bring about complex life? Did they hurl Theia against Earth, thus forming the moon? Did they maintain a comfortable temperature for earth? Did they squish about in the primeval ooze forming cyanobacteria and eukaryotes?

Objection 2: Are we giving Satan too much credit, claiming he brought about complex life? This objection echoes an argument of Duns Scotus, who stated that sinful Adam should not be given credit for bringing about the coming of Christ. So great a glory as the incarnation of Christ could not be merely the result of the sin of man just as the creation of the marvel that is complex life could not be the result of the sin of Satan.

Reply: God’s goodness is such that He brings forth good out of evil. God’s majesty is made manifest when He twists the sins of Adam and Satan and turns them into something wonderful. Ultimately He has created all living creatures and they are good.

Objection 3: Are we embracing Gnosticism, suggesting Satan formed the world?

Reply: Satan did not form the world. He did not create matter nor energy nor did he make the physical laws governing the universe. He has, however, intervened in an already created universe to further his evil ends. Though Satan has had his successes, we should not conclude that he is in charge. God turns Satan’s plans awry. Satan pushes life toward greater complexity to bring about suffering, but God creates from this complexity a brilliant array of plants & fungi & animals and eventually man. Just as when evil men driven by ambition and greed built the Roman Empire, it became in the end a refuge for Christians. Evil men rape, but the product of rape may become a saint.

Alternate solutions to the problem of natural evil:

1) The default position of the universe is to produce complex organisms which do not suffer from natural evil. Perhaps such organisms clone themselves or self-fertilize and dwell on numerous planets serene and virtually immortal. These beings would be able to exchange genetic information and would not be subject to Muller’s ratchet.

2) Angels are meant to prod into existence complex organisms which do not suffer from natural evil. Fallen angels, however, fail to serve God’s purpose.

3) Angels are meant to shield us from the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to. Angels have the responsibility to prevent severe floods and earthquakes and other natural catastrophes. Again fallen angels fail to serve God’s purpose.

Let us now bid farewell to Satan as he sadly splashes about in the fizzing primordial waters.