‘OF TWO EVILS, CHOOSE NEITHER?’ by Matt Barber
You may have seen the meme come across your social media feeds. It’s a quote by the fiery preacher and great 19th-century theologian Charles Spurgeon: “Of two evils, choose neither.”
I get it. I love reading old Spurgeon sermons and very much appreciate his godly wisdom. I’ve actually posted this quote on my own social media and felt pretty stinkin’ self-righteous about it.
Then it occurred to me. Is it really that simple? Is “choosing neither of two evils” always the right choice? Is it always the wise choice? Is it always the moral choice? What if, God forbid, something like this happened: Let’s say that devout Muslims capture you and your family, hold a gun to your head and say, “You have one of two choices: We will either behead your children, or, alternatively, we will cut off your foot, patch you up and send you hobbling along your way. Choose one. If you refuse to choose, we will choose for you.”
That’s evil. Both choices are evil. Would you “choose the lesser of two evils,” or, as Spurgeon suggests, would you “choose neither,” thereby sealing your fate and that of your children?
“But that’s an unfair analogy!” you say.
OK, I disagree, but let’s try another one.
