Creation is His seeking to
make souls out of matter.
Morally, matter "Per se" is neutral-
with form imposed on it,
good, but in any case
its basic nature is competitive.
No two things can occupy
the same place at the same time.
Hence pain......
But we must act with non-material motives.
What was his journey on earth
but a flouting of competitive values ? And
There is the Devil.
But with the devil
the whole cosmos became confused.
--- John Updike.
Dentistry and Doubt.
