St. John Chrysostom was the fourth-century Christian preacher and orator who ran afoul of the czarina of Russia because he stood up for the poor and denounced the monarchy for not attending to them better. He was sentenced to die by being dragged by a chariot. The poor who loved him reported his last words as "Praise, praise for everything . . . thanks, thanks for all."

That is the final word regarding evil from the religious perspective.

Huston Smith, The Way Things Are by Huston Smith, Phil Cousineau, editor