For most of us raised in the Judeo-Christian religious model, this is one of the toughest questions that surface as we begin to examine our underlying assumptions about how life works. But how "bad people" fit into the One Life isn't really all that difficult to understand once we wrap our minds around the idea that the One Life is not a person whose job is to judge and punish us. Spirit/God/the One Life is the power at the core of absolutely everything-the good people and bad people, murderers and saints, the Hitler's and the Mother Theresa's. Just like electricity that powers up sports stadiums and electric chairs, no questions asked, the One Life is behind the construction of the magnificent Gothic cathedrals of Europe and the massive destruction of the Holocaust. To the One Life, everything is equal.

Ok, so this "all is one" idea makes sense from a philosophical point of view, but it's not that comforting when we find out there's a child molester in the neighborhood or when someone we know gets raped or murdered. How exactly are we supposed to not judge these "bad" people? Well, not judging does not mean that we condone or encourage negative behavior or that we shouldn't look out for ourselves or take precautions to keep our families safe. It doesn't mean that criminals should be allowed to run loose. But, the universal power operates according to specific and exacting laws, such as the law of cause and effect that dictates, "As you sow, so shall you reap." Not judging means understanding that there is a higher law at work and that nothing happens by chance. We may not always be able to understand why bad things happen or be able to eliminate all bad from our lives, but we can use this law to attract positive influences by channeling our energies in constructive ways. Victims of violent crimes need love and support as they rebuild their lives. Rather than fueling our anger and fear by concentrating on the perpetrators of crimes, we can reach out to those who have had negative experiences, or to their families, and help them rebuild their lives. When we put good into life, we get it back. And that's the best way to eliminate bad from the world.