Thomism Thursday - Can Anything Happen Outside of God's Government?

[Photo of St. Peter's Basilica, C/O Chad Greiter, open source]

"Reply to Objection 1. There is nothing wholly evil in the world, for evil is ever founded on good, as shown above (I:48:3). Therefore something is said to be evil through its escaping from the order of some particular good. If it wholly escaped from the order of the Divine government, it would wholly cease to exist." - St. Thomas Aquinas, ST I, q. 103, a. 7, ad 1

Time forbids us from considering the totality of this point. However, I want to point out the Angelic Doctor is addressing whether anything contingent can happen and ultimately if anything can happen outside of the Divine Government (aka - Providence). Aquinas affirms nothing can resist God's will, though some things do happen which evade *particular* goods. Why is this the case? God so governs the world that if something happened completely outside of God's will, that thing would simply cease to exist. 

How does this apply to us today?

First, it seems our society is in some respects in total rebellion against God. However, as sinful as our society indeed is, it cannot completely escape God's will. God governs all things, and all things depend on God for their existence. The desire to completely escape God's will is self-destructive, and I mean that literally! To completely escape God would be to completely cease to exist. 

Secondly, following from this, the arguments of the sort "You are on the wrong side of history" are absurd! People aiming at and wishing for the complete cessation of existence have no business appealing to history. Period.

Third, and finally, this reveals that the difference between theological liberalism and conservatism is not simply on paper or rhetorical. What it ultimately reveals is a completely different metaphysic, a completely different religion, a completely different theology. People often ask if Christianity and Islam worship the same God. We should also ask if Christianity and liberalism worship the same God? The answer is a resounding "No!" They think I'm on the wrong side of history. I think their position (if it were actually attainable) would render humanity nonexistent. We don't have the same system, we don't worship the same God.