Discussions
the exploration of "evil"
Posted by timethief • 1/22/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: bad seed, cruel, evil, good, harmful, human nature, immoral, moral, painful, unjust
Defining "evil":
A. malefic: having or exerting a malignant influence; "malevolent stars"; "a malefic force"
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
B. Evil is a broad term used to indicate a negative moral or ethical judgment, often used to describe intentional acts that are cruel, unjust, or selfish. Evil is usually contrasted with good, which describes intentional acts that are kind, just, or unselfish. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evil
C. A force that opposes GOD and His work of righteousness in the world (Rom. 7:8-19). The word is also used for any disturbance to the harmonious order of the universe, such as disease (Ps. 41:8), alternatively, an organization of immortals headed by Satan (the Devil) ... redentormio.exactpages.com/Terminology_E.html
D. Evil is a term used to describe something that brings about harmful, painful, and unpleasant effects. It is understood to be of three kinds: Moral evil, natural evil, and metaphysical evil. Moral evil is evil human beings volitionally and intentionally originate, and its examples are their cruel, vicious, and unjust thoughts and actions, such as murder. Natural evil is evil which occurs independently of human thoughts and actions, but which still causes pain and suffering, and it refers to earthquakes, volcanos, storms, droughts, disease-causing bacilli, and so on. "Metaphysical evil," a term coined by Gottfried Leibniz (1646-1716), refers to the finite and limited condition of the created spatio-temporal world, thus being usually understood not to be evil in and of itself. www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Evil
Discussion questions
(1) Does the phrase "evil people do evil things" ring true to you? If so, please explain why.
(2) Do you believe there is such a thing as "a bad seed" ie. that some people are born inherently "good" and others are born inherently "evil"?
(3) Do you believe that we all have the capacity for both love and evil -- to be a Mother Theresa, or to be a Hitler or a Saddam Hussein?
(4) Do you believe that we all can be seduced into doing evil?
(5) Do you think there are certain conditions and situations that incline us to do evil? And if so, then will you share what you think they may be?
(6) Do you have a strategy for coping with "evilness" in your own life? If so, would you care to share it?
User Comments
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Now I can "mimic" how you usually respond to posts such as these and say, "Why are you posting on a subject that has been done many times at BC?" Then in further mimicking you I would post about a dozen links to discussion threads about "evil."
But I will not do that.
Instead...
My first response to these questions is to go to Greg Laurie who tackles this very issue in his commentary titled:
Why does God allow evil?
thescroogereport.wordpress.com/2007/04/15/why-does-god-allow-evil/-
Rules are to be followed. Because they meant for that only. -
@techprism
I'm sorry to say that I don't know which "rules" you are referring to, or how your reply reflects your answers to the 6 questions I posed in the OP. -
@TBR
I have read your post. -
first this:
People [...] are essentially suggesting (or saying outright) that God must meet their own criteria of goodness. But who are they to set standards for God? When did they become the moral center of the universe?
[...]
The point to keep in mind here is that humanity – not God – is responsible for sin.
Posted April 15, 2007 in TheScroogeReport.com
GREG LAURIE - A NEW BEGINNING / WorldNetDaily Exclusive
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secondly:
you may like to read this call from a priest -
www.huffingtonpost.com/bruce-wilson/follow-jesus-like-nazis-f_b_158295.html
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third:
i heard a person saying this:
what, if it is true, that the bible was originally written by the devil?
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for now:
i need to transform my (german :-) thoughts into proper english and will contribute later on this subject - thanks for the invite, TT. -
@veryheaven
Thanks for posting now and for expressing your intention to post again later. I appreciate it. Please accept my apology for not saying more at this point in time. I'm running a small business, serving customers and clients, trying to get my blog post finished, and monitoring the research results coming in by email for the contract work that I'm doing too.
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To some, evil is relative. Some feel that there is no such thing. But, when I ask them if harming a child is "wrong" or "evil" they have to agree. Therefore, discounting their own primary premise.
There are absolute evils. Everyone knows what they are. And, most people have committed at least one of them.-
@theresa
There are absolute evils. Everyone knows what they are. And, most people have committed at least one of them.
I do appreciate and understand where you are coming from. Thank you.
@everyone
I'm multitasking from work and it's not my intention to "babysit" this thread. Instead, I prefer to let the exploration of evil to unfold naturally before I share my answers to the questions with you.
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@TBR
G'morning and thank you for your response. I will read your post. If your post does not provide your personal answers to all the 6 questions above, please fell free to reply to them in your own words. -
1) No
2) No. However, we are born with the capacity to sin.
3) No
4) Yes
5) Yes. Conditions and situations that include temptation to do evil.
6) Yes. Prayer. Accountability. Fellowship. Studying the Bible.-
@TBR
I appreciate how you chose to answer the questions that were posed in the OP - thanks. -
No offense. It just takes a motivation beyond the reading of books, etc - to want to change your course, I feel.
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I'm interested in your second question about being born evil or good..
Working with children for sometime now, what I've observed is that all children start out selfish. Not selfish in the way adults or children can be, but in a way that is a result of having no language,social or motor skills. How this is pacified or handled is dependant on that infant's parent. Is there a balence in how their needs vs. wants are met? Are they overindulged? Are they neglected? These sometimes very small details can create a toddler who goes into society (preschool so on..) with an expectation that they got from home. From this point on, it's how society sees those expectations that shape the "evil" or "good" in a person.
If a child was raised to share, then they will do that instinctively and be seen as kind, and generous which tell that child that they are and are expected to be "good". If a child was overindulged, they they might keep to themselves or refuse to let other kids play with their toys and usually these kids will at some point be called "bad" which tells that child that he or she is seen in society as such and will immulate that behaivior as they grow up if not properly confronted.
So basically, no I don't think people are born good or evil. I think some of the same people who started out with the potential to be considered "evil" were instead seen as "creative" or "determined" and hence forth became just that. You would be surprised how labels can effect a child's development.-
Great observations! So, then, what is the purpose of discipline?
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It's the key, if you ask me. I notice that children who have balenced discipline turn out to be happier children.
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Could it be that they are learning the difference between good and evil in the discipline that is given to them?
Why would they need to learn the difference? Wouldn't they just know? -
Social skills are taught, immulated most of the time. Babies don't quiet down while your on the phone when they want their bottle. Their needs come before the needs of any one or anything at infancy. As they grow older they've already been observing you and learning what is and is not acceptable through your reaction to their behaivior. A 6 month old cries when they feel like it, but some little 3 year olds only cry because they've learned that it gets them what they want not because they need something. This is a learned behaivior, not one they were born with.
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So, children are born selfish, right? They inherently think only of themselves. As adults, many who continue only thinking of themselves are considered "evil" or "having evil behavior."
Specific evil acts may be learned...but in this example, selfish behavior is inherent.
Selfishness is a root...from there other specific bad or evil behavior can spring. -
@lotusB
no I don't think people are born good or evil. I think some of the same people who started out with the potential to be considered "evil" were instead seen as "creative" or "determined" and hence forth became just that. You would be surprised how labels can effect a child's development.
I really appreciate your contribution to this thread. Like you I do not believe there is such a thing as a bad seed, and that doing evil is a learned behavior, and not one that we are born with. -
Exactly. Besides, where would the practice of psychology be if we couldn't blame it all on our parents?
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How can we deduce that evil is a learned behavior? Certainly, specific evil acts can be a learned behavior.
However, didn't we just conclude in this very thread that children are born selfish? That discipline was necessary to combat selfishness or bad (evil) behavior? -
The "selfishness" I was referring to comes from helplessness. An infant is in total need of their parent because they can't even lift their own necks let alone feed themselves. They don't have social skills, so there is no way for them to be evil or not. It's like calling an ant "mean" because it crawled on your sandwich.
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@TBR and LousB
Do you think that those who are exposed to violence and abuse at an early age, and who are raised in such circumstances, while also being exposed to violence on a daily basis in the media, playing violent games, at schools etc. are more or less likely to commit evil acts?
If so, then how do you explain the fact that some people, who are not raised in such conditions and who are not exposed to violence on a daily basis may still commit evil acts? -
@lotusb...I'm not calling children evil...I'm saying that the concept of selfishness may just begin with "helplessness," but may develop into selfishness. Who taught them that?
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Perhaps this is an ignorant point of view, but I still beleive that for somone to end up with violent behaivior, or "evil" behavior, the concept had to had been introduced to them at some point. A parent, an uncle, a neighbor, too much TV...even if a child grows up in a violent household, if somewhere in their first 8 years kindness and generosity is demonstrated to them, they could turn out to be a perfectly kind individual. Aside from sociopaths who never fully develop social skills or empathy because of mental illness, I still think these are all learned behaviors.
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@Ruski, their parents teach them that. My 2 year old god son is an only child. He is a very sweet little boy but he dosen't like to share his toys with his friends. That's because he never learned to do so, not because he's pre-programed to be selfish. I personally think the whole, "I was born like this" attitude is a bit lazy.
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Much of this particular discussion is centered on splitting hairs.
Their parents taught them that? Or is it more like their parents did not "unteach" them that? How is the first time a child cries knowing they will get something if they do, taught by the parents? -
Well there are entire parenting books that support either side of the spectrum. However, the fact is that babies at infancy are incapable of that kind of thought, because they haven't reached a point in mental development where they are able to comprehend beyond their own basic needs. A crying baby, cries because its hungry, or scared, or wet...etc. At a certain age, the very early stages...the first few months or weeks of life..a baby does not KNOW crying will get him anything. But like training a dog, it dosen't take long to catch on to cause and effect.
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I think evil is a term that in the past was used to describe people with psychopathy, all the traits we would define as evil no guilt, no concern for others, inability to feel emotions etc would all in the bible tinged world of the past be described as evil.
The people considered to be evil are, in my opinion, people with varying forms of mental illness.-
That's sort of what I was thinking. I tend not to view individuals as evil because I know most people have different sides to their personalities. The only time I'd consider a person to be truly evil might be with extreme sociopathic tendencies... no conscience, no remorse, etc. But that's a sick, fractured personality. -
Yeah exactly, evil is a term that sufficed before psychiatry classified the various forms of "evil"
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@aningeniousname and thriftshopromantic
The people considered to be evil are, in my opinion, people with varying forms of mental illness.
The only time I'd consider a person to be truly evil might be with extreme sociopathic tendencies... no conscience, no remorse, etc. But that's a sick, fractured personality.
Which circumstances and/or situations do your two think may contribute to an individual becoming one who has no conscience and feels no remorse for evil words or actions to such a degree that they become mentally ill? -
Well that's the whole nature or nurture argument isn't it, and as with the gay nature or nurture argument I tend to favour the "A bit of both" argument.
I think extreme cases of childhood abuse can lead to the development of sociopathic or psychopathic personalities but at the same time I'm equally sure that there are people who have survived horrific tortures as children and go on to be fully rounded people. Maybe there is a gene that predisposes you to this sort of condition, I just don't know. -
It's hard to say, though sociopathic tendencies can show up quite early in children's cruelty toward animals. I know certain personality disorders are believed to stem in part to issues of nurturing, but I don't believe this has been universally proven.
I've read where it's believed the lack of conscience and the over-inflated ego of, say, an infant-- where the drive is "me first" -- ends up being something these damaged folks just don't grow out of. -
@ANINGENIOUSNAME, @TIMETHIEF and @THRISTSTORE
I was thinking this same thing. I see only a a fractured being, an ill being. A year ago or so I read a study done on prisoners who had committed murder, rape, child abuse, torture, etc. and the study showed that a very high percentage of them had a type of chromosome difference.
There are so many physiological factors that we often don't take into account in defining shocking behavioral abnormalities. We are able to see them clearly when it is a deformed limb, eye, lip, face, body...which can all happen from a variety of reasons like in utero poisoning from heavy metals, or hormone based substances like 24D and 245T (which were used in Agent Orange in Nam and other countries including the USA for defoliants/herbicides)and other dioxin based substances that I guess can mess with DNA. We have only scratched the surface in looking at how environment is affecting the fetus/zygote (and even cell) growth/mutation/abnormalities. Which may or may not get passed on.
And have we REALLY looked at the possibilities of psyche wounding for a fetus from EXTREME emotional trauma to the mother during pregnancy. That's probably more looked at than chemical/chemical hormone disturbances. We are only beginning to look at their affects on humans and animals and plants in our environment, let alone the effect of them on developing zygote cells.
I think it is a complex issue and can have a variety of factors that could contribute to violence (or what we sometimes call evil), many of which we have only begun to explore. But I still tend to see it as a deformity like a physical deformity. We may not yet know the causes, but I believe in a few hundred years it will be looked at in a whole new light.
Thank you TT for such a thought provoking discussion. -
That's very interesting about the abnormal chromosome Robin, was there a vast difference in the numbers of convicted criminals with this abnormality and the normal population?
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@ aningeniousname
I found it fascinating too and I can't exactly remember. I am going to see if I can find the article again. I think the difference was marked enough to make mainstream science really take notice. ---I have enjoyed your comments here. -
Does a criminal gene exist?
It is a question as old as Cain and Abel: Are some kids simply born bad?
The Italian physician Lombroso tries to draw a line between the criminals and non-criminals by describing their physical features. He even argues that criminals are of deferent genetic type of non-criminals.
During research by biologists in the 1960s, a number of genetic abnormalities were found in the cells of humans. It is obvious that female chromosomes are XX and male chromosomes are XY, but what were strange for those biologists were males with an extra male chromosome that is XYY.
Males are traditionally connected with violence and aggression, and finding people with double male chromosomes may suggest “twice as violent and aggressive as the average male” Finding males with XYY abnormal chromosomes, and finding a big number of them in prisons and mental health hospitals makes possible to argue that those people are criminals because they have criminal genes in their body. So those people are genetically born to become criminals.
However others may argue that those people with genetic abnormality are not criminals by nature, but their abnormality drives them in to aggression and violence.
it can be argued that there is an abnormal chromosome, that chromosome may lead some people to be more aggressive or mentally immature from others. But this is not necessarily an excuse for other criminals with normal chromosome to say we are not criminals. At the same time it is not a good excuse for serious criminals at court to say: “do not blame us blame our genes”.
www.socyberty.com/Crime/Does-a-Criminal-Gene-Exist.149017
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Why the "parentheses"?
I disagree with the notion that an unselfish act is necessarily good. A selfless act is not necessarily just nor good.
Does the phrase "evil people do evil things" ring true to you? If so, please explain why.
No. It's possibly to have evil people doing good things, good people doing evil things, good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things.
Do you believe there is such a thing as "a bad seed" ie. that some people are born inherently "good" and others are born inherently "evil"?
I do believe that people are inherently good and inherently evil, but it's not deterministic. Nature is the overbearing factor in your behaviour, but nurture also has a role that can not be entirely neglected, even if it is only a minor role. Then there are other factors that differs between scenarios, which would dictate that a good person has to do evil things or an evil person has to do good things once in a while.
In other words, evil people are born evil, but what this means is their propensity for evil is greater than good people. It does not mean that they will necessarily end up exclusively doing evil things. Look at the Dexter TV series to see what I mean.
Do you believe that we all have the capacity for both love and evil -- to be a Mother Theresa, or to be a Hitler or a Saddam Hussein?
We all have the capacity for the entire spectrum of human experience, but it differs in quality according to the individual natures of people. Not all good people can attain Mother Theresa's level of good (if you argue that Mother Theresa is good, for argument's sake).
Do you believe that we all can be seduced into doing evil?
Seduced by whom?
Of course it is possible for anyone to be seduced into doing evil, but again it's not deterministic. An evil person would just be easier to seduce into doing evil than a good person because it's in their nature. Similarly, you can seduce an evil person into doing good.
Do you think there are certain conditions and situations that incline us to do evil? And if so, then will you share what you think they may be?
Any scenario that makes you doubt your own judgement and your own abilities is evil. Any scenario that coerces you into doing something against your own best interest is evil.
Do you have a strategy for coping with "evilness" in your own life? If so, would you care to share it?
Propaganda against the things I perceive to be evil whenever I have a few moments to spare. Despite my strong belief in nature, it's worth the effort to seduce a few evil people to do good and to show the good people out there that they are not alone (although I believe they are in the minority).
Other than that, doing what I perceive to be good is a full-time concern and it keeps me too busy to concern myself with coping with evilness.-
"An evil person would just be easier to seduce into doing evil than a good person because it's in their nature."
And who is determining who is good and who is evil? -
FlamingPoodle said: Why the parenthesis? This made me smile. I like your style, "FlamingPoodle"
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The good people decide that they are good and that the evil people are evil, while the evil people decide that they are good and that the good people are evil.
So the "good" people decide that the evil people are "evil" but the "evil" people decide that the good people are "evil". This means everyone is "evil" by default, unless your judgement is sound enough to convince you that you are "good". Of course, in order do to this you have to have good judgement and not "good" judgement because that would be evil judgement, only the evil people would call it "evil" judgement.
Now I just need to display an array of quotes by "smart" people and I'd be a "philosopher". -
@flamingpoodle
Thanks for answering all of the questions I posed in the OP. I used parenthesis to indicate the kind of phrases that I was raised hearing as a child. Perhaps I should have simply used bold lettering instead. -
In other words, you used a direct quotation. I don't think that constitutes "parenthesis abuse" then.
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@FP...yes, humor is an easy way out.
But then, who determines what is humorous? -
@flamingpoodle
Re: the use of parenthesis
I was raised in a black and white - right or wrong kind of family. All ethics and morals taught to me as a child were based upon the Christian evangelical fundamentalist re-interpretations of the Jewish Tanakh (Old Testament), sans the rabbinical teachings and accepted Judiac interpretation of those books, and on the New Testament teachings attributed to Jesus long after his death.
As a young adult I recognized that my family members and their associates in that religious milieu and indeed all Christians deliberately interpret the Old Testament (Tanakh) in a manner required to uphold their doctrine and dogma that depicts Jesus as God. They cherry picked passages from the Tanakh (Old Testament)put their own spin on them, because if they didn't they would have only the New Testament books to base their religion upon.
Although I left that milieu years ago, as an adult I have noted that these are phrases and the beliefs they are based upon that I heard over and over again as a child are still in use today. -
Thanks Timethief:
You really don't need to justify it. I was actually poking fun at the weird use of parenthesis that crops up everywhere lately. I was taught that parenthesis is used in a quote or when you don't really mean what you are saying. The first instance makes perfect sense. The second instance makes no sense to me at all.
If you don't mean what you are saying, why say it? If you don't mean what you are saying, and you still say it, surely you don't want people to know that you don't really mean what you are saying, so why insert the parenthesis?
It wasn't directed at you, just a general observation, but thanks for the explanation. It makes sense.
TheBigRuski:
That's a very good question and I have no idea. I don't think that there is an absolute good or evil, but there definitely is relative good and evil. Evil to one may be good to another. However, we each know what is good for ourselves.
Each of us is intimately familiar with our own individual wants and needs. Moreover, each of us is uniquely placed to pursue those wants and needs effectively. At the same time, we know the desires and needs of others only imperfectly, and we are not well situated to pursue them. Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that if we set out to be 'our brother's keeper,' we would often bungle the job and end up doing more mischief than good. (James Rachels in Ethical Egoism) -
wrong spot - sorry
see below -
And who is determining what is a right spot and a wrong spot?
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FP, you made some interesting comments that I would like more clarification on.
"We all have the capacity for the entire spectrum of human experience, but it differs in quality according to the individual natures of people."
You also said
"I do believe that people are inherently good and inherently evil, but it's not deterministic. Nature is the overbearing factor in your behaviour, but nurture also has a role that can not be entirely neglected, even if it is only a minor role."
If nature is the overbearing factor, why are some evil and others not? And why do some have an evil nature, while others don't?
I'm asking because I'm interesting in your opinion on this.
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HI Time Thief. I have to say that I don't find the concept of evil that useful -- if called upon to "explain" it, I tend to think that it arises from damage psyches. Biographical research of those labelled "evil", e.g. Alice Miller on Hitler, shows that they were subjected to violence and abuse as small children.-
@OrnaRoss...Yes I agree with you here as I do believe it has something to do with a damaged psyche, signs of mental illness, off perceptions and there are different degrees of it to
but this does not cover everyone, though it covers most. -
@OrnaRoss and Jeunelle
I agree that early exposure to and subjection to violence and abuse may shape our behavior in such a way as to the kind of damage to the psyche that contributes to the manifestation of evil in thoughts, words and deeds, and that may result in mental illness. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this.
@Jeunelle
... but this does not cover everyone, though it covers most
Would you like to expand on what you have said? -
NO that is a private observation that I have perceived over the years in my life on this plane.
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@Jeunelle
Thanks for replying again. -
There are plenty of good people who come from abused homes, thus giving more weight to the nature argument than the nurture argument.
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@flamingpoodle
There are plenty of good people who come from abused homes, thus giving more weight to the nature argument than the nurture argument.
Agreed. As I'm multitasking from work I cannot respond to your responses to the questions one at a time at this point in time. When I can I will try to respond to the POV that you shared and that everyone else shared too. -
However, I will add that in my observation as an Optician, most evil stems from an individual laying claims to dominate and control someone or something that they have no control over,
yet they continue to believe that they do.
Some go as far as to bend one's will in an attempt to change the natural order and course of things. There are different degrees of this so called "evil", it is a spirit of madness that can creep upon the best and worst of us. No one is immune and the cure is most times ineffective. -
@Jeunelle
What a sage observation and valuable contribution. Thank you for stating it.
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Whan an interesting discussion. As a psychologist--someone who is trained in biopsychology, I have a lot of interest in this topic.
(1) Does the phrase "evil people do evil things" ring true to you? If so, please explain why.
No, not completely. When I was a junkie, I did evil things (I believe) but I am not an evil person. While some evil acts are done by evil people, some evil acts can be done by good people who are messed up for one reason or another. What comes to mind right away is a person who is mentally insane. The act this person might commit could be extremely evil--but that person is not evil. Just deranged.
(2) Do you believe there is such a thing as "a bad seed" ie. that some people are born inherently "good" and others are born inherently "evil"?
I believe there are people who are born with a natural predisposition towards aggression and violence. In fact, this is something that I studied at one point. However, I believe there is more to it than just a predisposition--there has to be a corresponding environment that somehow triggers that predisposition. But some people are inherently born with a greater propensity toward evil--I believe that.
(3) Do you believe that we all have the capacity for both love and evil -- to be a Mother Theresa, or to be a Hitler or a Saddam Hussein?
While I believe we are all born with a certain capacity for goodness or a certain capacity for evil, this is on a sliding scale. These qualities might be considered in the same way that intelligence or musical talent is--that some people have more 'talent' (or goodness) than others do.
(4) Do you believe that we all can be seduced into doing evil?
(5) Do you think there are certain conditions and situations that incline us to do evil? And if so, then will you share what you think they may be?
Yes, I am certain of this. I have done evil things and believe it was my environment that promoted it. I was a heroin addict, hung out with people who had little regard for others and this naturally rubs off on us. We are influenced greatly by our environment. Hitler's soldiers may have been very decent men at heart--but they did extremely indecent things because of their environment.
(6) Do you have a strategy for coping with "evilness" in your own life? If so, would you care to share it?
I try to stay away from people that I consider evil. I have been through too many wars in my own life to want to wage battle (knowingly) with evil today. I try to listen to my heart, which rarely steers me in the wrong direction--I try to involve myself with good deeds and to be influenced by good people. Just as a negative environment can influence us, so can a positive one!
Great discussion, TT!
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I didn't answer #4 and was unable to edit.
4) Do you believe that we all can be seduced into doing evil?
I believe we all could be--there is the potential for this. In my case, I was seduced but I was on drugs, which was a big part of the equation. Under normal circumstances, I don't think I could be seduced to commit an evil act--but again, the possibility is there depending on the context.
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1) Does the phrase "evil people do evil things" ring true to you? If so, please explain why.
No
(2) Do you believe there is such a thing as "a bad seed" ie. that some people are born inherently "good" and others are born inherently "evil"?
No
(3) Do you believe that we all have the capacity for both love and evil -- to be a Mother Theresa, or to be a Hitler or a Saddam Hussein?
Yes
(4) Do you believe that we all can be seduced into doing evil?
Yes
(5) Do you think there are certain conditions and situations that incline us to do evil? And if so, then will you share what you think they may be?
Yes,
(6) Do you have a strategy for coping with "evilness" in your own life? If so, would you care to share it?
Yes, Acceptance and Avoidance -
(1) Does the phrase "evil people do evil things" ring true to you? If so, please explain why.
In answer to the first question, I'll repeat what I wrote 3 weeks ago. Philosophically speaking, by its own nature, will always wants good. Evil is not willed per se, what is willed is an inferior good. Evil is thus the deprivation of a superior good which results in the fact that will has focused on an inferior good. Lets take the example of a kid whose mother tells him, “If you eat this cake, you will be sick”, and despite this warning the kid eats the cake. Did he will to be sick? Ie did he will to be deprived of health? Obviously no, he wanted the pleasure of tasting the cake, which is undoubtedly a good... Evil resides in having willed an inferior good, despite ill-health as a consequence. In the same vein, the man who commits suicide wants nothing else but for his sufferings to cease, which appears to him to be a good compared to continuing to live.
(4) Do you believe that we all can be seduced into doing evil?
Yes. Its interesting to note, imoho, that good attracts, whereas beauty seduces. Seduction often remains internal, whereas a good enables "extasy". Good is what we never posses but all want to possess. Seductions are sometimes quite strong, for the "diabolical" can seduce, without ever being able to attract, but it can seduce, the intellectuals, the mathematiciens, the artists… the logicians. -
i think that we have potential to do both. i think that we get more evil as we get older. Also, it doesn't help that most of the things that are fun, or pleasing to the body is probably bad...evil. -
(1) Does the phrase "evil people do evil things" ring true to you? If so, please explain why.
Yes, Russians are evil and Russians do evil things.
(2) Do you believe there is such a thing as "a bad seed" ie. that some people are born inherently "good" and others are born inherently "evil"?
Yes, Russians are born evil and are "bad seeds."
(3) Do you believe that we all have the capacity for both love and evil -- to be a Mother Theresa, or to be a Hitler or a Saddam Hussein?
Possibly, but Russians are evil.
(4) Do you believe that we all can be seduced into doing evil?
Russians do evil naturally.
(5) Do you think there are certain conditions and situations that incline us to do evil? And if so, then will you share what you think they may be?
Yes, being a Russian would make you do evil things.
(6) Do you have a strategy for coping with "evilness" in your own life? If so, would you care to share it?
Stay away from Russians.-
@satijournal
I hope that was just bad humor
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@sj....Wouldn't have George Bush been a better example? ...I mean coming from you?
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Holy crap, it's a Russian! Who left the door open?!!
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Would you like to be an Indian.
Marat Safin is grt -
Now that's eeeeeevvv-illlll!
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@satijournal, earthwire, dosox & TBR
I do appreciate humorous exchanges especially when they are as thought provoking as satijournal's original answers to the questions posed. But I'm also hoping that you will all continue contribute as much to the topic established in the OP as you can.
You see I've been giving this topic a lot of deep thought. I have been searching within myself to uncover why I did not want to contribute to the previous threads posted to the forum on this subject. And, why I didn't particularly want to hear what others thought at the time those threads were posted.
What I have uncovered now I have done some inner excavation work is I do want to hear what others think now, and that's why I have come full circle and posted this thread today.
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SEE MY COMMENT: up in "aningeniousname" thread -- midway down the page.
Thank you aningeniousname! -
My views:
(1) Does the phrase "evil people do evil things" ring true to you? If so, please explain why.
Its more like: people who do evil things more often than average are called evil people. Your doing evil things comes before your being called evil person.
(2) Do you believe there is such a thing as "a bad seed" ie. that some people are born inherently "good" and others are born inherently "evil"?
No.
(3) Do you believe that we all have the capacity for both love and evil -- to be a Mother Theresa, or to be a Hitler or a Saddam Hussein?
Capacity- Yes. Wish and dedication - No
If I say X is evil, in order to become like X, either I need to kill my conscience that tells me that X is evil or I have to tell my conscience that I want to be like X, knowing that X is evil.
X for me may not be X for others.
(4) Do you believe that we all can be seduced into doing evil?
The effort required to seduce someone into doing evil varies from one person to another. In certain cases, its not seduction that works, its brainwash that does the trick. If you tell me to harm someone for material wealth or afterlife gain, I may not do that. But, if you convice me somehow that the other person is "Evil" I may harm him/her.
(5) Do you think there are certain conditions and situations that incline us to do evil? And if so, then will you share what you think they may be?
Certain situations may prove to be a catalyst and we usually call them lack of options. For example, in a famine, people do kill each other for a loaf of bread, knowing that killing is evil. Can't think of a better example right now. I'll add that later.
(6) Do you have a strategy for coping with "evilness" in your own life? If so, would you care to share it?
Yes. Usually when it is directed against a person, I just swap our positions for a few seconds and decide. Evil directed against the system is more hard to tackle.-
Wrong place
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Are all of us or some of us more likely to be seduced and/or brainwashed into doing evil by:
(1) been raised countries wherein nationalism has become equivalent to religion and patriotism has become equivalent to idolatry?
(2) embracing particular religious and political ideologies at an early age?
(3) emulating role models who have demonstrated a propensity for abusing, torturing and killing others;
(4) choosing to adopt lifestyles, vocations and professions that include aggression and violence?
(5) being drafted into or volunteering for military service and enjoying the hierarchical structure, the privileges of rank, roles, wearing uniforms, following orders and being trained to kill other human beings?
(6) freely using dehumanizing racist, discriminatory labels to describe others in our everyday lives, vocations and professions?
(7) demonizing people who have not embraced the same or similar ideologies and role models ie. heroes that we have embraced?-
Yes, some people are more likely to be seduced/ brainwashed to do evil. Like I said "The effort required to seduce someone into doing evil varies from one person to another."
If a kid has always seen that people kill others in the name of honor/ religion/ property, etc etc, the probablity of his accepting this as natural is higher than one who is not sujected to all this.
Kids who have been a victim/ witness of domestic violence or harassment have a higher probability of being aggressive. -
Psychologically, some people are more susceptible to brainwashing than other are. Just as some people are physically stronger, some people are also psychologically stronger. It takes strength to not be corrupted or seduced by evil.
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1) Does the phrase "evil people do evil things" ring true to you? If so, please explain why.
This is the only one that I am going to answer.
Yes. Just as I believe that caring people do caring things, nice people do nice things, tall people do tall things, etc, etc.
Do I need to explain why? Just seems that, by definition, blank people do blank things.-
@ekim
Okay. Then do you think the child soldiers in Africa, who are doing evil, are truly evil beings ie. that they are all bad seeds? -
Are ya the only one saying Yes
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@TT
Yes. During the time that they are doing evil, they are evil. I don't think that people are locked into a certain behavior and cannot change. I do believe that what we do defines who we are. At least for the moment that we are doing it. -
@ekim
I do believe that what we do defines who we are. At least for the moment that we are doing it.
Thanks for the clarity.
(1) I know that I am not the thoughts I think.
(2)I know that I am not my body but she who indwells the bodily container in this physical plane.
(3) I know I am not the words I speak.
(4) And, I know that I am not my deeds or my accomplishments. -
This thread is very interesting here. Because like TT mentions the child soldiers in Africa who are committing horrors.... I saw a documentary on this and also read something about it and some these children were rescued and counseled. Many had seen their parents tortured and brutally killed by their captors and then told that if they did not kill for the "army" that they would be tortured, raped or killed. And yet I do not believe these children were bad people doing bad things or even bad seeds. They were children in almost irreversible shock, terrified for their safety and lives every day. They were children forced into a kill or be killed situation. Yes, the acts they were taught to commit and did commit were more horrible than most of us could comprehend. And these acts could be termed evil, but does this make that child evil or simply the victim of terror and fear? When the rescued kids were interview many cried and many were in shock so deep they could barely talk. I guess this again goes back to the psychological and physiological aspect of one's environment and how it shapes their psyche and/or physiology.
I realize this is only one aspect of what TT is asking but it is the only aspect I can delve into today. I am working and jumping in when I can. It's a fascinating discussion. -
@Robin
Re: child soldiers
Documentary tells the tale of child soldier turned star boxer
Kassim Ouma is a fighter. He terrorized, tortured and murdered as an unwilling child soldier in Uganda. Eleven years later, he would become the IBF Middleweight Boxing Champion of the World. Kief Davidson's documentary Kassim the Dream chronicles the life of this fascinating and wildly charismatic young boxer, from his traumatic childhood in Africa to his eventual rise to fame as a boxing superstar in the United States. While the film is held back by a disappointing ending, it ultimately succeeds, for it effectively communicates Ouma's unbelievably engrossing story, accompanied with an exceptional soundtrack and staggeringly beautiful photography. gauntlet.ucalgary.ca/story/13154
Lubanga Trial a Landmark Case
First international case in which use of child soldiers prosecuted as war crime.
By IWPR Staff in The Hague (AR No. 198, 23-Jan-09)
The trial of Congolese militia leader Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, which begins on January 26, is considered a milestone for human rights, international justice, and the International Criminal Court, ICC, in The Hague.
The Lubanga trial will be the first international court case in which the use of child soldiers, defined as children under the age of 15, is prosecuted as a crime of war.
Child soldiers have been used in most wars fought in Africa and other continents over the past three decades.
Children across Africa, including Uganda, Liberia, Zimbabwe, and Democratic Republic of Congo, have been turned into killing machines in conflicts whose motivations and origins they scarcely understand. www.iwpr.net/?p=acr&s=f&o=349431&apc_state=henh
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1) There are no evil people only ignorant – unenlightened – ones that do evil. Even monsters like Hitler believed that they were doing good and convinced the whole country of his noble intentions. All crimes against humanity have been done in the name of a higher good not in the name of evil.
2) There are neither bad nor good seeds. We are the pot where the seeds grow.
3) Yes
4) All the time. Even Jesus on the cross was tempted by Satan. That’s why enlightenment should be a daily task.
5) Ignorance is the root of all evil, therefore enlihtenment is the cure.
6) Check out my blog, this is what I am blogging about. -
1) Does the phrase "evil people do evil things" ring true to you? If so, please explain why.
No, there are no evil people, only evil actions. But evil is not the opposite to good it is purely disharmony with ones self, lack of respect and sensitivity. However I have difficulty with the word EVIL for starters.
(2) Do you believe there is such a thing as "a bad seed" ie. that some people are born inherently "good" and others are born inherently "evil"?
I think in the same line as Buddhists, we bring tendencies across from other lives, as we take a new birth, we carry a bundle of things that sort of incline is to follow a certain direction. We choose our parents based on the emotional experiences that we wish to live out in the particular incarnation, this choice is based on those tendencies which have built up over millions of years.
(3) Do you believe that we all have the capacity for both love and evil -- to be a Mother Theresa, or to be a Hitler or a Saddam Hussein?
We have the capacity to be love, the other is really not really relevant is is a mis-thought. I will not discriminate between Mother Theresa or Saddam Hussein, both are Love and nothing less. The fact that Saddam lived a life that lacked an expression of love is a reflection of how much he despised himself and could not make contact with his greatest potential.
(4) Do you believe that we all can be seduced into doing evil?
We choose experiences, knowingly, willing to feel the affects of the emotion associated with it. We are emotional junkies.
(5) Do you think there are certain conditions and situations that incline us to do evil? And if so, then will you share what you think they may be?
The only condition is that we continually avoid being an expression of love. All our experiences are a platform to hurl ourselves into compassion and love. I have been raped, beaten and lost a son. I will grow in love continuously, I chose a very uncomfortable pathway to God, which is none other than Love.
(6) Do you have a strategy for coping with "evilness" in your own life? If so, would you care to share it?
Yes I do. To disregard the concept of EVIL as nonsense and to continue on the path of compassion and Love. -
I believe that there are those who are just predisposed to do evil deeds. While anyone can do bad things when surrounded by evil (Nazi Germany). Not everyone is evil by nature.
I do believe that we all are live in a constant struggle with "doing the right thing" vs. "doing what pleases us." -
(1) Does the phrase "evil people do evil things" ring true to you? If so, please explain why.
I have never met an evil person.
(2) Do you believe there is such a thing as "a bad seed" ie. that some people are born inherently "good" and others are born inherently "evil"?
Aside from a subjective interpretation of people with psychological disorders that condition them to act a certain way, no.
(3) Do you believe that we all have the capacity for both love and evil -- to be a Mother Theresa, or to be a Hitler or a Saddam Hussein?
I find it interesting that you contrast love and evil, not good and evil or love and hate. Yes, most people are capable of both.
(4) Do you believe that we all can be seduced into doing evil?
Not by a serpent in a garden or anything silly like that. People are "seduced" into doing "evil" by their circumstances.
(5) Do you think there are certain conditions and situations that incline us to do evil? And if so, then will you share what you think they may be?
Desperation. Family-centricism. Retribution. Most acts of "evil" fall under those three. The last is the rarest, but is still fairly common (at least on the news): Self-gratification.
(6) Do you have a strategy for coping with "evilness" in your own life? If so, would you care to share it?
Is it something to cope with, or should it be discarded? Why not embrace it. Those who commit evil acts in the name of good are despicable, but what of those who commit good acts in the name of evil?
Evil is a social construct that can only be used to describe actions that have an intent, not the person that performed them. Evil is anything that negatively affects society (not a nation or a tribe, but all of society) and/or robs any conscious being of their liberty. I say conscious being because good and evil are anthropic terms and humans arrogantly regard all other creatures as lesser, but I do not wish to preclude any hypothetical intelligent extraterrestrial life from the protections of this social construct.-
@voodookobra
I find it interesting that you contrast love and evil, not good and evil or love and hate.
Hmmm ... I admit that I did that deliberately to see who would pick up on it. I'm multitasking at work and so must beg off responding to the POV you posted. Thanks for answering the questions in the OP. I appreciate it. -
Self-gratification in public has to stop!
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You can't deny that you love to self-gratify in public, FP.
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My best answer to all the questions you pose is this quote:
THE NONEXISTENCE OF EVIL
The true explanation of this subject is very difficult. Know that beings are of two kinds: material and spiritual, those perceptible to the senses and those intellectual.
Things which are sensible are those which are perceived by the five exterior senses; thus those outward existences which the eyes see are called sensible. Intellectual things are those which have no outward existence but are conceptions of the mind. For example, mind itself is an intellectual thing which has no outward existence. All man's characteristics and qualities form an intellectual existence and are not sensible.
Briefly, the intellectual realities, such as all the qualities and admirable perfections of man, are purely good, and exist. Evil is simply their nonexistence. So ignorance is the want of knowledge; error is the want of guidance; forgetfulness is the want of memory; stupidity is the want of good sense. All these things have no real existence.
In the same way, the sensible realities are absolutely good, and evil is due to their nonexistence -- that is to say, blindness is the want of sight, deafness is the want of hearing, poverty is the want of wealth, illness is the want of health, death is the want of life, and weakness is the want of strength.
Nevertheless a doubt occurs to the mind -- that is, scorpions and serpents are poisonous. Are they good or evil, for they are existing beings? Yes, a scorpion is evil in relation to man; a serpent is evil in relation to man; but in relation to themselves they are not evil, for their poison is their weapon, and by their sting they defend themselves. But as the elements of their poison do not agree with our elements -- that is to say, as there is antagonism between these different elements, therefore, this antagonism is evil; but in reality as regards themselves they are good.
The epitome of this discourse is that it is possible that one thing in relation to another may be evil, and at the same time within the limits of its proper being it may not be evil. Then it is proved that there is no evil in existence; all that God created He created good. This evil is nothingness; so death is the absence of life. When man no longer receives life, he dies. Darkness is the absence of light: when there is no light, there is darkness. Light is an existing thing, but darkness is nonexistent. Wealth is an existing thing, but poverty is nonexisting.
Then it is evident that all evils return to nonexistence. Good exists; evil is nonexistent.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 259) -
(1) No
(2) No
(3) Yes
(4) No
(5) Vulnerability and Possession
(6) Not being vulnerable and trying not to create envy
I think that the taproot of evil can be found in the enjoyment of destruction -
What may seem evil to me may not seem evil to someone else. Even if the same description of evil is used.
So it isn't possible for someone to be considered evil by all.
1. I have never heard that phrase, but my answer is no it doesn't ring true to me.
2. No I do not consider that anyone can be born a bad seed. That is just a descriptive name or figure of speech to justify a nature of humans that may not be considered acceptable to some.
3. Yes I do believe that we all have the capacity to be either good or bad, because we all have the ability to chose.
4. This is a difficult question to answer, because everyone has a different view of what evil is.. So how can anyone really figure out what conditions will cause someone to do an evil thing?
5. I as far as I know I don't have evilness in my life. I just live the best way I know how, and do the best I can in helping others. How can I possible do away with evil in my life if I don't recognize it as evil? -
Don't believe in evil anymore than I believe in sin
Evil is such a strong emotional word full of judgment and fear
A lot of people simple do not have the social or mental reasoning to see their actions as everyone else does....their reality for them seems perfectly justified.
It is a bit like truth it all depends on who is telling the story. -
(1) Of course evil people do evil things. But it doesn't mean that they are inherently more evil than others. Forrest Shaklee told his people, "What you think, you say. What you think, you do, what you think, you are." Like LotusB said, children start out selfish. And they more often act like the devil because of it.
(2) Some will prove to be more inclined to evil than others, but not necessarily because of genetics or because one's soul was innately that of miscreants. Hitler grew up in an abusive home and was nurtured in World War I and the Weimar Republic. On the other hand, Jeffrey Dahmer and the BTK Killer in Wichita weren't known for having abusive environments. Yet they gravitated to some pretty bad things. Bad seeds? Not necessarily. They were, after all, faced with the issues of their egos, then their peers and chose a course for worse that might have been chosen by any number of people. And their choices cultivated patterns that were not only destructive for themselves, but others. So far, we don't have any genetic markers for evil or good identified. Nobody is proposing a Gattica system yet.
(3) We do. If we didn't we would all be vegetables or automatons incapable of being sovereign beings. Mother Theresa struggled with doubt and darkness. Hitler and Saddam had times where they expressed love. Yet the world only knows one side of them.
(4) All of us can be seduced into doing evil and we can all be as easily seduced into good. Few of us deny that we are seduced into love. Seductions usually take the form of obsessions that crowd out dreaming and innocence and replace them with selfish ambitions, whether they be in terms of fun, desire for another, want, status, outrage at injustice, or any number of other things.
(5) We may be most inclined to do evil in a milieu of oppression. It could happen when peers do not respect authority that acts lawfully. It could happen in a milieu of hypersexuality (yup...I'm wicked...trust me).
(6) There's much I have had to do to get a handle on myself. I cut myself off from the sex industry years ago and began a term of celibacy to consider what my life should become. I had entered that industry after betrayal and rape, but saw real dangers coming. After several months I decided upon a fundamental course, then acted accordingly. What I became has been shaped by my meditations and rites. I renewed my study of sacred texts. I developed my sensitivities further as a hierodule instead of a sex worker as commonly understood. Upon that I built my philosophy regarding innocence, truth, liberty, the Good, existence, teshuvah, sacrifice, and reconciliation. As my life improved, I also concentrated on my career. So I developed a sense of ethics that isn't a code, but a flow from the deeper things of the heart.-
BRAVO...my eyes are overjoyed to read your words
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(1) Does the phrase "evil people do evil things" ring true to you? If so, please explain why.
Yes, but then again good people do evil things so I'm not sure where that gets us.
(2) Do you believe there is such a thing as "a bad seed" ie. that some people are born inherently "good" and others are born inherently "evil"?
Not really. I think it is more a matter of what influences you are exposed to growing up and how susceptible you are to those influences.
(3) Do you believe that we all have the capacity for both love and evil -- to be a Mother Theresa, or to be a Hitler or a Saddam Hussein?
Yes, but not as a Mother Theresa or a Hitler. We are mostly just ordinary folks capable of random act of kindness and the occasional mean-spirited action.
(4) Do you believe that we all can be seduced into doing evil?
Sure. One of my favorite quotes is: Fear not the things men do in the name of evil, but o beware the things men do in the name of good.
(5) Do you think there are certain conditions and situations that incline us to do evil? And if so, then will you share what you think they may be?
Lust, greed, fear...the usual suspects.
(6) Do you have a strategy for coping with "evilness" in your own life? If so, would you care to share it?
Keep moving to the light. -
I'm enjoying this discussion and I believe it's one of TT's best.
I'm reading all that is said and studying the words but I must say that what is said here is very insightful and I am learning a lot about you all.
If the individual fails to control their senses, passions and fears, we have big trouble.
Learning to control them is of dire importance and we each have a moral responsibility to control
our own passions, senses and fears, not so much others.
If each of us took care of ourselves and checked ourselves, I believe we would not have the
"problem of evil" that we have today.
The "problem of evil" was addressed long ago in ancient egypt and the ancient egyptians were aware of this problem and took steps to counteract it though it was never fully defeated.
If you recognize that their is a problem, then I would suggest that you start with you and learn to control this unnecessary evil, for it is a lack of your understanding and control that causes evil to feed
and grow stronger. Learn to recognize the difference between good and bad and act accordingly.-
Control - like Hitler or like Stalin?
Which one do you suggest to be the solution for stopping evil? -
buddhaofhollywood.....why ask me this question when we both know your questions has nothing to do with what I just said above? You are taking what I said way "out of KOTEX".
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"out of Kotex." I have to remember that one. I think that the control Jeunelle is referring to is "control through cultivation of one's self toward that which is good," not a political statement.
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YES thank you LynneaUrania, I thought I made myself clear but appearantly I failed.
As LynneaUranis said I am referring to "control through cultivation of one's self toward that which is good," not a political state. Kotex is an old joke but still effective.
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All Im gonna say is that Good and Evil is just a matter of perspective and to argue what they are is to get as many different answers as there are people who are willing to answer.
buzz buzz-
@thefly:
wow! it's good to see you here again!
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Evil triumphs when good does nothing.-
That's a great cat!
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Thanks, he is my real cat, and his name is PussDaddy.
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People who do evil things can probably be broken down into three catagories: sociopaths (people without a conscience or sense of consequence), self-hating people, and psychotic people.
Most sociopaths lead fairly typical lives. They may be more likely to cheat on a spouse or back-stab friends. Morals can be taught to them much like the rules of the road, but they have no inherent sense of right or wrong. Ted Bundy was a sociopath.
Most self-hating people have probably suffered some kind of abuse in their lives. Unless they're psychotic or sociopathic, I doubt you'll find many "evil" people coming from loving families.
A psychotic person has an abnormality of the brain -- usually a chemical imbalance, but tumors have also been known to cause delusions. David Berkowitz was psychotic.-
Fear can also make people act irrationally and do evil things. After 9/11, a large portion of the population turned really nasty and may not have done evil things personally, but they supported the evil acts by our government.
There's also the need to belong. A lot of Charles Manson's "family" were from broken homes. I read a while back that many of the suicide bombers in the Middle East were taken in by Jihadists and treated as family. They were easily manipulated because they had no families and wanted to belong to something.
There's also desensitization such as Hitler used to persuade people to do evil. He started off small, such as beatings and vandalism against the Jews and gradually escalated it. It's like the used car salesman who takes your offer, goes in to talk to his boss and comes back with a counter offer just a little higher, and keeps repeating until the price is way above your original offer. The incremental escalation doesn't seem like much at the time, but it can be drastically different from someone's original capacity. -
This guy is just pure evil:
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Okay, now I can answer the questions...
(1) Does the phrase "evil people do evil things" ring true to you? If so, please explain why.
Well sure, if they didn't do evil things, they wouldn't be considered evil.
(2) Do you believe there is such a thing as "a bad seed" ie. that some people are born inherently "good" and others are born inherently "evil"?
Yes, we're born with inherent moral values which is closely related to our conscience.
(3) Do you believe that we all have the capacity for both love and evil -- to be a Mother Theresa, or to be a Hitler or a Saddam Hussein?
Naaaa... most of us are somewhere in the middle.
(4) Do you believe that we all can be seduced into doing evil?
Not all but many. Just look how quickly this country changed after 9/11. Fear is a powerful emotion.
(5) Do you think there are certain conditions and situations that incline us to do evil? And if so, then will you share what you think they may be?
When people are afraid, they're capable of doing things they wouldn't ordinarily do.
(6) Do you have a strategy for coping with "evilness" in your own life? If so, would you care to share it?
Yes, stay away from Russians! But seriously, treat everyone with dignity and respect, but never let your guard down. -
I found a lot of this interesting. And I understood when you wrote: "....a large portion of the population turned really nasty and may not have done evil things personally, but they supported the evil acts by our government."
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Evil (darkness) is the absence of Light (Jesus Christ). -
An excellent book to read about this is "The Lucifer Effect".It explains how any ordinary human being can do very evil acts under extreme circumstances.That would answer questions 3,4, and 5.
What I wonder though, is that is there any person that does no good whatsoever? I think you would have to lose your entire sense of humanity to be purely evil.Do you think that can happen? -
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Everything I say is from a Christian perspective.
(1) Does the phrase "evil people do evil things" ring true to you? If so, please explain why.
Yes. The fact of the matter is we are all "evil". timethief, I will use your definition c of evil. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23. If you don't believe you are evil (oppose God) just take a quick look at the 10 commandments. Have you ever lied before? Stolen anything? Disobeyed your parents? Now, that's just 3 of the 10.
(2) Do you believe there is such a thing as "a bad seed" ie. that some people are born inherently "good" and others are born inherently "evil"?
I believe we are all born inherently evil. Think about this: Do parents have to teach their children to misbehave? Of course not. It is "natural" for them to disobey, because we are all born with "sin nature", that is, left to ourselves, we will sin. Does this mean that people are as evil as they can be? Thankfully not. "God made humans, and the creation was good - yet at the same time, humankind is fallen and will never escape the effects of sin." Mark Noll
(3) Do you believe that we all have the capacity for both love and evil -- to be a Mother Theresa, or to be a Hitler or a Saddam Hussein?
Yes, we have the capacity to love or to be evil.
(4) Do you believe that we all can be seduced into doing evil?
Yes, I believe we are all seduced everyday to do evil, whether it is a small thing or big thing.
(5) Do you think there are certain conditions and situations that incline us to do evil? And if so, then will you share what you think they may be?
It depends on what a person struggles with. If I struggle with pornography, and I go to an adult video store, I obviously have placed myself in a situation where I am more inclined to do evil.
(6) Do you have a strategy for coping with "evilness" in your own life? If so, would you care to share it?
"God offers in the work of his Son, Jesus Christ, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, the transforming prospect of redemption— yet redemption never equals perfection; the redeemed must always recognize their own shortcomings and be filled with gratitude for all the gifts of creation, including all other human creatures." Mark Noll
Jesus is the answer to saving us from evil, from ourselves and from the wages of evil (or sin), which is eternal death (or hell).
Here is a link to an article where I pulled some of the quotes from:
www.desiringgod.org/Blog/1594_christianity_is_the_best_explanation/-
listen , if you want to be evil that's fine by me, but please oh please never tell me or members of my family they are evil :-) we are a good Zoroastrian family
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@rayman71
Thanks for your comment. It clarifies the fact that those who choose to embrace your Christian belief system must also choose to believe that we are all "evil". I rejected this original sin theory years ago along with all the other dogma and doctrine of the church.
Today I'm aware that:
Ideas, theories and beliefs are not necessarily truths.
A belief is not an idea held by the mind; it is an idea that holds the mind.
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(1) LOL wat? What the hell is an "evil person" to begin with? Next!
(2) No....NEXT!
(3) We all have the capacity to become a Kata Rokkar? How awesome would that world be? We could all go to shows and buy ice cream and laugh at people who wear fannypacks and listen to Coldplay. (enter NEXT!)
(4) Yes. I mean c'mon. I'm actually answering these questions. Thats gotta mean something. OMGHERECOMESANOTHERNEXT!
(5) I feel like i'm answering the same question over and over. I think it all comes down to right and wrong and you deluded sense of what that actually is. Evil is saved for bad movies and sci-fi books...oh and some other books. S'next?
(6) playing LEft 4 Dead...NEX...oh wait -
There are a few who hope for evil for they hold their effects to be the same as good. For them, happiness and hurt are one and the same thing, pleasure and suffering too. I wouldn't exclude that some have reached the highest rungs of power.
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wow, I have just gone thru' the thread, it is amazing. I felt like stuffing a big philosophical world into a small capsule.
1. (1) Does the phrase "evil people do evil things" ring true to you? If so, please explain why.
I want to borrow earthwire's few words here(hope she won't mind?)
Its more like: people who do evil things more often than average are called evil people. Your doing evil things comes before your being called evil person.So evil people tend to do evil things,true.
(2) Do you believe there is such a thing as "a bad seed" ie. that some people are born inherently "good" and others are born inherently "evil"?
YES, there is a difference in the soul. each soul is different, just like each face is different. A face looks kind and another cruel.Otherwise why a child becomes an evil person when another child from the same family becomes a good person?( I mean same parents, raised in the same way, same environments) BUT how you raise your children and the environment they are being raised will definitely play a role, undoubtedly.
(3) Do you believe that we all have the capacity for both love and evil -- to be a Mother Theresa, or to be a Hitler or a Saddam Hussein?
Same thing again. If it is good soul( let us say a matured soul after so many births) can easily become a mother Theresa if raised properly in a good environment. An evil soul on the other hand is having animal instincts,(means an unmatured soul with less number of births).If your soul is evil and you are brought up in a bad environment you might become a Hitler.
(4) Do you believe that we all can be seduced into doing evil?
yes, to certain extent the environment can make us do evil things. For instance your friends are bad and you are spending most of the time with them means what will be your acts? evil.
(5) Do you think there are certain conditions and situations that incline us to do evil? And if so, then will you share what you think they may be?
yes, to certain extent situations will influence our acts.It depends on individual mind set up too.If a child is not given adequate care and love, and if seeks a bad company to compensate, things will become pretty bad and evil.
(6) Do you have a strategy for coping with "evilness" in your own life? If so, would you care to share it?
Yes. you just think others are also born with same rights as we have in this world. If you were in his/her shoes what will you do?- think like this often. You just try to be good to all. You just try to be loved by all.You just think you love all. One day you will really love all and be loved by all. -
I have to say that my answers vary hugely from all the responses here and I wonder how much that is because I spent a number of years working in various prisons:
However, I went with gut answers and they are
1. Yes in some circumstances
2. Yes, I do believe that some people are born without a consience
3. No
4. No, I think there are only a few people who can be seduced into evil
5. Yes, but there are a lot of reason that I would list
6. Recognition and avoidance
But, for any of this to make sense, I think that my definition of evil (I could expand but I think this is reasonably clear)is to cause grave harm to others/or one other person with malicious intent i.e rape, murder, bodily harm. In this case I am using people as my example but it is not limited as such! -
(1) Does the phrase "evil people do evil things" ring true to you? If so, please explain why.
No, it doesn't ring true. I believe that I am capable of doing both good and evil, and I wouldn't be what some might perceive as evil. Whether I actually am or not though... well, that's a whole can of worms right there.
(2) Do you believe there is such a thing as "a bad seed" ie. that some people are born inherently "good" and others are born inherently "evil"?
I don't believe in bad seeds, just seeds that grow differently based on differing life experiences. Some will grow up just fine, while others bloom into something magnificent. Others will turn into cactuses to keep everyone away, while a few might become strangling vines that deliberately prey on the other plants. And then there are all the mutations and permutations in between.
(3) Do you believe that we all have the capacity for both love and evil -- to be a Mother Theresa, or to be a Hitler or a Saddam Hussein?
Yes, given the right mix of circumstance and choice, I believe anything is possible. What will I do? Sometimes, not even I know until I make the choice within a particular circumstance that I have never found myself in before.
(4) Do you believe that we all can be seduced into doing evil?
To a point. There is still the capacity for choice somewhere in that murky mess of seduction and temptation. No one can actually MAKE me do anything I don't want to do, but they can certainly present it as the most sensible or desirable thing to do - even if it actually isn't.
(5) Do you think there are certain conditions and situations that incline us to do evil? And if so, then will you share what you think they may be?
Certain conditions and situations? There'd be too many to name! Take the number of people that have lived, are living, and ever will live, and you may well find that the number of conditions and situations that might incline someone to do evil are as endless as that. We're all different. What may persuade one to evil may not persuade another.
(6) Do you have a strategy for coping with "evilness" in your own life? If so, would you care to share it?
I accept that I have the capacity for evil, and then try not to dwell on it. There's nothing to be gained from constantly beating myself up over my moral frailties. No, much better for me to get on with that thing they call "living". God knows what I am, and yet continues to love me. That will have to be enough for me.
At the end of the day, I have to own my own thoughts and actions, to take responsibility for them no matter what. If I do wrong rather than right, then it's up to me to admit that it's no one's fault but my own. It is up to me to offer a genuine apology to the wronged party and, if at all possible, to make amends to them. Much better that I do no wrong to them in the first place, but I'd be stupid to kid myself and everyone around me that I'm never ever gonna.
Oh, a final thought. "Evil" can be such an emotionally charged term. Although I do believe that evil exists and is perpetrated by people, I prefer to ditch the word so that I don't find myself demonising the perpetrator. In other words it's unhelpful in the face of evil to merely point at it, hysterically screaming, "Evil!" It doesn't only present itself in the form of Hitler or B-grade movie villains, it can also be quite mundane and living next door to us. Let's demystify it, and get down to the nuts and bolts of dealing with it as it comes along. -
(1) Does the phrase "evil people do evil things" ring true to you? If so, please explain why. I think that to some extent this is possible. Some folks are just rotten to the core. Evil might not be the right term for such folks maybe conscience lacking is better. People with consciences have the ability to determine if their act will hurt or harm someone else those lacking said conscience are unable to look beyond the benefit of the actions for himself or herself.
(2) Do you believe there is such a thing as "a bad seed" ie. that some people are born inherently "good" and others are born inherently "evil"? This kind of goes hand-in-hand with number one. People aren't good or bad we are a combination of both things. We make decisions based on our experience and our biological make-up. Don't get me wrong there is medicine that says people can be born without a conscience and those folks normally become psychopaths, that is not the norm. And to some degree you could call those people born bad.
(3) Do you believe that we all have the capacity for both love and evil -- to be a Mother Theresa, or to be a Hitler or a Saddam Hussein? Of course it all comes down to choices and experience.
(4) Do you believe that we all can be seduced into doing evil? Anything's possible. I believe most people operate out of self presevation. If something is going to benefit you, you're more inclined to do it. This can be overturned by a genuine concern for others but I am of the belief that most people are out for number one. That is not to say that people don't go good deeds, I would argue that most do but sometimes the intentions behind these deeds may not be pure or good even if the outcome is. Some argue that there is no such thing as altruism.
(5) Do you think there are certain conditions and situations that incline us to do evil? And if so, then will you share what you think they may be? I believe that authority and power has the ability to corrupt or warp people's outlook. This would explain why so many folks in positions of power do things hurt those below them. I believe that group situations can lead people astray, no one likes to be the odd man out even if what the group is doing is wrong i.e. slavery, gay bashing etc etc etc.
(6) Do you have a strategy for coping with "evilness" in your own life? If so, would you care to share it? Coping with evil....I would hope that I'm not evil but I try to look at every situation and make the best decision. Not the best decision for me but the best decision even if that means getting in trouble or admitting I am wrong. That doesn't mean that I haven't done some narsty things in my young life but I would like to think I am more on the Mother Theresa scale than the Hitler if that makes any sense. -
(1) Does the phrase "evil people do evil things" ring true to you? If so, please explain why.
Of course they do, otherwise they won't be called evil.
(2) Do you believe there is such a thing as "a bad seed" ie. that some people are born inherently "good" and others are born inherently "evil"?
I belive this will happen if parents ignore their duties of nurturing their children into a good man.
(3) Do you believe that we all have the capacity for both love and evil -- to be a Mother Theresa, or to be a Hitler or a Saddam Hussein?
Definitely, it all depends on how we were raised and the people we mixed with and of course, the environment we grew up in.
(4) Do you believe that we all can be seduced into doing evil?
If your determination were not strong enough!
(5) Do you think there are certain conditions and situations that incline us to do evil? And if so, then will you share what you think they may be?
Getting bullied always in school, getting teased by ppl, money/bribery, seduction!
(6) Do you have a strategy for coping with "evilness" in your own life? If so, would you care to share it?
Of course i will share it, it's for the benefits of all mankind. We want to live in peace. Rather than a screw-up world! -
I just had to come back and read some more comments.
This thread is the best ever. It never seizes to amaze me.
Keep them coming! -
This is just to let everyone know that I am reading each comment posted. However, I'm working so I have not been responding to them individually. Thanks for honoring this thread by sharing your personal answers to the questions I posed and you're observations too. I'm impressed at the quality and depth of the comments that have been received. I echo buddhaofhollywood's words - Keep them coming!
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evil by its origin is nothing but the only way some people realize how good are the positive vibes -
Would you believe that Evil itself dwells within us? It was bestowed upon us from the time we fell from God's grace. Thus being a creature of free-will, we harbor the right and liberty to do whatever we like, may it be good or evil. So basically, I believe that we have the capability to perform Evil deeds, as much as our capability to do Good as well. What would it be? After all, life is what we make it, isn't it?
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@badjing
I'm aware that some people have chosen to embrace this Christian belief system. FWIW I have rejected it, but I do thank you for very much your contribution to this thread. -
Evil "was bestowed upon us" ???
Adam ate the apple of knowledge and was booted out of the eden.
God never bestowed evil onto men. Where do you get that from? -
@buddhaofhollywood
I would strongly prefer that you and badjing do not enter a discussion/debate about religion in this thread. Will you please honor this my special request by using private messages if you want to discuss or debate religion?
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A fascinating thread. I'll try adding my few coins to the mix.
(1) I would say this is a relative issue; granted for certain actions like murder, there's no question of it being an 'evil' act. But to define a person by their individual acts would mean that we'd have to bear witness to all of their acts to truly say they are evil to begin with. Also, actions can never be judged in a vacuum; we need to know why a person chose to commit the act we regard in negative connotations.
(2) I think life experiences plays a key role in what a person chooses to become. I believe we are all created with the ability to do the noblest of deeds and also the darkest of human acts. It's our so-called human intellect that determines which way we opt to allow the pendulum to swing and to what degree.
(3) Yes - see my answer above.
(4) Again, this is part of the equation in terms of our inner duality of what we define as 'good' and 'evil'. There has been many historical events in our collective human history where we've seen communities that we'd define as being 'good' turning toward 'evil' acts on account of changes to their environment or living conditions. As the saying goes, you never know how you're going to react in a particular situation until you're actually in it.
(5) Heh, it seems I'm answering most of these questions together. But that's probably because I don't think you can really separate them into individual components. But in regards to what conditions, an obvious one would be situations where our personal survival is at risk. There have been numerous stories told where people would willingly kill or put others in harm's way if it meant they had a chance to survive. Taken out of context, their actions would be seen by our society as being 'evil'. However, in the situation where it occurs, it's merely reflective of our basic instincts in regards to our will to survive.
(6) I think the best way to compensate for those negative aspects we all have within us is to honestly recognize the footprint or impact our actions have on those around us. If we see that our actions repulse rather than attract others, then we must be honest with ourselves in recognizing that we have an issue that needs to be addressed. However, in times of crisis or personal peril, it's hard to say how one could compensate for "evilness" since we can't really know how we'd react or behave under such circumstances.
Again, an interesting conversation and I'm glad to share my thoughts on it. -
1-Yes.a fruit is known by there fruit.Though it's not that they may be evil 24/7 but most of the time there actions tend to be evil.
2-No.We chose our behaviour when we are born.To be good or bad is a matter of choice,but sometimes it is easier to do evil than good because of the human selfish nature that we are born with.You character is govern by many factors :your parents,what you see around you,what you are taught,where you grow up from i.e(your environment).Everyone is able to do evil,it is a matter of what you choose to do.
3-Yes
4-Yes
5-Yes.Your environment,what you here,what you see,what you are thought,and what you choose to believe.If they are evil you cannot do better than what you know,and what you grow up to believe.
5-Yes.God's word.The bible says':"Thy word have i hid in my heart that i may not sin against you.God's word if followed and obeyed has the ability to make us do good most times.What you hear,see,and the kind of people you hang out withis also very important.You are what you choose to believe! -
All I can say is that I have come up close and personal to the most evil person I have ever met. Evil exists. And it is, I believe, a choice people make. We each have good and evil within us, it depends which one we choose to feed. We choose to feed one or the other or both.
If you want to understand evil, go look up sociopathy. It is becoming more and more common. Many of the wrolds leaders and corproate CEOs are scoiopaths. -
All I can say is that I have come up close and personal to the most evil person I have ever met. Evil exists. And it is, I believe, a choice people make. We each have good and evil within us, it depends which one we choose to feed. We choose to feed one or the other or both.
If you want to understand evil, go look up sociopathy. It is becoming more and more common. Many of the wrolds leaders and corproate CEOs are scoiopaths. -
@buddhaofhollywood
i never said that it was God who bestowed evil upon us. as you say, when adam and eve was booted out of the Garden, didn't it occurred to you that we ourselves allowed evil to take seed on us?-
@badjing
I would strongly prefer that the two of you do not enter a discussion/debate about religion in this thread. I'm making this special request. I have posted 6 questions in the original post and I would be honored if you would please answer them instead of entering a religious discussion/debate.
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yes, i'm sorry. it won't happen again.
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Thanks for honoring my request. Will you use private messages if you want to discuss or debate religion with him?
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No, thanks. I have no further interest on pursuing that line of debate anymore. Let's just leave it at that. thank you.
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"Evil" is the mirror manifestation of "Good".
Both dwell within man and both have been created by man since "God" does not exist...-
Wait, I thought the mirror manifestation of "Good" was "dooG"! -
Hahahaha.
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Ha Ha, very ynnuf smarty pants, LOL!
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I really appreciated the way the vast majority of members who posted to this thread last September chose not to be adversarial or frivolous. I hope that will continue to be the case now that this thread has been resurrected because I do believe this is one of the best discussions I have ever taken part in at BC.
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Some are born with more of evil component in them(undeveloped soul, shall I call it)
The way one is brought up also has influence on a person's characters.
So both are important.
If you have bad friends you can become evil, again it is the situation you are in-the environment factor.
so there are only two things.
born evil and become evil being in bad environment.
If you have both the two factors good, you become a Teresa. Both bad you become a Hitler,this is my opinion.-
[Some are born with more of evil component in them]
Are you implying genetics dictate evil? I'm sure epigeneticists would take issue with this.
[The way one is brought up also has influence on a person's characters.]
A much more significant one than most people realize. -
Genetics is pretty powerful. There have been studies of twins separated at birth that showed similarities that were striking, even though they were raised in different environments. I wouldn't say that genetics makes someone more evil but I will say that genetics has a powerful role in who we are.
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I am saying "Yes" to all and even "yes" to the comment above me that VoodooKobra just posted.
Do I care to explain? I better not, it might get to hot in here.
BUT, I do want to say to TT that this is one of the most or best discussions on BC. and I am tuning in to see what else is said in here.-
I actually wrote a little post about the bad seed on earth a while back >
"The Bad Seed, is there such a thing"?
www.blogcatalog.com/blog/why-are-we-even-here -
Thanks for posting here Angie. I'm going to read your blog post.
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@AngieA
I have read your post and will be watching for Part II.
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I agree with vijayanths.
There are basically three things that influence how a person will behave -
1) Genetics
2) Family Environment, and
3) Social Environment
Nothing to do with "God" or "Diablo" or anything else for that matter.-
If you scroll to the top of this thread and read downwards you will find information about the genetics aspect.
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beautiful explanation, so short and sweet and to the point,m2urray.You have covered all the points in just three categories.
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Thanx timethief...
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This is a really interesting article from the BBC Magazine -
Are we all capable of violence?
The answer is yes.
Contrary to popular belief, we are born violent. Until the age of three, our impulses run riot. There is no stopping the urges which come from the emotional centre in our brains.
But as we grow up, we start to develop the part of the brain that allows us to control our aggression - the pre-frontal cortex. Yet crucially, how well this control mechanism works depends on our experiences.
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8043688.stm-
Thanks for the link to that interesting article.
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Very interesting article. So M2, do you think it proves the notion that men and women are basically good or basically evil?
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@jflower
I didn't see anything we didn't already know in that article. It's well known that we can all easily lose control and commit an extreme act of violence. And I didn't see "proof".
"All we need is for there to be a breakdown in the pre-frontal cortex and that can be triggered by anything from a car accident or repeated blows to the head in a game of rugby."
Well, how does that explain that the vast and overwhelming majority of people who have suffered car accidents, repeated blows to the head and rugby injuries do not become violent and embark upon committing evil acts?
In the comments I read this:
"The proposition that we are [all?] born to be violent is spurious and/or irrelevant because the vast majority of us for the vast majority of the time [if not all of the time] are not violent. The question is not 'why are people violent?' but 'Why are SOME people not passive?'.
Psycho-social experiments examining violence have tended to generalise from small scale non-naturalistic settings. Historical examples of mass violence have to be understood in terms of the cultural contexts not the behaviour of individuals. Neuroscience is not only in infancy in this area but has major problems in separating cause from effect and in sampling. Moreover, the issue of actual violence can and perhaps should be de-coupled from that of fascination with violence."
Dr Peter Morrall, York, UK -
Interesting thoughts Timethief
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It's easy to say that we all contain the ingredients to produce either good or bad thoughts, words and deeds. And I think most people would prefer to sum up the source of evil in the most easy way possible as religions seek to do (example: Satan). But the complexities we have uncovered during the evolution of this thread indicate otherwise. It will continue to be interesting to see what genetics, behavioral science and neuroscience reveal.
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I believe evil is a choice. You're either going to do it or you're not. You either want to do it or you won't. In the end, it's up to you.-
@misssuzie
Don't be insulted by me saying this but there's a lot of information in this thread and unless one takes the time to read all of the comments they may overlook some stuff.
I believe evil is a choice. You're either going to do it or you're not. You either want to do it or you won't. In the end, it's up to you.
Does that mean you discredit all the medical scientific evidence behind the genetic predisposition towards violence that those men with extra chromosomes possess? www.blogcatalog.com/discuss/entry/the-exploration-of-evil#comment_772061
Also how do you account for child soldiers then? They were and are captives, who are victimized and abused by the soldiers who they are dependent upon. So was and is bearing arms and killing people really up to them? -
You have made some very interesting and valid comments timethief on the article, gives one food for thought...
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Many members, yourself among them, have contributed tons of food for thought to this thread. It seems there may be even more contributions that others would like to make because I wasn't the member who resurrected the thread. That being said, I'm eager to see what else will be contributed.
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This is indeed a fascinating discussion and we've all got valid points to make and the more people who comment the better the debate.
All we need to bare in mind is to be nice to each other and respect the different views being expoused.
To add to what has already been said, in addition to the Genetics, Family and Environmental factors, I would accept that a certain amount of behaviour is open to personal choice to change, after all "God" gave us the power of "free will", did he not? -
@m2urray
I'm not going to get into a mode of debating whether the Christian construct of God exists or whether or not free will exists. That's not what this general discussion thread is about but if anyone wants to do that then they can either post another thread or better still they can join:
The Religious Debate and Discussions Group
www.blogcatalog.com/group/religious-debate-and-discussions
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(1) Does the phrase "evil people do evil things" ring true to you? If so, please explain why.
No.
(2) Do you believe there is such a thing as "a bad seed" ie. that some people are born inherently "good" and others are born inherently "evil"?
Yes.
(3) Do you believe that we all have the capacity for both love and evil -- to be a Mother Theresa, or to be a Hitler or a Saddam Hussein?
Yes
(4) Do you believe that we all can be seduced into doing evil?
Yes.
(5) Do you think there are certain conditions and situations that incline us to do evil? And if so, then will you share what you think they may be?
Yes. Situations such as war, or to avenge someone. The the actions are noble in our minds, and therefore justifiable, to others they are absolutely evil. For example if anyone was to do something to my child, something horrible, I would bet that when I got ahold of the assailant what I would do to them would be.... monsterous to say the least
(6) Do you have a strategy for coping with "evilness" in your own life? If so, would you care to share it?
Not really, I have seen a lot of evil and I handle each instance on a case by case basis-
@Endlessly
Thanks for participating.
I have seen a lot of evil and I handle each instance on a case by case basis
Sadly, I have also seen a lot of evil and like you my way of coping has been to deal with it on a case by case basis. However, I have also learned how to become quite skillful when it comes to avoiding coming into or remaining in contact with evil.
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I think we are all capable of doing things we would never think possible. Circumstances, temptations, hardships, etc. can break down the wall of resistance of even the strongest person. Put someone in the right situation and you'd be surprised.
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I think evil parents breed evil children. Dysfunctional is another word for evil. If one has brutal dysfunctional parents, it’s likely a child will grow up to be a reflection of their parents. It’s a cycle that is hard to break. How else to explain the gangbangers in the bad neighborhoods, and the preppy kids in the nice neighborhoods? Each child has the potential for good or evil. It’s how a child is socialized that determines what path a child will take. Not always, there are exceptions. But most of the time.-
@davedol
Thanks for your contrition. If you haven't done so already I'd like to invite you to read the whole thread and consider answering the questions I posted in the OP. I'll post them for you again below.
Discussion questions
(1) Does the phrase "evil people do evil things" ring true to you? If so, please explain why.
(2) Do you believe there is such a thing as "a bad seed" ie. that some people are born inherently "good" and others are born inherently "evil"?
(3) Do you believe that we all have the capacity for both love and evil -- to be a Mother Theresa, or to be a Hitler or a Saddam Hussein?
(4) Do you believe that we all can be seduced into doing evil?
(5) Do you think there are certain conditions and situations that incline us to do evil? And if so, then will you share what you think they may be?
(6) Do you have a strategy for coping with "evilness" in your own life? If so, would you care to share it?
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Sometimes it's hard to determine which is bad or not. Like if you stop pleasing people in your life, doing favors...that will make you look like a bad person for them. For me everyone has their own 'evilness', it depends on how they manage it. We all don't need to flaunt it, but worst if concealed and trying to keep a good image. Anyone can be a complete evil with the help of gossips and black propaganda, but sometimes we all don't know what they really feel. Yes anyone can be seduced into doing evil and it depends on the necessity.-
@edgecrosser
Thanks for sharing your point of view. We could not understand and appreciate what light was if we knew only darkness. Likewise we could not appreciate what good was if we knew only evil. And yes I do agree that we can all be seduced into doing evil. IMO there are certain conditions and situations that incline us to think evil thoughts, say evil things and to do evil deeds.
Without doubt if we are in a competitive, jealous or revenge seeking state we can easily step over the line between good and bad behaviors, and then attempt to justify and rationalize evil. At the seat of our problem is the fact that we are ego driven beings. -
This reminds me of the lead line in a song "It's a thin line between love and hate"...ditto good and evil. All of us are capable of either given the right mix of curcumstances.
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(1) Does the phrase "evil people do evil things" ring true to you? If so, please explain why.
A: it is basically a recursion isn't it? those who do evil things are evil people and since they are evil people, they do evil things
(2) Do you believe there is such a thing as "a bad seed" ie. that some people are born inherently "good" and others are born inherently "evil"?
(3) Do you believe that we all have the capacity for both love and evil -- to be a Mother Theresa, or to be a Hitler or a Saddam Hussein?
(4) Do you believe that we all can be seduced into doing evil?
(5) Do you think there are certain conditions and situations that incline us to do evil? And if so, then will you share what you think they may be?
A: Questions 2 to 5 basically address the same thing.. No one is born evil.. circumstances, upbringing, peers and your company influence you to either be good or evil..
A new born person is a blank sheet.. what he ends up depends on what ink is used on it and how the sheet responds to the scribbles.. it can end up as a beautiful painting or as a crumpled paper but it always starts as a clean sheet
(6) Do you have a strategy for coping with "evilness" in your own life? If so, would you care to share it?
A. I am not sure of any strategy as such.. just stay away from bad company, and if you can't avoid it.. don't get influenced by it. -
The Hebrew word in the Old Testament translates as: "Unpleasant"
The Greek word in the new Testement means: "Unclean"
The English word that has been inserted refers to malevolence or a malevolent being.
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