Are most humans inherently "good" or does it entirely depend on culture and environment?

Question

Another problem we have in facing the hatred and horror of Islam, is with our own simple view of humanity.

I grew up with Disney and Christian morality (both related). Outside the horrible concept of hell, this upbringing was pleasant, but I have grown up.

After studying Islam (among other things), in depth, I have learned that humans are neither good or bad. We must take humans culture by culture. If you raise a human in canibal culture, he may see you as lunch, but he is not evil because of his unfortunate upbringing.

Muslims are not evil, they are just born and raised in a culture of the highest form of intolerance. The problem is, many nieve Americans, raised on Disney and Jesus always believe that "it all works out" and most people are "good".

This is exactly why some many people say the great stupidity of our time "dont blame all muslims for the actions of a few". Surely historians will mock us for this mentality.

While no other culture does what Muslims do...

we still have people parroting this stupidity.

While almost all armed conflict today is Islamic, still stupid people insist nothing could be wrong with a religion and most people are good.

It may just be the death of us, this nieve view, based on a wishful thinking morality, either ahead of its time, or just weak...i dont know.

Answer 1

"Good" depends upon an individual person's upbringing and each one's personal definition of good. Tarzan, though a fictional character, grew up with no knowledge that any "religion" existed, Christian, Islam, or other. To him, "good" was probably letting one of his monkey friends have the last banana and evil was somebody stealing his banana.

Without knowledge, all we have to go on is experience. When we are young, we learn by seeing what our parents and those around us do. We are not born knowing what absolute good and evil are. We are in some ways like a computer program. We have to have someone program us to tell us what good and evil are and then we become game players and choose to be good or to be evil.

I'm always facsinated by the concept of age determining our ability to make our own decisions. In the United States, the law says you cannot be tried as an adult (except in certain cases, usually involving murder) if you are under 18, because the law assumes that you don't know right from wrong until you turn 18, when you magically know.

I believe that we learn at a very young age what's good and what's evil, from our own cultural standpoint. What's unclear is the levels of gray and whose version of good and evil is the "correct" one, if such a thing exists.

Answer 2

Well, before you use the word "good," you have to define it. What is good to a human. As I understand it, the human definition of good is somewhat broad. For example, a great philanthropist helping starving children in Africa would be considered as "good." "Good" would also apply to anyone who endeavors to help their fellow man. It would also apply to a person who has not done anything extreme, such as killed or manipulated people.
Good, however, is defined differently by the Bible and by the Christian God. Good is perfect. Giving away things and doing favors here and there doesn't make a person good in God's eyes. Rather, good is perfect. That person has never committed a transgression in their lives. This would include the transgressions humans tend to overlook. The small things. Lying, for example. Lust, for example. Bad thoughts, for example. But we humans tend to disregard these "minor" offenses and say, "But, otherwise, that guy's a good person." But God doesn't think so. In the eyes of God, good is perfect. And, if good is perfect, it would logically follow that every human on Earth, not being perfect and being guilty of at least minor offenses, is not good.
I guess what you're trying to go for is that "basically good" definition. Otherwise, we're all evil, though, one may say, to different degrees. We've all done something bad during the course of our lives, right?
As for the level of good, though, yeah, I guess it depends heavily on culture. If you were raised in a home where suicide bombing wasn't quite the norm, of course you probably wouldn't do it. It also depends on how malleable the person's mind is, though. But, yeah. Culture has a heavy influence, so I don't think all humans are basically good.

Answer 3

actually christians believe most people are evil. Muslims and christians have much in common. I grew up with the concept of original sin but i see this as an inherant flaw, to make me accept christian dogma at an early age. I now beleive that humans are neutral with tendencies of either. some remain neutral others more good than evil others more evil than good.

Answer 4

Interesting question, I believe that deep down , the core of every being is good HOWEVER if a person continually dwells on negative and evil thoughts --- those acts will be played out in his life doing harm to himself and others. If a person exercises his free will to choose to think positively and perform good acts, he will benefit by the return of good in his life.
Nonetheless, environment does exert a powerful influence and a person unfortunate enough to be born into an evil enviroment is highly likely to succumb to his surroundings and engage in the evil of the people around him --- but there is hope, maybe someone of a positive influence (social worker or church etc) can show him the far better benefits of living a positive life. (but he must leave the negative environment as soon as possible).
Even a person born into a positive environment but who disregards that blessing and persists in bad thoughts and deeds will inevitably fall into wickedness. Surround yourself with good-minded people.

Answer 5

Let the Word speak for itself.
King David knew what his problem was.
Psa 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Jeremiah knew what mans problem is.
Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Jer 17:10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
Without the Lord controlling the heart there is nothing that man will not do.
That is why God sent his Son so that we can trust in God to change us to live the way God created man to live. Joh 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
In Christ in Love,
TJ57

Answer 6

we are born into a sinfulworld as good babies, but whe we grow up and learn our culture, then we sin and become bad, because we have yet to ask jesus to come into our lives.
All ultures stem fro adam and eve, so no matter what culture you in, sin is still sin. Sin is sin, and it doesnt discriminate between ethnics, or beliefs. Sin is not being Holy, So reqlly as soon as we are born and learn whatever culture, we are all bad, no matter how nice we are to others. Once we accept Jesus, we become Holy in His sight. No one is good on this earth unless jesus has died for hat person and they accept His sacrifice. There is no goodnes on this earh except what God has made to glorify Himself, and who Jesus has saved.

Answer 7

What Christians are saying that people are inheirantly good? That goes against everything that the Bible says. We are born in sin and can do nothing without God, and the only way to God is through the Son. That is what the Bible teaches.

Answer 8

Humans are neither good nor bad, and we are not born with sin (what a truly ridiculous notion).

As you said, it is all a perception of culture; those looking in and those looking out.

The west is evil in the pov of muslims, while fundamental muslims are evil to westerners.

Answer 9

I think it depends on the environment they were raised in, but also it must be realized that in their minds they are good and doing good. Cannibals think they are successfully beating their enemies when they kill someone and eat them, Islams think they are killing the enemy of God(Allah) when they kill Americans, Americans think they are killing the enemy of God(the Christian God) when they are killing the Islams. And they all think it is good and for God's will/pleasure. So I think all people are inherently good no matter what culture they were raised in; at least in their own mind.

Answer 10

But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men,
and because He did not need any one to bear witness concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man. John 2:24-25