Is evil in our nature,?

Question

If Yes,
How do we
Stop it.

Answer 1

I think it's in some people's nature. The only way to stop it is to spread light wherever you go. Be nice and smile at people! Don't be rude. You can't do anything about other people unless you're kind and good yourself. When you're kind to people they're more likely to be kind back.

Answer 2

Evil is a religious concept while nature refers to natural concepts like evolution, survival of the genes etc. What religious types often refer to as evil is merely a facet of the concept of 'the survival of the fittest', which can mean 'survival of the fiercest' ... so the natural behaviour of tigers or wolves for instance might be seen as evil when evidenced in human beings. However 'survival of the fittest' can also evidenced by survival and evolution through co-operation ... there are many instances of this method of genetic survival in the natural world and the human being's best chance for survival (global warming etc) would be to develop this instinct at the expense of what might be termed more 'evil' traits. In other words most 'evil' behaviour is not 'evil' it is just unnecessary and detrimental to human advancement .... but every human being is capable of such behaviour and religion's constant harping on concepts like 'evil', the 'devil' , sin and hell make us lose sight of the fact that all human beings should co-operate to make this planet a better place for all of us.

Answer 3

Sin is in everyone's nature but evil isn't. There's a distinct difference between the two.

Evil is an inherited gene, and until we can isolate it we can't stop it. It started with Eve being 'wholly seduced' by Satan and it passed through Cain into the human race. The Kenite gene causes evil.

It can skip generations, just as red hair or baldness can, and you can't tell which child has it which is why good people can raise evil children.

Answer 4

I believe that it is. Take a look at children; we think that they are "blank slates". True, about fifty percent of their personality is inheirent, but that only determines how shy or outgoing or rambunxious he or she is.

The other fifty percent is what the parents teach. If you leave a child alone for great periods of time, how is s/he to know that setting kitty on fire is a bad thing? That throwing rocks at other people's houses makes other people upset?

I believe that "good" and "evil" are subjective judgements imposed by various cultures around the world. Murduring your sister for having an affair is "evil" in the United States, but it is "good" in Arab countries.

Therefore, I believe the cure for "evil" is EMPATHY. From empathy can spring sympathy. And empathy for all people, not just your own race or family. I racall one child murderer who said that he would never harm a child that he knew. Many robbers, rapists, etc. have no sympthy or empathy with their victims.

Answer 5

Yes, I do believe that evil is in our nature, even for people who are spiritual, and believe in God. Think about it. If someone were to hurt someone that you loved, wouldn't you want to hurt them in return. Of course you would! I think evil is inherent in all of our nature. Some just choose to exploit it more than others. A lot of people find that being evil is something to be proud of. There really is no way to stop it. It's here to stay. We can control it by putting people in jail, and prosecuting the ones that harm others, but there really is no way to stop it.

Answer 6

Asking if we can stop evil is like asking if we can stop the tide. Yes there is evil out there and it seems like more and more of it is in the name of religion. Was religion designed to segregate people so much that their views, while noble around their own kind, are viewed as evil amongst others?
Evil exists but it is not the monster that decides he is evil, it is others who decide he is and they may be viewed as evil by other people.
Perception. A rapist may think a paedophile is evil.

Dave

Answer 7

The question is flawed as 'Evil' is a matter of perception and point of view.

One person may think an action is justified while another may think it's evil. Just look at the differing opinions surrounding the war in Iraq, terrorism, thrid world debt etc. Where some see evil others see martyrs.

Answer 8

If we recognize certain traits that are related to evil, such as overblown spirit of competition, lack of compassion for animals, lack of concern for the environment, and fascination with projectile weapons, we can eliminate the spirit of evil that is so prevalent today. I wouldn't say it is in our nature, but I would say that too many allow it to be a part of their personality...It is actually easy to identify.

Answer 9

it depends on your definition of evil. if you mean simply capable of doing things that are harmful to other people, then yes - evil is part of human nature.

if you mean doing harmful things to people and enjoying it or planning it deliberately, then .... personally i think that's more of a character thing.

i mean, all of us are capable of saying something hurtful to someone in the middle of an argument, or deceiving people, but it takes real balls and real sadism to kill someone or sabotage someone's life. i think to do something really evil, you have a lot of social conditioning to overcome - a lifetime of knowing that killing is bad, or that when a woman is struggling against you it's rape not sex, or when the dog starts yelping, stop pulling his tail etc.

if you're gonna continue and carry out this evil task anyway, you've got something inside of you telling you to keep doing it. for me, that something isn't part of human nature.

how to stop it? well, you can't always control your emotions but you can always control your actions. if you choose not to, then no one can stop you. if you choose NOT to let evil win, then you've made the choice not to be an evil person. your free will is a very powerful thing.

Answer 10

It is in our nature to ~classify~ things as good or evil. Because we do classify things as evil, then, yes, evil is in our nature.

If we did not place a value of evil on behaviors or thoughts, we would believe that there was no evil in our nature.

It's perception, not fact.