What determines Good or Evil????

Question

What is it that determines good or evil??
1. What I personally think is good or evil?
2. What we collectively think?
3. Determined by God or some higher authority?
4. Different answer.
These are the only options I can think of. If you say #2 then comment on how a country's laws should be formed by the collective opinion..

Yes to the answerer that said i am trying to elude of what is right and what is wrong. It would have been better stated that way..

Many are giving a sort of #4 but no explanation. How would we form laws and rules of living if we have no way to determine what is right or wrong?/

Answer 1

Good and Evil can only be determined by an objective standard: the Bible, the revealed will of God.

If people go by what they think is good and evil, then nobody can do anything wrong, as long as they think it's okay, and there's nothing out there that doesn't have somebody pulling for it.

To anybody who believes anything other than #3:
By what standard could you call Hitler's actions or child molestation "wrong"?

Answer 2

I think when it is all said and done, it is most likely one's individual beliefs that determine what is good or evil. For example, as a general rule, most people probably believe in the commandment "thou shalt not kill". However, consider the following circumstances where this commandment may be violated:

(1) greed
(2) self defense
(3) protecting one's family
(4) during wars started to protect one's country
(5) to show that laws/rules are made to be broken
(6) in the name of God and other unspecified deities

Do any of the circumstances listed above seem more justifiable for violating the thou shalt not kill commandment than others? If so, why?

Answer 3

No. 3. I believe it's determined by God.

It's the standard of right and wrong that is INNATE in everyone that compels each of us to categorize a deed or thought as either good or evil. And then, it's anyone's choice if we decide to do good or evil--nobody's that brain-dead not to be able to tell the difference.

For example, self-preservation is a good thing, which is why nourishing the mind and body is a naturally good thing. (Of course, it's a different case when other factors come in the picture.)

But while each of us has an innate idea of good and evil, somehow we share this "idea" with others. We have this natural ability to put ourselves "in other people's shoes," to emphatize, so we collectively have an idea of good and evil as befits our sons and daughters, our brothers and sisters, our fellowmen, our society.

Of course, there are other factors that figure here, such as national interest--if in case the concern borders on the betterment of the nation, in which case, the figure of the nation's leader(s) helps determine it.

What about God? Most of the time, we need an outside source to remind us or reinforce our choice between good or evil. Some people consult the Bible, some seek other people's advice, some pray, some merely rely on what they know. It's a combination of all these things.

Ultimately, it comes back to us, individually, to determine where God enters the picture. Do we take a "leap of faith" and believe that it is God who established those standards of good and evil in each of us? (This is my answer.)

Or do we just use God as a crutch to fill in the blanks in our lives, to be blamed later when everything goes wrong (as atheists like to put it)?

Peace.

Answer 4

Good and Evil are terms defined by humans...outside of the human mind, I would doubt that there is good and evil, there is just actions and reactions. But because we are humans answering questions, good and evil is personally defined by an individual through his or her collection of ideas and experiences--as time goes on, his or her defintion will change from a result of surroundings, i.e. events that happen that negatively/positively affect his or her view on standards or if a figure of authority begins to define other acceptable practices. However, I do believe there is a universal good or evil within the nature of human beings--perhaps a result of survival. Humans will help each other innately...it isn't in the best interest to harm someone neccessarily so in a primal state we have some compassion unless our lives are threatened.

Answer 5

Depends on how you want to base your laws. All 4 are right. Some things are good and evil based on what God teaches. Some things we naturally know is good or evil. Combined, we can get a better idea. Also, the effect of an action can determine whether it is good or evil.

Answer 6

It's a combination of (1) and (2), depending on your personal willingness to submit to the collective.

No-one knows the optimum way of forming laws. Throughout history, common law is what applied to commoners until the past couple of hundred years. That has since been replaced by a formal legislation process that applies to all. Is it better? In some ways yes, but in other ways no.

IMHO, the best solution is for no self appointed authority (states, kings, nations, etc) to exist at all.

Answer 7

"good" and "evil" are relative.

They vary from culture to culture, and religion to religion.

They develop simply to fit the needs of the people associated with them, the social norms of that group, in that time, to help that particular society function.

They are not, at all, determined from some higher authority. Because if one holy book "says so", then they all do. They all say they are right, the only path, given or dictated by God. These canonized rules develop simply from a need for the society to collectively form structure.

Answer 8

2. Good and evil is determined by the majority, and the people that surround you. Throughout history, there have been cultures whose morals would be abhorrent to us today. (IE - the biblical cultures your bible stems from - human and animal sacrifice, etc)

Modern Christians are repulsed by homosexuality. Muslims are repulsed by well... just about everything. Muslims and Jews are both repulsed by eating certain foods. I mean, come on... you are denied entrance to heaven if you eat pork?

This is the sort of "evil" that we atheists view as insanity. This is why we can't handle you and your nonsensical, outdated mythology. It serves no purpose other than to divide humanity into different camps. You have yours. The muslims and jews have theirs. You and your camp decide something is evil, and then you want to fight with the other camps over whose view is right.

If you'll notice, we atheists are the only ones that aren't at war with someone... And we can only stand by the side and shake our heads at the stupidity of our fellow man..

Answer 9

I think it is a combination of all three, but not in that order. God determines what is good and evil, and tries to instill it in the peoples' collective conscience, but then you personally make your own decision, and that decides if you are following by God's word, or your own.
It is not the people's thoughts that matter, it is God's. And on a personal level, your thoughts matter to you, because it will determine if you are living a lie, or living by God.

Answer 10

What you and your community decide to put as the highest value. Subjective or objective? You named only subjective values, things the only exist in the mind.
What would be a good objective value to determine good or bad? The founders of the USA decided it was the single human life and the values produced by that single human being. And all that is good supports that life and protects those values, all that is bad (evil) destroys that life and steals those values. We have lost our way, due to subjective thinking. Thus we will become only a memory, like our values.