is evil something you are or something you do?

Answer 1

Evil is a wanton desire to destroy, alluding to cruel and immoral behavior.

Headhunters of the Amazon and New Guinea did not consider themselves "evil" or "immoral", yet the "civilized" world dubbed their practices "evil".

Hitler, Stalin, Castro, Che Guevero, Saddam, Osama, Prime Ministers, and U. S. presidents have destroyed millions of lives. Who was evil?

Mental institutions performed lobotomies, administered shock treatments, and other mind-altering treatments. Who was evil?

Evil, like beauty, is in the "eye of the beholder".

Answer 2

Evil is something one does.

Answer 3

We all have evil within us. But our challenge is to not give is a voice and a chance to show itself. Evil is what we do, because we stop restraining the evil within. Angels and demons exist, but not how most people think. We are the angels and demons. We are capable of the greatest good, and the most horrible evil.

It is our choice to make, on who we are going to be.

Answer 4

<>
Everything God creates is good. He creates us, so we are born good. Evil is something we do or choose.

To be more precise, evil is something we do or choose. HUH??? Read below to get an explanation of what we don't do.




<>

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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. 264)

Answer 5

Evil is the power that controls you. The commands originated from the spirit within and the body obeys. This is the reason Jesus said hate the sin and not the sinner. Like a tree has roots - stem, branches, leaves and fruits. Fruits are our actions and tree is the cause that dwells within us.

Answer 6

I honestly think both, because there is no good in your heart if you do something evil..I had a cousin who pushed her brother off a 3 story stairwell, and when she was asked she shrugged her shoulders and said I wanted to see him fall. EVIL. BAD SEED. She is all grown up and MEAN as hell.

Answer 7

It is definitely something you DO.

Goodness is not innate within us, we choose whether to be good or evil. Our self-awareness of our actions is what separates us from animals, who do not know or understand their actions as good or evil.

Answer 8

Depends, you can do evil, you can be evil, you can let evil control you, evil is a part of life...

Answer 9

well, i think it is not something you are, or if anything, were born to be. evil is what happens when man distances himself away from god and easy bait. the devil urges you to do something evil to keep making that space between you and god even larger.

Answer 10

Neither. My definition of evil is when you give in to your fleshly desires and in doing so open a gateway to demonic forces - it is they who commit evil acts, however in a subconscious kind of way, you have allowed them access and therefore have sinned.