Does evil really exist?

Question

There is no such thing as cold...It is really the absence of heat.

Could this apply to the concept of something being evil?

There is no such thing as cold...It is really the absence of heat.

Could this apply to the concept of something being evil?

You cannot measure cold..IT is the measure of heat that is present.COld is nothing more than a description of feeling. IT is the lack of heat. There is nothing out there that measures cold.

Answer 1

Yes....Its called my ex.

Answer 2

An interesting q, but an irrelevant one nonetheless.

Cold does exist. It is, as you said, the absence of heat. That is what it is.

Vaccums do exist. They are, in essence, an absence of-- well, pretty much everything. That is what they are.

Evil does exist. However, I cannot feasibly apply this argument to it. A person can be void of good. They can never do, think, or say anything good. Does that make them evil?

See, the problem is, the world can't always be divided into two extremes. Everything is not either Good or Evil. And what is Good? What is Evil? They are relative terms. What is good to you might seem evil to me, and vice versa.


The answer to your question is no.

Answer 3

LOL you don't make any sense, I'm sorry to start off by being rude like that but you don't. How do you know that you can't measure heat? or visa verse. Its it contingent on the definitions of words.
Meaning initially the scientists had to choose one or the other to define the opposite. the same could be true for good and evil

With that said how can you define good or evil? Well its totally different then the qualitative measure of something like heat or lack of heat that you can read with a instrument, thermometer.

To my knowledge their is not evilmeter or goodmeter, BUT there are definitions of what is good and bad but not what is good and evil. There are definitions of levels of bad but not levels of good. Think about that for a while, lol. Wonder why good is always good and bad is rated is levels. Example: sin vs mortal sin.

So to answer you question with what i just said, Good and Evil are defined by culture, end of story. There is not true definition of what is good or evil. I am sure the Bible thumpers will GREATLY disagree, but please Born agains, you already have taken over the government and the media, let us normal people have yahoo.

:)

Answer 4

Many people seem to regard evil is a 'thing'... something that has some form of corporeal existence in the physical universe. In that sense, evil does NOT exist.

Evil 'exists' only as an abstract concept... one that is 'dualistic' in nature. 'Evil' cannot 'exist' without 'good'. They are the two sides of the same coin, in the Yin/Yang sense. One cannot 'exist' without the other; neither can be defined or described except in terms of the other.

Good/evil is further abstracted in the sense that it represents a 'judgement'... not a 'thing'. As a judgement, good/evil is wholly subjective, since it relies entirely upon the 'criteria' that is employed in making the judgement.

So, the real issue is not good/evil per se... rather it is the criteria that people use in making their judgements of good/evil.

Since we are pretty much all wired the same, and share pretty much the same cultural values in a larger sense, we usually find ourselves on common ground when we judge questions such as "Was Hitler evil?", since we can agree on the criteria. However, we should realize that if Hitler had been asked the question "Are you evil?", he most certainly would have been thoroughly offended by the very idea. According to HIS criteria, he would have seen his actions as good, for his people and for 'The Fatherland'.

When we get down to subtler questions, where someone's 'criteria' might depend upon interpretation of a particular bible verse, for example, these kinds of judgements can get a little stickier.

Remember, though... it's not really about good/evil, it's really about criteria... which ultimately comes down to one's moral compass.

Answer 5

The short answer to your main question is YES.... evil does exist. When you know a thing to be wrong, weather you place it within the bounds of Christianity or any other religion has no barring on it being wrong. When that wrong thing also carries with it the addition of hurt and pain, it begins to touch on being evil. If you combine that hurtful thing with the willful intention to cause it, (hurt, pain) knowing that it is wrong.... that makes it evil. Evil in itself has the condition to wish harm, disregarding a more humane action. It addresses the intention of the one holding the desire. To just have the absence of good, as in the second part of your question, does not in itself make for the intention of evil. This only brings about the state of ignorance.
Matt.

Answer 6

How do you know this, what did you use to come to your facts? Honestly I would like to know.

So if i get this straight you are implying that what we call evil is the absence of Good, right? But if you reason this then where is good absent, because it seems like "good" and "evil" are all around even in one place and even in one person.

All humanity is now involved in a great controversy between Christ and Satan regarding the character of God, His law, and His sovereignty over the universe. This conflict originated in heaven when a created being, endowed with freedom of choice, in self-exaltation became Satan, God's adversary, and led into rebellion a portion of the angels. He introduced the spirit of rebellion into this world when he led Adam and Eve into sin. This human sin resulted in the distortion of the image of God in humanity, the disordering of the created world, and its eventual devastation at the time of the worldwide flood. Observed by the whole creation, this world became the arena of the universal conflict, out of which the God of love will ultimately be vindicated. To assist His people in this controversy, Christ sends the Holy Spirit and the loyal angels to guide, protect, and sustain them in the way of salvation. (Rev. 12:4-9; Isa. 14:12-14; Eze. 28:12-18; Gen. 3; Rom. 1:19-32; 5:12-21; 8:19-22; Gen. 6-8; 2 Peter 3:6; 1 Cor. 4:9; Heb. 1:14.)

Answer 7

Okay but what does you example have to do with the question. Evil is not defined as the absence of good. Evil is morally bad or wrong; wicked. Causing ruin, injury, or pain; harmful. So, your analogy didn't work show that there is no evil. Yes, evil does exist.

Answer 8

There is no such thing as cold...It is really the absence of heat. I think u are very correct because the mountian exist because of the vally & darkness comes in place bcos the sun has gone down. There are two principles that exixts in man...positive & negative energies. when one goes down the other one exbits it self. we need both for better expiriences here in human form.

Answer 9

I think until we grasp the concept that good and evil actually do exist in the world, we are walking around with blinders on. Call it what you want to...evil is the absence of good, okay...So? It exists, however you want to say it. The only thing you need to know about it is to not DO it, don't be fooled by it, know it when you see it, know where it comes from, and arm yourself with the word of God.

Answer 10

Do you honestly believe there is no such thing as right and wrong? Frankly, I doubt it. If someone came up to you in the street, for example, and threatened to kill your baby, I seriously doubt if you'd simply shrug your shoulders and say, "Oh well, if you think it's all right to kill my baby, then go ahead. Your opinion about such things is just as good as mine!"

You see, within every one of us is some idea of right and wrong—what we sometimes call our conscience. Down inside, we all know it's wrong to cheat helpless old people, or kill defenseless children, or commit genocide against a whole ethnic group. But where did that sense of right and wrong come from? The Bible says God gave it to us. We were made in His image, and although sin has marred that image, we still know that some things are right and some are wrong.

But the deeper issue for you is this: Right now, God has no place in your life. If He did, you'd be concerned about doing His will instead of living as if He didn't exist. But He does exist—and not only that, but someday you will stand before Him to give an account of your life. The Bible warns, "Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). Don't gamble with your soul, but open your heart to Christ and discover the greatest joy of all—the joy of knowing God.
By faith we know that God still loves us, and His power is greater than all evil. The proof is Jesus Christ, who was put to death by evil men but rose from the dead by the power of God. Never forget this truth: Ultimately, God is in control, not Satan.

And someday God's justice and power will rule, and all evil will be destroyed. Satan will be bound forever, and Jesus Christ will reign over all the earth. In the meantime, we say with the Bible, "How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" (Romans 11:33, KJV).

The real question, however, is this: Is your trust in God? In the midst of so much confusion and doubt in the world, have you put your faith in Christ, and are you seeking to follow Him every day? Make sure of your commitment to Christ, and then make it your goal to grow closer to Him every day.

Answer 11

Allah tells us that He is Pure, Loving, and absolutely Just in every respect. He says that He is the Best of Judges. He also tells us that the life that we are in is a test. He has created all the things that exist and He has created all that happens as well. There is nothing in this existence except what He has created. He also says in the Quran that He created evil (although He is not evil). He is using this as one of the many tests for us.