How would you define “evil”?

Question

How is evil different than bad?

For instance was Hurricane Katrina evil or bad? Is Bush an evil President or just a bad President? ;-) (Sorry couldn’t resist.)

Answer 1

silly...hurricane katrina was bad...inanimate objects can't be considered evil...like rocks, snow, al gore...now bush...he's EEEEVILLL!

Answer 2

Something that creates unnecessary suffering for oneself or others. These types of evil can be wilful or ignorant in their source. The first type is worse in my opinion.

No, acts of nature are not evil. If the act of nature however was caused by mans meddling such as global warming, which may have caused Katrina to happen, then Katrina stems from evil actions, but is not evil itself.

All material is good as it was created by the Divine. All our actions are not necessarily good as we can have a will separate from the Divine.

As for George Bush, if he thinks he is doing the right thing, and I suppose he does as most people don't think of themselves as the bad guy, then he is not guilty of wilful evil. I assume he like most people are guilty of ignorant evils, but what exactly are those evils are up for debate.

Answer 3

Evil is the absence of empathy. The inability to feel remorse.
Obviously a hurricane is neither bad nor evil. The results of acts of nature can be bad for people, but you have to resist the urge to describe nature in anthropomorphic terms.
Bush is not evil. I envy anyone who claims Bush is evil because they clearly have never experienced real evil. Their world is clearly rosy.
Is Bush bad? That remains to be seen.

Answer 4

Evil is when you do something intentionally bad. Bad things happen, that dosn't mean its evil. But if you intentionally do something bad to someone then its evil. The only way Katrina would be evil is if Binladen had a weather machine and he was in control of it. Now president Bush on the other hand is not evil, he is just mentally slooooow.

Answer 5

Evil is being able to see what is in a person's heart and soul. Bush is not evil just stupid. Hurricane Katrina is the sign of the Apocalypse so yes that is one of many evil signs.

Answer 6

Evil is the intent to hurt others.
Bad is just a mistake.
Bush is bad. Katrina was bad (no one caused it)

Answer 7

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.

Answer 8

Katrina is a force of nature. It was a natural diaster.

September 11th was an act of pure evil.

Answer 9

Evil, like good, is a subjective term that changes over time and evolves from culture to culture.
You cannot have an objective definition of evil.
Oh and for the record, natural occurences cannot be evil, they just happen.

Answer 10

evil is that opposite of good. hurricane katrina is neuture it was a force of nature. what happend because of it was bad but that was because of peoples' stupidity. bush is just a dumbass

Answer 11

Just like darkness gathers in the absence of light, evil gathers in the absence of morals, good intentions, and good actions.