Do you believe in good and evil as two different and opposite things/forces?

Question

why? why not?

Answer 1

Of course not.

No one can be perfect. In this case, it applies to both sides: no one can be perfectly good, and no one can be perfectly evil.

Similarly, "good" and "bad" are completely opinion-based. Back during slavery in the United States, it wasn't seen as "bad." It was just a way to get free labor. Looking back at it now, though, it seems pretty corrupt. Such changes in society's view of the world causes the definitions of "good" and "bad" to change, and, because of this, pretty much everything falls in the grey area between the two. Also, "good" and "bad" can be defined differently by different people that have their own opinions. Someone who is anti-abortion would see abortion as "evil," while those who are pro-choice would view the inability of women to choose to have an abortion or not to be "evil." It's all relative.

Also, human nature often prevents such extremes. While someone might start killing people left and right, there will most likely be at least a twinge of guilt in them if they kill their best friend, or if their actions caused the death of a loved one. While they might not actually show this register of emotion, it is very likely that they would feel it, making them not completely evil. Also, evil people do not see themselves as evil: they see themselves as right and "good," doing something for the profit of themselves or perhaps, in their twisted view, others.

So, there is no actual definition for "good" and "evil" set in stone. There are only those that each person creates for themselves, which differs from person-to-person.

(Sorry if this is confusing: I have the habit of rambling randomly in my answers...)

Answer 2

Yes. Good is something that adds or creates something positive. Evil is something that takes away or creates something negative. The two are forces that work in opposite directions, just like addition and subtraction. Even in the realm of the intangible, these forces still exist. A kind word that builds someone up is good. A harsh word that brings someone down is evil.

Where things get tricky is when you consider whether good ends justify evil means [i.e. executing a incurable murdering rapist is using an evil means to bring about a good end.] The explanation is that since the end result [i.e. saving the lives of innocents] is greater than the evil that must be done to meet that end, the end result is still good because more good was done than evil. Thus showing how there is still a difference between good and evil even though evil can be done to bring about a good end. :o)

Answer 3

I fully agree with most others that the theories of "good" and "evil" are just that - theories, nothing more. They cannot be substantiated because they are terms of subjective and personal relativity...in the same way that, in a war, each side believes he/she is on the "good" side, while they believe that the other side is the "bad" side...this is the way everything works. One may say that murder is "bad", but who, really, is to say that? Perhaps someone views murder as good. They are allowed their opinion, and, just because a majority of people believe murder to be inately BAD, it still doesn't mean that it is...it's still all opinion, just as if 60% of Americans wanted all homosexuals to be executed doesn't mean that the majority is RIGHT in saying such a thing.

Answer 4

I don't believe in either because for something to be defined as something, results of that action would need to be consistent and in the case of these two terms an act that is said to be either can have effects that can be either. If an evil action can produce good and vice versa then these two terms have failed to live up to their own definitions.

Answer 5

Yes, but one cannot exist without the other. Good cannot be good without evil to be judged against and vice versa. Very little that is called good and evil today truly are. To be good, it must be completely devoid of any selfish ambition and to be truly evil it must be devoid of any humanitarian ambition. Therefore, you will usually only see good in the innocence of children and evil in the depravity of the sociopath.

well, that is my take on it at least.

Answer 6

i believe in good and evil as two different and opposite things/forces, i even believe in gods and ghosts

Answer 7

Why not?

Evil and Good are perceptions:

After all, Hitler thought he was saving Germany by killing the Jews, when really he was just committing a crime against humanity, so you could define:

Evil as: Any thing that harms another being's life or Livelihood

and Good as: Anything that benefits another being (without outbalancing effects)

(Free use etc. don't steal my stuff thanks!)

Answer 8

no there no good or evil because one person eye something may be good but that same thing might be evil in anothers eyes

Answer 9

Yes and no.

They are the same because they are both an attempt to achieve happiness.

Doing good benefits yourself and others.
Doing evil is an attempt to benefit yourself and the expense of others.

Answer 10

don't believe in good or evil ; things just are .