Atheists, why are people "bad"?

Question

And if they are "bad" because of circumstance, order of nature, etc...then why hate people? Wouldn't anything "bad" be a force of nature?

Answer 1

The idea that there are bad people is only a judgment. I do not see any bad people. I see only good people. I have seen the world this way for several years.

All people are good people. We just call the people who do the things that we don't like, bad or evil.

We of course are only seeing the situation from our own limited perspective. To us it fits the definition of bad or evil.

From the perspective of the other person it always looks like the correct or logical thing to be doing.

To the British in the 1700s George Washington was a terrorist commander.

To Americans he was a hero. All ideas of good and evil are point of view specific.

We are just silly enough to believe that our idea is always the only possible correct way to be thinking.

Silly little dream of superiority we are having isn’t it.

Love and blessings.
don

Answer 2

We live in a community, in order for that community to survive there must be laws, anything that goes against these laws is bad, there are also mores and such which are based on religion and culture and aren’t really bad just deemed bad by those of that culture or religion.

When you bring religious and cultural opinions into political game this is what causes problems, the atheist's logic seems the best choice when choosing law because it is unbiased by religion, cultural differences are a part of life and hopefully most enlightened peoples can see through such matters.

The human nature is to work as a team to survive anyone who thwarts this attempt at survival should be punished. It is natural to punish unwanted behavior in any society man or animal.

Answer 3

That is a rather deep thought. People aren't born bad. Take a look at a newborns face. it looks the same as every other new born baby. and as they grow to be young children, they often are quite content. It is, like you said, circumstances in their lives thats makes them act bad.
I happen to agree with you 100%! The truth is, there really is no reason to hold malice against anyone. On some level, the negative actions they commit are a result of ignorance and the inability to find a better way to conduct themselves.
Of course, it is normal to get angry at people, even if you do understand its not entirley their fault. Its when we lose patients and get mad and it happens to the best of us.

Answer 4

Sometimes people are "bad" because of a mental defect, other times its because of an improper upbringing, There are a whole host of reasons why someone would be bad. We only consider these things bad because they counter what is considered by the majority to be appropriate in society.

If you look at other civilizations you will realize that some things that our society labels as "bad" is sometimes no big deal, and other times even encouraged. Ethics are an emergent property of social groups. God, or the devil have nothing to do with what determines ethics and morality.

Answer 5

There are so many different reasons someone could be 'bad' that I find it amusing that Christians simplify it all by just claiming Satan. It could be the environment in which they were raised or the ideas they were taught, or it could be some motivation from within themselves, such as greed, anger, or pain. It could be some mental delusion or psychological disorder, or it could be brainwashing or the struggle for survival. It all depends on the specific case, and even then, it's impossible to determine solely one reason.

But no, the sum of all negative actions does not describe a 'force of nature'.

Answer 6

Person who does not believe in God. I'm answering this question as you sought to know the meaning of cliffnote's version. It's a phrase which indicates the shorter version of a long story. For example, you ask a person a question, he says, "It's a long story". Then you say, "Give me the Cliffnote's version" meaning that you want the person to tell you without all the details. The t in my Verstion is a spelling error, which I then felt added a personal touch and it stuck. I initially fancied myself as giving only to the point answers...which I obviously don't now.

Answer 7

Judging people as good or bad is a Christian pass-time, not an atheist one. I generally think people are good, but certain circumstances can provoke bad behavior. As for hate, I don't hate anyone. It is the Christians that utilise this forum that constantly refer to Hell and hope that us Atheists burn in it.

Answer 8

People are not "bad." People sometimes do things we have deemed bad, and for a variety of reasons--circumstance, brain chemistry, prior emotional trauma, etc. I don't hate anyone for this very reason, actually. We all have the capacity to perform acts which are "good" and which are "bad."

Answer 9

In Borneo until about 100 years ago you would have been considered a "bad" man for not beheading your enemies and keeping them as trophies.

I would say morality is a combination of human biological instincts and predilections shaped by society. What is evil in some places is not in others.

Answer 10

IMO, people do not consciously do evil things. what they do is internally justified as "good" (for them at least), and society labels there actions as either bad or good.

A read of Mein Kampf will give you the impression that Hitler honestly thought wiping out the "Jewish scourge" was a good thing. He didn't seem to think of it as "evil", but we society deem it to be. "bad" is simply a label that we social creatures place on things that we think is harmful to us as a whole.