What is evil?

Question

my english class and i were talking abotu evil today and we went very into this topic and i just wanna see what people would say.. so consider these questions?!

what is considered evil?! who is to say what is evil and good?! are people evil, or do they have evil "faces" and make evil actions.?? Ok so is kiling evil?! what if they were trying to kill you, what do you do?! ok how about if there is a pregnant woman and the doctor says that either she or the baby lives after the birth, would she be evil if she chose herself, or evil if she chose the baby because her husband loves her? How about soldiers that are killing because their country sent them there.. they decide whats right and wrong at the new place.. forcing their beliefs upon the people... and no i'm not against or for the Terrorism War.... soo just think... and since has one known what good and evil was.. who thought you?! does religion play a part?! what if you dont belive in a god are you evil?!

even the bible says that everyone has some evil in them.. and to never believe the heart because the heart is deceitful

ok but dont we all come from god?! so wouldnt that mean that he's putting evil in us, if he is all good why would he put evil hearts in people?!

OMG I REALLY LIKE THE POEM THING!!!

Answer 1

The good and evil that you see don't even exist in reality, at least not outside of the mind that believes in them. They are only judgments passed by the individual from their own unique perspective. What one person sees as bad or evil may seem to be the only logical thing to do from some other perspective. The ideas of both good and evil are point of view specific. This is why people like bush and bin laden are either loved or hated. Bush is seen as good by people who share his fear based thought system. Those who have a compassionate concern for all of mankind often see him as evil.

Bin laden is much the same. He is a villain in much of the western world, but he is somewhat of a celebrated pop star on the Middle East. There are T-shirt shops that sell items with his picture as though he was Jesus. It all depends on your point of view or perspective.

To sum it all up good is the name we give to people who do things that we think we like.

Evil is the name we give to people who do the things that we don’t like.

This is of course based solely on our particular point of view.

Love and blessings

Don

Answer 2

Evil is when you do something to somebody in spite. Or you know the intention, but you follow through anyway. And people have choices. Your conscience advises you against things that are not good for you.Yes? (Q on pregnant lady. Now, understand that the reason for why they have this choice plays a factor.) Soldiers do what they are told. They are not held accountable, unless, AGAIN they follow through, knowing the intention was wrong at first. Religion does play a central part, because it separates these things that are bad, and even goes into a small detail of the repercussion of that specific choice. And lastly, there are some who do good, and haven't heard of the word of God. But even the book says everybody will have a chance to hear the word, and they will have the choice to decide whether they believe or not. But the real question to that is, how is it that this "Religion" has lasted for centuries? Even with the persecutions, they could not kill the word of God. So what does that really tell you?

Answer 3

From a Christian perspective, and in a simple way of looking at it...

God is the ultimate good.

Evil is the inverse of good.

(God has no equal; therefore, there is no ultimate evil. However, evil does exist; evil is that which is unlike God, since, again, God is good.)

Therefore, everything that does not come up to God's standards is evil, to a degree.

Evil actions are the result of evil hearts. The human heart is evil, or to use another term, sinful. In fact, sin is failing to come up to God's standards, which are perfect.

This, by the way, is the reason we cannot be justified, or reconciled to God, on the basis of our own good. Our righteousness is as filthy rags... not good enough by God's standards. We thus need the righteousness that only God can provide; that is, the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

God bless.

Answer 4

Hey, tx for ur great answer to my question...I agree we're all of it....the good n bad, maybe not in our actions, but in thoughts, yes.

Can anyone who has understood a little bit abt their mind say that they've never had what could be called 'evil' thoughts? Ppl deny it, but it's all there....

I think religion not only plays a part but prolly started this idea of humans as being 'evil' at their core....in christianity, we're called sinners--born into sin---our true nature is erred or wrong. I'm not knocking religions but most of them have created many erroneous ideas abt who we are....

As to deeds and actions, there are horrible n inconceivable acts of violence today in this world...I wonder: are those acts evil? Like you ask: what is evil?

I don't see things as being evil....maybe in appearances or our perceptions....but someone may see something as good while another person might see the same thing as bad...perception. Perspective.

Maybe there is just ignorance...not justifying anyones actions, but maybe there is just ignorance and acting on something that would be best let go of....even a person consciously doing something 'bad' is acting on what is in their mind of what they think will bring them something....ignorance.

"Evil" could be called not knowing our 'true nature.' It's not wrong, no more than darkness is wrong, just bring in a little light n the darkness disappears....

Excellent question!

Answer 5

Evil, excluding the harm from natural phenomena, would be the action of:

Malevolent motivation of an agent.
Serious and excessive harm to a person.
Lack of morally acceptable justification for such action.

The situations which you refer to may have morally acceptable justifications, but those examples are exceptions and not the rule. Much of the evil caused by humans are the actions of habitual (Non-autonomous) agents.

The harm caused to someone may be justified in order to avoid a greater harm to oneself. The pregnant woman is certainly not malevolently motivated with either of her choices. The soldiers may have no malevolent motivation, and perhaps acceptable moral justification.

Answer 6

Simple - good is defined by evil, and evil is defined by good.
----------------------------------------------
If something looks beautiful to you,
something else must be ugly.
If something seems good,
something else must seem bad.

You can't have
something without nothing.
If no job is difficult,
then no job is easy.
Some things are up high
because other things are down low.
You know you're listening to music
because it doesn't sound like noise.
All that came first,
so this must be next.

The wise get the job done
without moving a muscle
and get their point across
without saying a word.

When things around them fall apart,
they stay cool.
They don't own much,
but they use whatever's at hand.
They do the work
without expecting any favors.
When they're done,
they move on to the next job.
That's why their work is so damn good.

Answer 7

Evil is someone who gets pleasure in somebody else's pain , and acts on it . Our brave military are putting their life on the line to avoid evil from spreading to our shores again . I don't think someone who does not believe in God is evil , just very deprived ; but I do think someone , who at the same time says they hate the God they don't believe in - is evil .

Answer 8

maybe God did no longer make evil to be evil. or perhaps he made evil so we recognize the best. i'm getting perplexed plenty, quite with regard to the small print of religion. I do exactly no longer recognize what to have faith, a minimum of, no longer yet. in spite of the indisputable fact that, I someway can no longer have faith God is recommend, or offended. i do no longer opt for to have faith it, a minimum of. How could desire to God burn one in all his creatures, quite if he's all-forgiving? I do exactly no longer think of he might. all people is punished on earth, i think of. Even murderers could desire to stay w/ themselves and their evil deed for the remainder of their lives. i do no longer recognize how their victims would be avenged, except maybe they do no longer opt for revenge while they are in Heaven. maybe we are all in a distinctive mindset, or some thing. maybe it rather is in basic terms a warning, to maintain human beings from being undesirable. i think of we could desire to continually attempt to be as good as obtainable, even in basic terms for this international, besides because of the fact the subsequent, and that i do no longer think of there are preordained good and evil human beings. wish that's clever!

Answer 9

the Bible says not to kill but were not conciderd to be evil we just mad a foolish choice and no your not evil if you don't believe in God or other gods your just walking in the dark wich is concidered a non-believer in Christ.And yes religion does play a part in all those, depending on who you are and what you believe in, believe in what you want but there is only one right way...salvation!

Answer 10

one of the finer questions i've come across, you seem intelligent, and your question brings up a point few would know truly.
1.we experience through polarity, to know good, you must know evil
2.on the other hand, morality depends on the perspective of the witness. ------ eg.a child was raised in a Christian family and told that murder was bad, and he would go to hell if he did it, so he did not.-- another child was raised in an "uncivilized tribe" and was told to murder his enemies and eat their flesh would bring him riches in the afterlife.
3.conventional religion destroyed some of the greatest things we will never know,
4.forcing beliefs on others, you might as well be murdering them.