Atheist, Explain to me your view of the evil in this world?

Question

Balaam - Thats not an answer its a dodge. You guys hate it when someone pins your ears back,

Anardri - no one in particular just a question

So far most of you are accepting the existance of evil in the world but so far except for Scott no one has defined it yet.

Some of your answers seem to indicate that you feel there are no moral absolutes. Am I reading this right? I don't want to make that assumption if its not true.

Balaam so 60 someodd years ago Nazis were actually doing good when they tried to exterminate Gypsys Jews and other non desirables. After all their society at the time mandated it so.

Summation of what I've read so far.

Evil exists and is the product of the society or the person who is defining it.

Therefore since evil is a product of the society or individual it does not really exist since it is a concept and not a reality but an invention of the individual or society.

Therefore What ever each individual decides is moral for him is moral and no one else has the right to judge him for his actions since his imaginary morality is really just as valid as the next persons.

Therefore Hitler was not evil and Mother Theresa was not good because who are we to judge someone elses self imposed morality or lack thereof.

If this is true then christians are not evil no matter how much of the bible they ignore and you should all just get over it.

If you continue to try and hold anyone to a higher standard than you hold yourself then you are being hypocritical. But then maybe thats within your moral standard and if it is then you should not judge the christians

Balaam - I ignored your OT point because I'm not one of the christians who shriek that. I believe the torah is relevant for me today. It was a non issue with me because I happen to agree with your assessment of the christians who ignore it.

Balaam - I don't have any slaves. There is no command that you must have slaves and all the commands about slavery are on how to treat slaves.

Besides I couldn't afford a slave. I have to many mouths to feed.

Slavery is against the law in this country and to ignore that law would be to violate other biblical laws that tell me to obey and honor those God has placed in authority over me as long as I am in accordance with Gods law. Since there is no command to own slaves I'm not violating the law if I don't.

Balaam - You don't really want to hear the Abraham story explination because you will just dismiss it anyway but suffice to say God never intended for Abraham to really kill his son.

Your confusion to many of the other laws is because you do not read the entirety of the text but cherry pick (been wanting so bad to use that term on an atheist) vs that you use to try and disprove God without understanding the context.

No one could just take their child or people who were committing adultery out in the back yard and stone them there had to be a trail first and the court decided the punishment. The community was to carry out the punishment so they would understand the terrible consequenses of the acts committed. It was not up to the individual to be judge and jury. The reality is that mercy was granted more often than not. I don't see anything barbaric about a society that grants mercy to lawbreakers. God reminds His people time and again to remember to be merciful.

Answer 1

Tell you what -- explain to me why polygamy is evil in today's world but cool with God 3000 years ago.

Addition: The "correct" answer is that "evil" is defined by the society we currently live in. What was "good" a few thousand years ago can be "Evil" today.

It isn't a dodge, if you had read my initial answer that would have become clear.

tffp.

Add2: Who is "you guys", and whose ears did you pin back, besides your own? ty




You read correctly that "MORALS" are defined in the context of whatever society one lives in.

This explains why "God" wanted "Abraham" to stab his son to death; and why stoning one's children was cool, and why slaves were fine as long as they were from neighboring countries, and on and on and on and on and on and on.

Hell, Christians who shriek that the "Old Testament doesn't matter" are in fact saying that morals are relative. htfh.


To your last, idiot point, much of Western Society did NOT approve of it. However, the largest Christian denomination didn't have a problem with it, so what does that tell you? LOL!

I notice you completely ignored my OT point, I guess I'll have to make a question showing that Christians have demonstrated "changing morality".


Last edit: If you believe the Torah is relevant for you today, will you have your slaves cook me breakfast? Thanks in advance.

Answer 2

Good and evil are abstract concepts, created and used to define what is and is not acceptable in a human society. For the most part, we tend to view things that are violations of another's freedoms as wrong, and when taken to the extreme, evil. Neither good, nor evil is a universal constant. At times, they are fluid.

Case in point: many societies considered a form of cannibalism to be not only acceptable, but a moral duty...brain eating. This only became a detestable act when other cultures came, and changed that society's mores.

Evil exists as a concept, simply to help us define good. Evil exists in the world, because of human nature. Humans may attribute the value of right and wrong to a god, but ultimately, it is defined by humanity.

Answer 3

Define what you consider evil. Watching someone getting mugged in a big city and doing nothing? Thinking your boss is an idiot after he chewed you out? Christians burning people they thought to be witches? Aggression is a natural human trait. At what point does that aggression become evil? I guess that would be a determination on how far past the norms of society the actions fell and which society was making the determination.

Answer 4

Im not an Athiest, I believe in me.
Evil is a point of veiw. Can you name another animal on this beautiful planet that is Evil? Evil is what you consider it to be. Why is it considered Murder to kill a human yet Billons of sheep, cattle, pigs, chicken are murdered each day and thats considered industry?
Im a Pagan, Xians consider my beliefs to be evil. I consider them to be of nature. I call Xianity a dangerous cult. Not evil, just dangerous.
You consider little things like masturbation to be evil. The more sins you create, the more chance we have to sin.
I dont believe in sin either.
People arent evil, some are misled. I consider the majority of people to be generally ok, its just the few that make all the noise that look bad.
Didnt your god say: "I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things." (Isaiah 45:7).
So in that perspective, all evil comes from your god as well. I dont remember Satan killing anyone in the bible...... what was YHVH's tally?

Answer 5

good and evil words, definitions developed over time to influence the human race through religion. Nurtured primarily through christianity.... Looking at the catholic church it's beginning it's manipulation of humanity since it's inception... the levels of violence which continues on and on in the spiritual realm where contradiction means torture.... right and wrong doesn't enter into it...you are called forgiven only if you bow to their manipulation no matter what evil you bring onto the earth and if you are good if you do the right thing but don't bow down you are still called evil.... So to me the true reflection of evil on this earth is catholicism... then christianity then all religions that follow for each and every one in the end in the spirit cow down to the church...

Answer 6

Evil is done by people who are sick or hurting inside, and can't see past themselves or understand how everyone is connected. As a Taoist I think even evil has its place sometimes. It can be a cry for help or a necessary ingredient in healing and discovery. I am quite comfortable with my own dark side.

"If you catch yourself committing an unGodly act in the course of doing what was best for you, the error was not in having put yourself first, but in misunderstanding what was best for you."
--Neale Walsch, Conversations with God

Answer 7

Evil is simply something that is harmful to another person either physically, mentally ,spiritually or socially.
It exists as an entity in its own right and cannot be defined by adherence to any religion or philosophy

Answer 8

Good and evil are relative to the culture up to a point, nothing is absolute, nothing is that black and white. There are some things though that most people would agree are evil, such as child abuse.

Answer 9

Evil is all in the mind, the culture and the upbringing.

For example,

Incest to some is not evil, but to others, it is.

Polygamy in some period of time is not evil and even greatly encouraged, but in this period, it is.

Sacrificial of Animals (Human included) in ancient time is not evil, and in fact it was an honour for a human to be sacrificed in the name of their god. But in this era, it is inhuman.

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One more thing ...... evil is things that you do not want to be happening to yourself.

By the way, nobody judged christians, it is the christians who are often judging others. Christians can believe their imaginary god all they want, but when you try to push do your god to me and condemned me because I do not believe in your god, that is judgement.

Christians, most if not all the religious ones, are quick to condemn others with their perception. (check your last statement)

Your question is on the view of evil, and not condemnation. Why did you shift your point of view to condemning of christians?

Answer 10

different types, generally it is caused of ignorance, false visions and dreams. chasing after money and dreams that can't come true. The competition and strife that comes from this.

In ways it also goes back to animal behavior. territory, dominance, predators. One can argue that it's natural but as humans i think we can....... do better.

good leads to pleasure and happiness, bad does not; but sometimes we misinterpret what our actions will result in.