I have read a lot of answers from Christians that refer to evil people and evil as a whole. Can someone please explain to me who or what is evil and how I would go about spotting them?
Is the word 'evil' just made up to describe anyone who doesn't follow your religion?
I am genuinely intrigued by this cos of all the times I see the word, it seems to describe a different thing.
I am not picking, it's just something I'm left unsure about all the time.
2007-07-21 07:11:02 · 18 answers · asked by ? 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
This is intriguing, reading some of the Christians answers. Some have said that evil is the opposite of good and that only God is good. So I guess that makes all of us evil in the eyes of these particular Christians. Whatever...
Well, I am not a Christian, but I would like to put in my two cents if I may. To me, evil is action that is largely based in ignorance of something different than yourself, and fear that this different thing might hurt you. I don't believe people are born evil or are inherently evil, but that all of us have the capacity to do evil under the right set of circumstances. Even you and me, and we are basically good people.
I am a Witch, and I am not evil based on the word Witch. I believe that some Christians believe that I am evil just based on the word. They don't look past it to see what exactly I DO, which is not evil, it is probably a lot of the same stuff they do. But if I wear my pentacle T-shirt and a pentacle around my neck, do you think that some Christa ins would say that those were sufficient for them to SPOT evil, ie, they can see what I am wearing and can know that I am not Christian?
Who knows?
Bright Blessings,
Lady Morgana )0(
2007-07-21 12:21:11 · answer #1 · answered by Lady Morgana 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Look let us try to get this straight. Man is evil (sinful) nearly everything he does is spoilt by his sinfulness Christ has saved us from out own sin, if we want to be saved. I think many Christians and others take the view that just saying your prayers and asking for forgiveness is easy and te slate is wiped claen. Not quite, the sinner has to confront his sin really confront it and if possible try to put it right being mindful that sometimes this is just not possible. In certain circumstances it would re-open old wounds for no good reason which would in itself be sinful. The problem here is can a non Christian be accepted into Heaven in whatever form it takes. This is difficult and the easy answer is that the only way is through Christ, therefore if you do not knoe or accept him how can you get into Etnernal Peace.
I can find it difficult to accept that the Grace of God can not extend to these peopl;e but I can not see how. We are warned about associating with those who are deliberatly sinful and are charged with bringing those who are unconciously sinful into the arms of Christ. This is easier said than done.
2007-07-21 15:44:10 · answer #2 · answered by Scouse 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First of all Christians should not be calling anyone evil, it would be judging and we are not allowed to judge anyone who is not a Christian.
Secondly it is easy to spot an evil person such as Hitler, but there are a lot of nasty people about that manage to hide it very well.
Thirdly, some Christians have a spiritual gift called 'Discernment of spirits'. They can sometimes 'see' the evil in someone when others cannot. But this is going very deep and I have no wish to confuse you. Please contact me if you would like more detail.
2007-07-21 15:27:43 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe that for fundamentalist and truly dogmatic Christians evil is indeed anyone who does not follow the Christian religion -- note I specifically did not say teachings! Their basic belief is that if you do not follow the word of God, as it has been interpreted by them and those before them, then you are condemned to spend eternity in Hell. They do not see their God as all-forgiving as He really is.
I, too, am intrigued by the volume of judgment passed by these so-called Christians, these people who are ministering to the world, trying to get all others to follow their path. Won't they be surprised when they meet their maker and find out who is really evil here??
2007-07-21 14:22:28 · answer #4 · answered by Shihan 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The problem is that a practitioner and adherent of a social evil cannot truly judge any other evil. To use a textbook definition evil is, "a cause or source of suffering, injury, or destruction," and both of the children of the Bibles fit that category categorically.
2007-07-21 14:20:46 · answer #5 · answered by Terry 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To put it in an easy to understand way consider the following.
When we experience a natural disaster such as an earthquake, tornado or hurricane, or if someone gets injured or even killed by something done by accident we can classify it as being a "Tragedy".
However, if someone gets injured or killed, afflicted in any way by someone who has a direct motive to harm it can be classified as "Evil". For intense, the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers on 9/11 is considered an act of evil because it was done with a motive to kill. It wasn't tragic.
I hope this helps.
2007-07-21 14:20:15 · answer #6 · answered by stpolycarp77 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Evil, is a rude and selfish person. Evil, is someone that doesn't respect peoples culture or beliefs. Evil, is a thing. A thing that the world fears.
2007-07-21 14:16:31 · answer #7 · answered by Gaga 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Evil is a quality, a negative quality that afflicts humanity. It is the opposite of good.
Only God is good. And because Jesus was God incarnate when he came to earth and lived as a man, Jesus was the only human who could claim to be good.
There is not one righteous person (Jesus was the exception) and because we are all born sinful, it is therefore impossible for us to be "good" - that is to say, "good" in God's eyes. All our "good acts" are like filthy rags to a holy and perfect God.
It would therefore be incorrect for a Christian to call someone else evil, and it is absolutely wrong to describe someone of another religion as evil. Only God knows our hearts and our minds and only God gets to judge who is evil. That's his prerogative.
Evil, as a quality, is evident everywhere we look. It's creator is Satan, the father of the lie, who persuaded man and woman that if they disobeyed God, they would be like God, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:5). It was disobedience to God that introduced evil into humanity. Happily for us God sent his son, Jesus, to earth and because he was obedient unto death, and lived a perfect, sinless life, the human race has a redeemer.
Let Christians be careful not to label others as evil, but look to ourselves to make sure we are in a good relationship with God, and to trust in Jesus as our Lord and Saviour.
2007-07-21 14:38:55 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
anything that distracts you from completing your destiny...that would be evil....there are some people who will waste ur time by sucking up all u have to offer, they do not have ur good in their hearts, that wud be evil...
others , instead, would remind you of where u want to go, where you are headed in life, the right choices to make, how not to destroy others, how to listen to the voice of God...these are the sign-posts in your life, the ones who help u achieve ur destiny, these are the good people.
2007-07-21 14:26:05 · answer #9 · answered by El-rene 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you buy a pair of those retro 'hypno-glasses' with the swirleys on them and the pin hole in the middle you will be able to wear them in public, and spot the evil ones! Be careful, because when they see the glasses they will know you are onto them!!!
2007-07-21 14:14:18 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋