About "good" and "evil"?

Question

Isn't "good" and "evil" relative? I mean, there isn't some overwhelming consensus on what is "good" or "evil/bad", so...

Just...

How is it that one person, one religion, one law says something is "bad", yet the next disagrees. And, in all cases they all have a substantial number of followers. I'm not asking who is right, rather how is "right"?

Answer 1

Well, to be frank, in the real world, right is what the powerful say it is. Wrong is what they say is wrong. Two hundred years ago, it was okay to own a firearm. If a person tried to break into your home you could shoot him...then again, if he was simply on your property, you could shoot him for trespassing. That is what the law said was okay. Today, you would go to jail for murder in most places.

So HOW something is right is based on who has the power. In the US, that tends to be the people with the money. If that's the masses of the common people, fine. If it’s the cooperate powerhouses, well...that’s' just the way it is...for now!

How it is that this is done, is that once the group in power has made up it's mind, the masses of little or no choice in the matter. In the care of religious organization, they believe that there god has defined right and wrong; good and evil, so therefore they do not need to justify themselves. For governments, some times they believe there power comes from god others believe it is the masses that define these things. Either way, once you have an armed force of men, (police) enforcing the edicts of the government (laws) you don’t have much choice in the situation. Despite all the talk about separation of Church and state, there are still numerous laws on the books that are clearly Christian in origin. But until someone forces the government to adjust their point of view...we are stuck with it.

As for being relative, I think it would be more appropriate to say it is subjective. By thin I mean that what I consider as evil is NOT necessarily what you would consider evil. For instance, Christian Fundamentalist consider all non-Christians to be living in sin and all those actively pursuing non-Christian faiths (Buddhism, Taoism, Shamanism, Hinduism, etc...) to be all that much worse. If one of these people happens to disuse their faith with another person and persuade them to try their faith or otherwise turn from the Christian path, then that person gets upgraded from simply living in Sin to being evil for turning someone from Christ. Many others would never consider a person evil just because of their faith...or lack there of.

Me personally, I define evil as: Intentional and unrepentant ignorance*, indolence**, gluttony+, bigotry++ and cowardice.# {See Note Below}

Some people agree with my definition. Other people think it's a good start. (And to be honest, it is still a work in progress.) and others heartedly disagree for various reason. (So far, the most common argument is that it doesn’t refer to the bible or to any of gods teachings.) But this is my definition and how it appears in any of my documents and writings.

I hope this helps.

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NOTES:
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* Ignorance: The condition of being uninformed or uneducated. lacking knowledge or information
** Indolence: Habitually lazy, procrastinating, or resistance to physical or mental labor.
+ Gluttony: (archaic definition) Thoughtless and unreasonable excess. (This is not limited to food and drink by could include any substance (drugs, alcohol, tobacco, etc...), sex, gambling, etc... even money! [seeking money for the sake of having money or seeking it to the exclusion of all other pursuits would be gluttonous.])
++ Bigotry: Irrational intolerance and/or disdain of others based on racial, ethnical and/or cultural differences.
#Cowardice: Lack of mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty to a reasonable level of commitment.

Answer 2

well let me say this, without god there is no law, someone who says they have no belief where do they get there sense of right and wrong, they cant , it is only their opinion so it contradicts itself because everyone has a general knowledge of basic rights and wrongs. moses gave the ten commandments from god and the nations of the world pretty much follow this today although many people are trying to change these things. Jesus is the truth and the way and he is God follow him and you will know what is right.

Answer 3

It must needs be opposition in all things. If not so, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad...
And if you shall say there is no law (of opposition), you shall also say there is no sin. If you say there is no sin, you shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there is no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God, we are not, neither the earth, for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor acted upon, wherefore all things must have vanished away...
Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by one or the other. (2Nephi 2:12-16)
Wherefore men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the Great Mediator of all men (Jesus Christ), or choose captivity and death, according to the ower of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself. (2 Nephi 2:27)

I know it sounds crazy but give truth a chance. You have the power to choose, and how can you choose if there is no good nor evil to choose between?

Answer 4

As I understand it untill yiu have an "enlightenment" your parent s are responible for teaching you right from wrong. After you reach the age of consent usually around 12 to 13 you are responible to choose right from wrong I am a born-again christian and the Holy Spirit is my guide. T4

Answer 5

in general there is no good and evil only things that are positive and negative.
Positive things, events, and actions add to existence.
Negative things, events, and actions subtract from existence.
To much positive and abundance turns to glut.
To much negative and minimal turns to lack.
Can't have one without the other. The key is balance.

Answer 6

This is a topic with nearly infinite layers.

"Good" and "evil" may be relative but this does not make them wholly subjective. If they were, we would have no reason to expect any "good" from others or punish "evil."

If God exists, then these words have no meaning. "Good" really just means Godly.

Answer 7

Most all religions agree on what's good and evil.

Treat others how you want to be treated.

Love is the standard in all "religions."

Answer 8

the majority of a society chooses what is "right" in order to keep peace