What are intrinsically evil acts?

Answer 1

Acts that humanity can agree upon as truly "evil"... that is to say, cause the most suffering to another person(s); furthermore, this act must be done with full knowledge and intent to harm.

For example, genocide. Rape. Child molestation. 3rd degree murder. etc.

Answer 2

Great question.
Acts in which the pain and suffering of unwilling participants is the ultimate goal. For example, war causes pain and suffering, and apina nd suffering are even necessary for war to be effective, but that isn't the goal. THe goal is defending a border, invading a country, upholding an ideal, etc. So war as a generic concept is not intrinsically evil. Killing or torturing someone because you specifically want to see them suffer, that I would call intrinsically evil.

I would also put vengeance into that category, again drawing clear lines as to what is vengeance. Say Bob rapes your little sister (also intrinsically evil) and you kill Bob. Was that evil? I would say depends on your motivation. If you did it so he couldn't hurt anyone else, I would say no. That's a misdirected sense of justice. But if you did just because you wanted him to suffer, I would say yes, that was evil.

I think when you want to talk about intrinsic evil, you have to consider motivation, not just actual acts.

Answer 3

Acts that are bad in and of themselves (rather than because of the consequences.) For example a Christian might say eating meat during lent is intrinsically bad. There are no negative consequences, the act is simply wrong in itself.

The moral philosophy of Immanuel Kant might help you understand what an intrinsically evil act is.

Answer 4

Well, since 'evil' is really nothing more than a subjective judgement, it's really hard to define... it depends entirely upon the 'criteria' that is used. However, it is fairly easy to provide some examples of what I consider to be intrinsically evil, in accordance with my criteria:

JG 1:17 With the Lord's approval, Judah and Simeon utterly destroy the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath.

JG 11:29-39 Jepthah sacrifices his beloved daughter, his only child, according to a vow he has made with the Lord.

JG 21:10-12 "... Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword and; also the women and little ones.... every male and every woman that has lain with a male you shall utterly destroy." They do so and find four hundred young virgins whom they bring back for their own use.

1SA 15:3, 7-8 "This is what the Lord says: Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and *** ....' And Saul ... utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword."

1KI 13:15-24 A man is killed by a lion for eating bread and drinking water in a place where the Lord had previously told him not to. This is in spite of the fact that the man had subsequently been lied to by a prophet who told the man that an angel of the Lord said that it would be alright to eat and drink there.

2KI 2:23-24 Forty-two children are mauled and killed, presumably according to the will of God, for having jeered at a man of God.

PS 137:9 Happy will be the man who dashes your little ones against the stones.

IS 13:15 "Everyone who is captured will be thrust through; all who are caught will fall by the sword. Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their ... wives will be ravished."

IS 13:18 "Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children."

IS 14:21-22 "Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers."

EZ 6:12-13 The Lord says: "... they will fall by the sword, famine and plague. He that is far away will die of the plague, and he that is near will fall by the sword, and he that survives and is spared will die of famine. So will I spend my wrath upon them. And they will know I am the Lord, when the people lie slain among their idols around their altars, on every high hill and on all the mountaintops, under every spreading tree and every leafy oak ...."

EZ 9:4-6 The Lord commands: "... slay old men outright, young men and maidens, little children and women ...."

HO 13:16 "They shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up."

MT 10:21 "... the brother shall deliver up his brother to death, and the father his child, ... children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death."

MT 10:35-36 "For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law a man's enemies will be the members of his own family."

Answer 5

Anything which brings harm to another human being. Bear in mind, an act can be the best choice in a situation and still be evil.

Answer 6

Rape. Murder. Theft. Hatred. Neglect. Violence. Cruelty. Greed.

Answer 7

In Christianity, 'sin' is simply living for yourself instead of God.

Answer 8

Well, this is my opinion...

Torture.
So called "honour-killings."
Mutilation
Bullying (yes, bullying)
Indoctrination/brainwashing
ANY form of abuse be it animal, child, elder, domestic...
Slavery
Rape/sexual abuse/sexual assault of ANY person be it adult, child, man, woman.

These are inexcusable.

Answer 9

eating the last rolo