If you believe we are born good, why is it then we have evil people?

Question

The opposite can also apply, if we are all born as sinners why is it then we have good people?

Answer 1

Duhh... Since the basic premise leads to a contradiction, then the basic premise must be wrong and we're not born -either- way.

You didn't do very well in Logic 101A, did you?

Doug

Answer 2

Being born good says nothing about the potentiality to become evil. In fact, people could be born evil and become good. You're assuming that being born in such a way means that you must forever stay that way.

By the way, for those who have already answered above, this is not an argument, for questions do not assert truth value only propositions do. If you missed this, then it would seem that you didn't do very well in Logic 101A.

Answer 3

i agree with the first answer. if the conclusion does not make sense, the initial assumption must be flawed.

i believe we are all born as blank slates as far as worldly things are concerned and we aquire information and experience which pushes us toward doing "bad" things or "good" things.

I do have a profound problem with the notions of "good" and "bad" however, because how can you call something absolutely good or bad? do you have access to something the rest of us dont? cause last time i checked there were lots of people dissagreeing on this very issue.. christians and muslums to mention an example from current events, but it hardly stops there. i think before you ask this question, you must confront the idea of absolute vs relative morality. and good luck with that one, i havent heard a convincing argument either way YET

Answer 4

(IMO)
Good and evil are only apparent through culpable physical actions. We have very little to no control over our desires and impulses, and you cannot be judged on that which you do not control. Moral status only exists in our self-controlled interactions with the physical world. E.g: Should you be judged because you really want to murder your boss, or because you choose not to?
With this in mind, newborns have virtually no moral status or culpability. They have the potential to grow into adult, self-aware, interactive and intelligent human beings, with all that entails.
We are born neither good or evil, but with the potential for both. And with 6 billion people out there there was always bound to be plenty of each.

Answer 5

We are born neither good nor bad, but with the capacity for either. We are born tabula rasa and in a "perfect" environment (whatever that may be) everyone would be good. But some environments destroy people and unless they recognize that they are damaged and attempt to heal or be healed, "bad" is the result. Some men see no purpose in being good, satisfied with living with a bad cosmology.

Answer 6

Let's be honest here. People aren't the issue. It's their behaviour, and what leads them to it. Transference if you will. For instance what events in that persons life (since birth) has effected the way they behave. So, that being said. Essentially, all people are equal in that respect. It's all consequential. I remind myself of that a lot actually and I find myself passing judgement on people a lot less. Unless you know the whole story. Which, I believe is impossible.

Answer 7

We are born with the potential of good or bad. It is the choices that we make in our lives that create the good or bad.

Answer 8

Dont be fooled. We are all not born good. There are evil wicked people here and good kind people here. You've never seen or heard of a bad child....who is really bad...they LIKE to bully children, kill hamsters, steal, lie...some of them never grow out of that you know...instead grow into it. Bad seeds.
Some people are good and turn bad and vice versa. Leave religion out of it. This is a world of oppisites, hot cold, black white, man woman, good bad, right wrong, day night.

Answer 9

there is not "good" and "Evil" there is more possibly sick and healthy people... but this too is opinion. other people dont believe what is "good" is the best i can think of to exsplain this.

But one sees as evil another sees as not evil. Nature knows no evil but man.

Answer 10

human beings are animals with a distorted self image, we think we are more than we are...bad behavior is a choice

evil in the strictest sense is a product of the self centered nature

no one is born good, we have to learn behavior unless we are left in the wilderness and we would then do what we thought we had to do or give up