The concept of evil?

Question

Hey, I have been thinking alot about the concept of evil lately, and I have some questions to ask! :)
1. What exactly is evil? Can can we define it?
2. How can we judge evil? - Perceptions etc
3.The origions of evil - is it orgional sin?
4. Christianity and Evil. Is evil somewhat the basis of christianity?
5.Free will and evil- is it because of free will that evil exists?
and my final one, which I am most interested in - Why evil isnt nessescarly such a bad thing.

If anyone has any links that they could share with me, or any theologist sites that I can read up on, it would be great! Thank you! :)

Answer 1

A lot to answer:
A certain creed can 'define' evil based on beliefs, but evil cannot be absolutely defined b/c it is based on perceptions. Just as you and I think it is evil to have sex with a child, in other cultures and faiths it is perfectly acceptable and right.
The notion of evil, in the Judeo-Christian tradition, came far earlier than the Bible, most probably from Zoroastrian teachings of light and darkness. That is why you will read much light symbolism in the Bible. Light, "light of the world," "Rid the world of darkness" were all symbolic terms for goodness. While darkness had the opposite effect. Light, in early human history meant a great deal to most people who received warmth, food, fire, and safety in light. Darkness was dangerous or bad for opposite reasons. Thus, darkness came to represent 'bad' or evil eventually. Later, Christians would convert darkness into 'without light' or without knowledge, such as 'he is in the dark' about God.
It is because of man that 'evil' exists. We define and redefine what evil is. We don't kill/abandon our young (usually), yet animals do and they see nothing 'evil' about this. Man created the concept of 'evil'. Evil is a concept with a working definition. There is no absolute so there cannot be something that is absolutely evil. Someonesomething can justify any action based on his/her circumstances, beliefs, religion, practices, etc. While it may seem horrible to you and I, others might find it to be wholly good.

Answer 2

Evil is bad by definition. There is no absolute standard of evil; it refers to things that are considered bad by society. In general, an action can be evaluated by its probable effect on society: if the effect is probably bad, the action would be considered evil. It has nothing to do with original sin, which is a fiction. Nor does it have anything particular to do with Christianity, although, like most religions, Christianity has defined the concept for its own purposes. Free will is actually a fiction, there is no such thing -- but the free will model is a useful approximation, enabling the commission of acts which society could regard as evil.

Answer 3

First when Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge they gained a understanding of good and evil, that inherent trait has passed down from that generation on. That is the light of Christ that is given to everyone, it allows you to know you have done something wrong with out being told. I am sure you know the feeling. You can over time and conditioning convince yourself that something not wrong. A lot of people do that with sex, they can convince themselves sex with out marriage is not a sin, however I think all know the first time it is a sin. I think even a child molester can convince himself that the molesting a child is not a sin over time. Thus the devil has a foot hold in causing people to commit sin if society seems to approve of that behavior, like premarital sex for an example. Evil is simply the opposite of perfection, Christianity is then the pursuit of perfection. With out freewill we would never come to know the difference between good and evil as we would be forced into one or the other, so that is why evil is not necessarily a bad thing. However as perfection is what the goal, and thus we all have committed evil and therefor never could become perfect just because we had committed sin, there needed to be a cleansing agent. Thus we needed a savior who could cleanse our sins, that savior was Jesus Christ.

Answer 4

1. Evil is the absence of good. Yes.
2. Evil is judged by a moral standard based on empathy and conscience.
3. It is not original sin - it is physical mortality and the fear of death.
4. No, it is not. The incarnation would have happened regardless.
5. No. It is because of death.

I have no idea why it is not necessarily a bad thing, but it sounds good.

Answer 5

I like the question!

Here's my idea for a useful definition of evil: to purposely work towards the unhappiness of others.

Evil's origins: people who violate the principles of happiness and therefore become miserable, seek to make others as miserable as themselves. The reason they do this is because of pride -- they don't like the idea of someone being happier than they are.

The verse referenced below describes the motivation of evil, but the entire chapter is a great description of why opposition is useful for our progression.

Answer 6

You have asked a very profound philosophical question. I can only give you a very short answer as such. Evil is the absence of good. In that sense, it is nothing where something should be.

Answer 7

WELL I HAVE BEEN A BIBLE INSTRUCTOR FOR SOME 20 YEARS. I am not a theoligan though nor am i perfected in the full knowledge of free will and choices .. not sure if its allowed to give links?? i have found two sites that speak directly from the bible without holding back like many do because some truths be unpopular.. one is white horse media or ministry { not sure i donthave it in yahoo friends list.] but incase y ou cant ge t through try bible universe .com and the amazing facts.org // their is free media and tracts u can read online and see for your self what is or is not truth! . you yourself have to be persuaded and noone can do it for you .. mj

Answer 8

Evil is not a concept it is a an absolute. It is the opposite of good it exist as all things do as a top has a bottom, a beginning an end, hot and cold night and day it is all part of a perfect creation. It could not exist without the other.

Answer 9

Evil is the total lack of empathy for the lives of others. History and scriptural text is filled with examples of individuals who define "evil"....I think that if you read and do enough research you will answer you own questions. Evil is "live" spelled backwards, so evil has to be the opposite of "live". Most evil people strive to disrupt the lives of others....you don't have to look further than the White House for that!!!

Answer 10

I believe some project discovery of the conflict between predator and prey that divides the body-consuming biosphere of limited dimensions into a framework of myth and fantasy as mystery of a spiritual conflict between good and evil. Some predators of our body consuming biosphere are particularly dangerous because these predators have learned to use the idea of good and evil to deify self and demonize enemies and there by motivate self and members of communities of faithful believers to out work, out fight and out number competition in the global culture. In the short term, members of communities of faithful believers could potentially gain an survival advantage by motivating themselves to out work, out fight and out number competition. In the long term, this race to out work, out fight and out number the rest of the world may become a race to Armageddon.