When left to our own devices, what proves to be the case?
Do you have any examples or evidence to support your position one way or the other?
2007-11-26 22:10:43 · 28 answers · asked by Last Ent Wife (RCIA) 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Cop Out. Are we more one or the other.
2007-11-26 22:14:32 · update #1
AZ- Darling, haven't you heard? Christians live in a black and white universe and reject cultural relativism and postmodern thought.
Quick question for you - is chopping up a two year boy a bad thing? Why, how can you judge me for that? What if my culture says it's okay?
You have to draw a line somewhere, don't you?
2007-11-26 22:34:38 · update #2
You conveniently ducking the question with your insults to Christianity. Answer the question.
Is there a universal line that needs to be drawn for everyone. Is murdering a child (one that has been born already) wrong all the time, or only in cultures in which we have deemed it to be wrong.
2007-11-26 22:59:13 · update #3
uhg - I forgot "are"
2007-11-26 22:59:44 · update #4
I think our passions overwhelmingly out weighs reason if given half a chance we would indulge rather than abstain ?
Kingdoms, nations, reputations, families, innocence, friendships, etc have been destroyed by mans passions; covetousness, greed, pride, lust, vanity...etc
Impurity / lust is such a one to tear through the heart of order and common good of man as a cohesive unit / phalanx.
We are not stronger than Samson, nor are we holier than David, nor are we wiser than Solomon yet all fell to impurity !
Mortification of the senses is highly recommended for a civil society to sustain and maintain.A world with no laws : New Orleans after "Katrina" is a perfect example of mans passions when placed under lawlessness ?
personal opinion...
2007-11-26 22:50:11 · answer #1 · answered by BORED II 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Man is without a doubt; born to sin. If we look at our Christian cultures we see so many more redeeming qualities than in Muslim or even post Christian societies like eastern Europe. Russia eg. is proof positive to me that absolute power corrupts absolutely. They have made statements such as "without the sun and without God-crops will come". The only thing they can export on a regular basis is weapons. People ride the train for hours to buy burgers at McDonald's in the capitol, because they can't produce enough food for the people.
Man is truly inherently evil. And denial is not just a river in Egypt.
2007-11-27 12:03:10 · answer #2 · answered by B00G1 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Depend on the inherent nature of the individual... Brings up the Nature vs Nurture controversy.... If left alone, people are generally most concerned about survival , not morals. When put into a social situation, morals began to take more precedence. So, my answer can not be summed up so easily.
It depends on the individual and the situation they are in. All people are capable of both, but to varying degrees
2007-11-27 13:12:33 · answer #3 · answered by dogwhisperer16 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I asked myself that before for long time...cas' I want to believe that they are good, I really do and I did for a while, but the truth is people are as they appear...like the saying goes...it is what it is...if it looks a certain way, there's a reasonwhy)...everytime it reminds me of pulp fiction...the end of the restaurant robbery scene...
Jules: Normally, both your asses would be dead as ******* fried chicken, but you happen to pull this **** while I'm in a transitional period so I don't wanna kill you, I wanna help you. But I can't give you this case, it don't belong to me. Besides, I've already been through too much **** this morning over this case to hand it over to your dumb ***.
Jules: Wanna know what I'm buyin' Ringo?
Pumpkin: What?
Jules: Your life. I'm givin' you that money so I don't hafta kill your ***. You read the Bible?
Pumpkin: Not regularly.
Jules: There's a passage I got memorized. Ezekiel 25:17. The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness. For he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know I am the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you. I been sayin' that **** for years. And if you ever heard it, it meant your ***. I never really questioned what it meant. I thought it was just a cold-blooded thing to say to a ************ before you popped a cap in his ***. But I saw some **** this mornin' made me think twice. Now I'm thinkin': it could mean you're the evil man. And I'm the righteous man. And Mr. 9mm here, he's the shepherd protecting my righteous *** in the valley of darkness. Or it could be you're the righteous man and I'm the shepherd and it's the world that's evil and selfish. I'd like that. But that **** ain't the truth. The truth is you're the weak. And I'm the tyranny of evil men. But I'm tryin', Ringo. I'm tryin' real hard to be a shepherd.
2007-11-27 06:27:10 · answer #4 · answered by packsalltheway 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
we are inherently human ... and as such can make choices
some good , some bad
having 3 girls and all raised equally the same
each have very different personalities
they make their own decisions
and my middle child is totally different in the choices she makes compared to the other two
I think if you took this to a greater scale ... perhaps a family with 10 children , you would find the same
so it isnt about genetics , it isnt about how we are born...
it is all about free will
2007-11-27 06:21:04 · answer #5 · answered by ☮ Pangel ☮ 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We are inherently sinners, but the word "bad" has strong implications and don't like it in this case. Bad is murder; bad is rape. Perfectly normal so-called "good" people are deceitful, dishonest, greedy, many things that are sinful. If I must choose one word, then it must be "bad," but I don't like the choice.
Only one was ever born with the ability to get through life without sinning.
2007-11-27 06:19:40 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is important to acknowledge that humans are inherently both... but I see mostly good... perhaps I am naive...
The first example that comes to my mind is the man who jumped into the frozen Potomac River to save a woman trying to make it to shore after her plane crashed...
2007-11-27 06:28:19 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Inherently bad; we all sin whether it be telling a lie or murdering. When we measure ourselves against a Holy God we can see just how far short we fall.
2007-11-27 06:20:48 · answer #8 · answered by Don 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The question is flawed. What is understood to be good or bad is a cultural construction, and thus becomes a matter of perspective. Perspectives are subjective and relative, who is to say that any one perspective is superior to another.
2007-11-27 06:19:16 · answer #9 · answered by Ivor L 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Why the black and white thinking? Your bad might be my good.
We're mammals and social creatures. That means we have the capacity to cooperate, and the capacity to be selfish.
edit: is burning a witch at the stake a bad idea? Not too long ago people thought it was perfectly reasonable. Or keeping slaves? Again, not too long ago: perfectly reasonable. Condoned by the bible, even. How about stoning non-virgin brides?
2007-11-27 06:14:37 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋