Do you believe that a human being is guilty or do you believe that circumstances make him do bad things?

Question

In other words, do you blame a human being for his bad deeds or do you enquire into higher reasons which make him enter into evil?

Answer 1

If we have free will, then we are responsible for our choices. If we make decisions under threat of bodily harm, then we may have a viable excuse for our actions. If we are severely mentally retarded and incapable of making decisions based on reasoning and moral decision-making, then we could be considered victims of circumstances just as a toddler picking up a loaded gun and aiming it doesn't understand they are about to cause grave bodily harm.

Our free will and ability to reason are what makes us different from all other species.

Answer 2

Let's look at the word: RESPONSIBILITY.... it means the "ability to respond." That means that

We do not "blame"... we find where the RESPONSIBILITY lies. When someone is fully aware and cognizant of their thoughts and able to control their behavior, then they are to be held fully RESPONSIBLE for their actions. RESPONSIBILITY means the "ability to respond" to a situation or circumstance. If one is not able to respond, they cannot be held responsible, this is where "insanity" comes into play in the court system.

As long as the person is capable of responding, they are responsible.

When you say, "do you INQUIRE into higher reasons which make him enter into evil", are you saying that the person is not responsible but is forced into "evil actions" due to some higher power "pushing" him to do so? Sort of like some puppeteer? No, sorry. That doesn't work in the Christian doctrine of "Free Will." God does not FORCE us to do things, He has given us FREE WILL to CHOOSE to do the right or wrong things.

Now... there are times when "circumstances" may result in bad behavior, but God understands when the person has/has not the ABILITY to RESPOND, and thus affect his/her behavior.

I can refer to a circumstance I recently heard on a TV program about a Medical Examiner. A "vagrant" man was found dead in his apartment, and she had to determine the cause of his death, to be sure it was "natural" or not. In the course of her examination, she found that his brain had suffered damage in his past, but that this was not the cause of his death. HOWEVER... she learned from the detectives that this man, while in his childhood, had suffered two major brain traumas (one due to being hit by a vehicle and put him into a coma for some time). Later in his life, he developed the "personality" traits of schizophrenia. She surmized that his brain traumas had caused the schizophrenia.... and that caused him to make "bad decisions" in his life, to neglect his health, become the "vagrant" he grew to be, and also be "estranged" from his family.

Now... in this case, I would think that God, in His all-knowing, knew that this man had made bad decisions due to the schizophrenia which was caused by the childhood brain injuries. Certainly, this man's "circumstances" caused him to be UNABLE to respond to make decisions in his life. So, likely, God would forgive him because it wasn't his "fault" he received those injuries.

So you see... there can be all sorts of circumstances out there, but God ultimately knows who is and who is not "responsible" for their actions and choices.


Have a blessed day.

Answer 3

I agree with both Exodus 20:1-17 and Moparman.
We are born with evil in us. Parents don't need to teach children to be bad, children are naturally bad and need to be trained that there are consequences to bad behavior. Still people have choices to make as to which behavior to act on.

Answer 4

People are all bunched into similar situations and environments. Not everyone in the same neighborhood ends up being exactly the same as his or her next door neighbor. We make our own choices. Environment DOES have a hand in attitudes, but it is not the only reason a person does what he does.

Answer 5

I believe their attitude is passed onto them by their parents when growing up, along with witnessing bad or evil things which then makes them think its ok to do, especially if the child sees the parent getting away with it and not being punished.

Answer 6

The age old question;Is it Nature or Nurture that
causes Man to Sin;This question will be settled during the Millennial Reign of Christ;When Satan is released once again to test Man;Those Mortals have lived in a Perfect enveriment and will choose Satan to go to Jerusalem to Kill Jesus and
the Remenant of His Followers- God will destroy
all of those Rebels;

Answer 7

It all depends on the standards in ones soul ,we all have a choice...to do or not to do something.....acceptance or rejection depends on ones standards ....

It's like the old she/he made me do it ....what a load of rot....
one did what ever to alleviate or acquiesce to something or someone...but you still had a choice .

Answer 8

I believe that that is what makes us human, having a dualistic nature.

Answer 9

Each person is ultimately responsible for their own actions.

Answer 10

Some people are ruled by their circumstances. And some people rule their circumstances.