Are we inherently evil

Originally posted by YhwhsCreation
I can't help but to think we are inherently evil. I mean I find it easier to rebel than conform. I find evil easier, but I prefer good, but it takes more effort. Know what I mean

Negative. We're all just inherently able to make our own decisions. SOME people are evil because of their mindest, and some people are good becuase of their mindset as well. Everyone has a good and bad side of them, and either side can be shown at any moment.

Originally posted by 10DeadInside10

Negative. We're all just inherently able to make our own decisions. ...

ahem.. "Inherently".. wouldn�t that mean BEFORE we are able to make our own decisions? Its about the seed and the origin. It dosent make sense to talk about "own decisions" in that setting.

No, I disagree. I believe 10 was correct in what he said. Our free moral agency and our right to choose is inherent (i.e. belonging by nature - inseparable, nonmeritorious, basic principle or character).

From birth (well at least from the time we can have enough gross motor skills to act on decisions that can be measured by that activity) we have an inherent ability to choose what action we will take next. As an infant, there aren't any great moral decisions to be made, but with each passing day the human child comes closer to the point of disobedience/obedience, moral/immoral/amoral decisions.

The benchmark against which those decisions are made may be the real inquiry here. Is there an INHERENT benchmark within us that defines the line between good and evil and then are we inherently inclined to easily go one way, but have to work to go the other way when excercising our inherent moral decision ability.

Maybe that's the question.

OK, i was translating "inherently" (like in heritage, yes?) to "originally" in my head.
I am not perfect in English, so my mistake.
Then it turns out that i agree with Mr. Dead inside (Btw. what kind of name is that? response welcome )

When we look back at the original question, in fact it dosent make sense because terms like good & evil are so deeply connected with our abillity and (inherent) responsibility to choose and decide freely, that we cant blame the existence of evil inside us on our heritage.

(basicly the same as 10DI10 is saying)

Maybe we can excuse ourselves somewhat when we are young, but not alot and not for a long time.

Since i belive in reincarnation this also makes up for some of my views in the respect to inheritance.

I am the epitome and essence of pure, 100%, USDA choice grade A evil.

FEAR ME!

i believe we're capable of good and/or evil. we can do both or either. what determines what we do mainly lies without ourselves influenced by outside stimuli (movies, TV, music, society, friends and co-workers) and the environment that we are raised in but this is not a hard and fast rule, there are exceptions. (this is also a very rudimentary answer)

take a rock for example. it has no life, no though processes of its own. it is neutral in our minds. when crushed and mixed with other crushed rocks and is mixed with water and chemicals what happens? we get concrete, which can be used to make a prison or a even a hospital. doing something we percieve as good. however if we take that same rock and throw it at someone and it hits them we view this as evil. does that make the rock evil? our action perhaps (a matter of perception but irrelevant at this time) but that doesnt make the rock evil. if we do something most of us view as evil does that really make us evil even if we enjoyed doing it? no, we are still who we have always been. does that mean a "evil person" is incapable of doing good? no of course not. is a "good person" incapable of doing evil? not at all. as humans we are obsessed with labels and over use them to the point we let them dictate how we think feel and view the world around us.

yet some people think guns are evil. are they really? they can be used for good or evil it is merely a perception we have of them that we choose to have but that does not make things so as such things are subject to relativity and are open to opinion so two people can see the same thing in two different ways. this applies to many things in life, pretty much everything really.

is evil bad? yes and no, when done to us we think of that is bad but when we do it to others we might think of it as good while they view it as evil and wrong. same holds true for good. if we do something good for one group of people for example by giving them food and another group that doesnt like them will think of this as bad.

there is no cut and dry answer to the question presented so one has to ask themselves what answer do they want to hear? the one they want to hear or the one we think is the answer to their question? our answers will vary to some degree and all answers in order for any learning must be taken into consideration, not dismissed because itdoesnt fit the mold of what we think the answer is or should be.

so why ask this question?

we are who we are. sometime we do one or the other, however, one action does not make a person one or the other as that person can do the other quite easily.

we are capable of anything and everything. we are inherently ourselves.

Originally posted by Stress
I think we are all inherintly good,,,but its our society that makes us seem evil,,,Society as we know it just gets worse evry year right

That's an intersting contradiction! You say... "...we are ALL inherintly good..." then ... "...Society as we know it just gets worse evry year right..."
If we are inherently good then why does society get worse every year? Isn't that a contradiction of terms.
Wouldn't it be true to suggest that if we are all inherently good that the world would be getting better and better every year. Sounds to me like you are quoting some kind of New Age politically correct rubbish.

Thats a good point LunchBox. I think todays society's make a good illustration of what the natural disposition of mankind really is . . . inherently evil.

Originally posted by bigsage
its subjective look up the difference in the dictionary...
evil is a fine line...
one who walks it tends to push others down for fear of falling in front of their path...

Thanks for the correction. I'm a jacka-s-s and got them mixed up. My bad.

Originally posted by YhwhsCreation
I can't help but to think we are inherently evil. I mean I find it easier to rebel than conform. I find evil easier, but I prefer good, but it takes more effort. Know what I mean

It gets easier with practice.

IMO we are no more evil than we are not evil. I tend to think of it in terms of potential. If the opposites that are in comparison are "Good" vs. "Evil" then it's really a matter of the degree one goes in either direction. There cannot be one without the other. Every light has it's shadow as a contrast, just as every shadow is dependent upon the light.

Life is constant change and also cyclic in nature. It is up to everyone to understand the polar opposites and the struggle for balance between them. If one lives in a way that is unbalanced or onesided, the opposite side must then attempt to regain the balance by becoming equally as strong. The more off balance things become the more chaotic and fluxuating things become to compensate.

For example: If there was nothing in existence that was seen as evil, there would be no good acts being done as to counter such evils. There would simply be acts of doing. Not seen as good or evil. That is just the way duality works. It's a process of comparisons, one side against the other. What makes this even more complicated however is the Relative Perspective "Good" and "Evil" is upon the one making the decision. Conquering land for the good of the people may seem good to the Conqueror and his people. But, it's probably seen as evil by those who are being conquered.

Comments??