Define evil

This thread is directed mostly at Christians who believe that there will be some ultimate battle between good and evil where Jesus rides down out of the clouds and starts kicking evil's butt, but if non-Christians want to weigh in and describe what they think evil is that is fine.

So what is evil? If Jesus rides down and starts smiting people left and right, what marks someone as evil? Would they have to be killers? Usurers? Racists? Slavers? Drug users? People who use swear words? Sure all of these things are bad, some more so than others, but these people aren't one dimensional. Sure someone could have killed someone else, but what if it was in self-defense, what about the rest of the person's actions throughout their life? If this person killed someone but spends the rest of their life donating to charity or helping their community? What about a drug dealer who uses his profits to build community centers or things like that?

See the problem I have with this whole end of the world, good vs. evil final showdown is that things are never that simple. There are always more things behind the scenes. Even people like Stalin and Hitler loved their families.

Another issue I have is mental illness. Sociopaths (anti-social disorder) and psychopathy are now considered mental disorders, but these are two disorders that can cause people to do things that many consider evil. Same thing with schizophrenia. So are people with mental disorders that cannot help doing these things evil as well?

It really is hard to take any black and white thinking seriously. Murder is wrong right? What if someone damaged a family member? We hear people come up with some pretty evil sounding revenge torture fantasies for people that may harm their child for example. And most people generally accept it and some even cheer it on. Of course, most of it is fantasy, just thinking. Isn't that how every murder plot starts out though? Is it evil just to have thought about it, or is it just in actually completing the action?

reply to post by TKDRL


Exactly, one person's evil can be another person's good. Religion likes to rationalize war, death, and destruction by saying that it was by the grace of God (Christianity isn't the only one guilty of this one either) despite clear outlines saying that these things are bad.

Another question is how can God(s) side with one faction of people in a war over another? Doesn't that distill the people down to certain good and evil roles as well? People cannot help what country they are born in nor can they help it if their country decides to war against another and they end up fighting for their country. Not all nazis are evil. Some (most) were probably just fighting for the glory of their country and probably didn't even know the Holocaust was occurring in their name. But apparently in the bible God chose sides and if you happened to live back then and had the misfortune to have been born in one of the many nations that the Jews went to war with backed by their god, you'd be considered on the side of evil. What, you just wanted to protect your family and ensure their safety? TOO BAD! BURN!

The only good is knowledge, and the only evil is ignorance. That is what I have read, and I honestly have not found a better definition.

reply to post by Krazysh0t


It is easier to define what something is not sometimes, rather than what it is.

Evil is not the absence of good, anymore than Good can be defined as the absence of Evil.

Why do people have a problem attributing substance to evil? It's like you say the word "Good" to someone and they automatically know that Good is a force to be reckoned with. Some smartasses like to say that Evil is just the absence of this Good, when in fact, Evil has a substance of its own. It is just as much of a force of nature as Good is, it is not simply the lack of something. Granted, where Evil exists, Good does not, but that doesn't provide a full definition.

In short, Evil is the opposing force of nature to Good. A yin-yang isn't simply a white crescent next to nothing. It's next to a black crescent, not the absence of a white one. So you see, Evil is identical to Good in every way, except polarity.

It is a word made up of the four letters E, V, I, and L. It is a perception based on personal belief.

Even good is different for different people. What is good for me may be bad for someone else. Getting everyone on the same ball field with the same rules is necessary sometimes to define something.

Evil doesn't REALLY exist, us humans generally consider something to be "evil" when it goes against our species' natural rules for survival.

Evil is when a being commits a sin (mistake) and then repeats that mistake (sin) knowing it will have a negative outcome for others or themselves. In other words it comes down to Intent, the intent behind an action is what causes a negative or positive so to speak, a bit like magic. there is magic and the intent or focus of the magic creates a divide of black and white magic.

sooo thats from a black and white point of view, from an energy point of view evil does not exist, but you must understand at present we live in a world made from polarity everything is in a state of separateness and divide, so therefor in our world evil most definitely exists even if it is only one side of the pendulum swing.
most humans know exactly what evil and good are. you feel it every time you do something good or bad, in reality we know when we commit a sin its whether we continue repeating that sin knowing it is one.

only my two penny's i may think differently tomorrow

reply to post by ScrufferMcGruffer


I either don't understand your answer or you have failed to actually define what evil is. Your post suggests that whatever isn't good is evil. Well what is good then? How does all this apply to say an ultimate battle between good and evil? How much evil does one have to perform to be considered irredeemable and evil?

reply to post by JokerThe1st


If evil is the act of sinning, then please list all the sins then. Is drug use a sin? Drug dealing? Slavery? Racism? You may notice that all the things I just mentioned are acts considered wrong in modern society, but aren't specifically mentioned in the bible as sins. So if they aren't sins, is someone who does these things not evil?

Also not believing in God is considered a sin, yet the majority of the population of the world isn't Christian. Is an atheist who dedicates his whole life to helping his fellow man a sinner because he doesn't believe in God and therefore evil?

Evil is intentionally doing things to others that you would not want done to you over and over again. Morals are based on the golden rule, if you continually break the golden rule intentionally, you are evil.

reply to post by Krazysh0t


wow hold up, remove the word 'sin' from my answer and read it again, i used this word as in a biblical sense it translates as 'making a mistake' Christians and the bible in many cases have twisted its meaning in literal terms.
look a bit deeper before attacking the words i may decide to use

reply to post by Krazysh0t


causing harm : tending to injure : marked by misfortune. This is quite literally what Evil means. Someone who is evil tends to cause harm, tends to cause injury and marks or is marked by misfortune.




dictionary.reference.com...

reply to post by Krazysh0t


Personally, I believe "evil" boils down to selfishness. The selfish don't concern themselves with others; they live for themselves only. They could care less about the Golden Rule. They'll screw anyone over to increase their own wealth or power. This defines practically every politician and "elite" fairly well, and also their minions who'll "just follow orders" in order to keep their cushy jobs.

But it's not restricted to the rich and powerful. If you're, say, a priest who preys on the innocent as an outlet for those things denied by the Church (like getting married), it means you're putting your own needs ahead of your victims'. It means you just don't care. If you go around oppressing (or merely belittling) people because of their political leanings or religious beliefs or sexual orientation, it means you consider yourself before them. If you spread lies about, or hate towards, someone, you're just catering to human nature to make yourself look better in the eyes of those who know you at someone else's expense. This is "following the ways of the world," as we're told we should not do. Violating any one of the Ten Commandments means putting yourself and your desires before someone else's. Simply charging someone interest on a loan (usury) is evil.

So evil is greed, apathy, insensitivity, intolerance, snobbery, deception. If you always put others first, you're the opposite of that; selfless, caring, sympathetic, friendly, open and honest. To quote Terry Pratchett (of Discworld fame), "Sin is what happens when you treat people like things." Wise man. And if you do consider others first, if you do help anyone who needs it without expecting anything in return, if you aren't opposed to a bit of self-sacrifice now and then, guess what? You're following the teachings of Jesus Christ, whether you know it or not. And if you're the opposite, you're rejecting Christ's teachings, and by extension him too.

Now, obviously, everyone has at least a touch of evil in them. We can't all be the widow in Mark 12:42. Nobody would sell everything they own and give it to the poor, not even Pope Francis. Being human means being somewhat selfish; that's how the world's set up, and it's what Adam and Eve demonstrated by trying to become "like God" as the serpent tempted them to do. Selfishness is original sin, but it's not our fault. We're thus able to ask for forgiveness whenever we slip up and someone else suffers because of it, as long as we really mean it. And "someone else" also includes God and Jesus, the guy who said this and this:

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind... and love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.

Just think of how much better human civilization would be if everyone followed that one simple verb: Love. If you don't give a damn about others, what makes you worthy of being treated any differently, by man or God? The world sucks because powerful, greedy people make it suck on purpose. They love themselves more than others, and that makes them seek out positions of influence in society so they can leverage their power to improve their own lives, no matter the cost to anyone else. Is it any wonder that most of those in power have set everything up for their own benefit? Is it any wonder the world is one giant kleptocracy now, stealing our labor in exchange for worthless scraps of paper without which we can't eat or have a roof over our heads? It didn't have to be that way... and someday, it's going to be fixed, rather dramatically and all at once. You can choose to be a part of that for eternity, or to continue putting yourself first for a few years and spend eternity wishing you hadn't. And that about sums it up.

Be good to each other... for all our sakes.

Krazysh0t

So what is evil? If Jesus rides down and starts smiting people left and right, what marks someone as evil? Would they have to be killers? Usurers? Racists? Slavers? Drug users? People who use swear words? Sure all of these things are bad, some more so than others, but these people aren't one dimensional. Sure someone could have killed someone else, but what if it was in self-defense, what about the rest of the person's actions throughout their life? If this person killed someone but spends the rest of their life donating to charity or helping their community? What about a drug dealer who uses his profits to build community centers or things like that?

Every sinner who hasn't repented in the name of Jesus Christ up to the day they die will be destroyed and dragged to hell.

No matter what the sin is, theft, murder, rape; if the sinner repents before they die, their name will be written back into the Book of Life.

If the sinner donates to charity and doesn't love Jesus Christ, the charity work will not save their spirit from hell.

Everyone has the right to self-defense. So killing a cop that breaks into your house aiming a gun at your head, is in your favour. However, the neo-nazi's cops will blow you and your family away in seconds calling you a terrorist.

Its Jesus Christ or hell. Everyone has a choice.

Another issue I have is mental illness. Sociopaths (anti-social disorder) and psychopathy are now considered mental disorders, but these are two disorders that can cause people to do things that many consider evil. Same thing with schizophrenia. So are people with mental disorders that cannot help doing these things evil as well?

Multiple personalities (alters) is simply a scientific explanation to demonic possession. Demons are naturally evil because they hate live (mirror of evil) people.
Schizophrenics are possessed. However they can be saved if they speak the Lords prayer from the bottom of their heart. If the prayer is genuine the demons will be forcefully be removed in that instant.

reply to post by Rapha

Every sinner who hasn't repented in the name of Jesus Christ up to the day they die will be destroyed and dragged to hell.

And what are all the sins? Is this like one of those contracts where there's more strings and drawbacks and conditions than there are benefits?

reply to post by Rapha


That is wonderful news. Guess I should just go take out my hit list and get started then. Saying I am sorry after taking them out, easy peasy. Thanks a lot for the insight.....

Krazysh0t
reply to post by ScrufferMcGruffer

 

I either don't understand your answer or you have failed to actually define what evil is. Your post suggests that whatever isn't good is evil. Well what is good then? How does all this apply to say an ultimate battle between good and evil? How much evil does one have to perform to be considered irredeemable and evil?

I think you've failed to understand the question, and the answer.

Would you rather me just say that evil is the opposite of good? I think that's a pretty obvious answer and didn't want to sound cliched, so I delved further before I answered.

What ultimate battle are you referring to? What are you even asking anymore? I've failed to understand your questions.

How does all this apply to say an ultimate battle between good and evil?

How does it apply....? Do you even know what you're trying to ask?

How much evil does one have to perform to be considered irredeemable and evil?

Who says anyone is ever irredeemable? The concept of eternal punishment is illogical. Why would God (if he exists) create a place for people to suffer eternally with no chance of redemption, and also destine some people to go there before they are born? For his amusement? Then God must not be very Godly.

My point is, that I believe that whoever or whatever created humans, let's call it God, did not pick and choose who was damned and who was saved before they were born. Each person has a choice. I believe that people earn their rewards, and their punishments. I believe that people are punished only insofar as much as they deserve.

I believe that Hitler has infinity many chances to redeem himself. I believe that indeed he was punished in some form or fashion for his actions, whether it was his own internal anguish upon realization of the suffering he caused, or an actual place of damnation to dwell until his soul is reformed, I do not beleive that people remain in Hell forever. Nor in heaven. I believe that Heaven and Hell are a state of mind, and they are in constant flux, just as the balance of good and evil is in constant flux.

There is no simply answer to all of this. It is very complicated and you shouldn't have asked something so demanding if you're not prepared to get deep into it.

reply to post by Krazysh0t


Let me throw a term out there that I guarantee no one on this thread has brought up yet: The Qliphoth.

The Qliphoth, or the shadow tree of life, is the dark twin of the Kabbalistc Tree of Life which represents a spiritual path of attainment and a map of creation. The Tree itself is represented by the body of man. The sephiroths on the tree, are spiritual centers of energy, realizations, states of consciousness, sensations even...

One could say, the Qliphoth is the shadow cast by the Tree of Life. The Tunnels of Set (Set being an Egyptian equivalent to Satan), as they have been called, or the Shells of the Sephiroth. The hollow shells and shadows casts by the light of the sephiroths. It's what the absence of the essences of each Sephiroth represent.

Evil is something which has been cast off, but the spark of Life, from God, has fallen upon it, giving it "life". It is a form without force inside it, a hollow shell, an empty illusion. It is the cast off "skin" of the Sephiroth.

The vessels of the first creation broke, failing to pass on the flow of creative energy. They remain as the husks or obstructions of divine enablement but we can rise above them, as the divine chariot (merkabah) rides on the clouds in Ezekiel's vision. We are not bound to the terrain of inert and scattered shells which know not the Name.

If the ideal shape of the higher dimensional continuum of the universe is the shape of a tube torus, then the Abyss that the Qliphoth seem to come from is the empty middle of the torus. It is the zero point of the dimensional continuum. If the Qliphoth had to cross the center of this dimensional or temporal continuum to get here (it is likely that this crossing happened at the Fracturing in the times of Atlantis), then they came from the Abyss and their momentum was fundamentally backwards to ours. Instead of living off of the energy of Flow as we do, the Qliphoth lived off of the negative energy of Entropy, or when energy is dispersed, due to death, or other means of Entropy

reply to post by Rapha


So according to you and your definition of evil, Mother Teresa is currently burning in hell despite all the goodwill she performed during her lifetime?

ETA: I posted this in response to another poster, but I think you would do better to answer these questions:

If evil is the act of sinning, then please list all the sins then. Is drug use a sin? Drug dealing? Slavery? Racism? You may notice that all the things I just mentioned are acts considered wrong in modern society, but aren't specifically mentioned in the bible as sins. So if they aren't sins, is someone who does these things not evil?

Also not believing in God is considered a sin, yet the majority of the population of the world isn't Christian. Is an atheist who dedicates his whole life to helping his fellow man a sinner because he doesn't believe in God and therefore evil?