What is 'evil'?

Arts & Sciences Religion & Spirituality
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How do you define evil?

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The absolute opposite of what is good. There are no objective standards as to what is good without God.

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What’s the objective standard of what is good with God?

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I’ve experienced it.

A cat chasing its tail in Schrödinger’s box.

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I’m not a bible scholar you’d have to ask Finley , but probably this

Matthew

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second : ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

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That’s unsatisfying. I asked you how you define evil; it doesn’t seem that you have a clear definition.

This scripture doesn’t cover all kinds of situations that may be more or less “good”. To my way of thinking, that will always be an issue and there is no objective standard.

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Well, some may define it based on a few norms of ethical roots. For example causing pain and trauma intentionally. I have no issues defining good and evil without God. Well, without people trying to use God as their excuse to do something. I opt for the biological sense of pain, and use humanistic norms of fair treatment to guide my light.

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For Christians the 10 Commandments define what is evil and the Sermon On the Mount what is good.

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Plenty of religious people are evil. The rules are just a guideline but people turn them into absolutes and still figure out ways to be evil while conforming to those rules. It’s how someone serving God will gleefully nail God to a cross.

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That’s a good start! There are a lot of variables. There are physical realities that play large roles. A normal arm is better than a broken arm, etc.

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And the counter side could say: if we break everyone’s arm, then broken arms are normal :joy: humans are great at justifying terrible shit. Easier just to define what one is into directly rather than scape goating on some bullshit (ie. Religion, government, gang, organization, comply etc).

Hitler was evil. Not because the quantity of death, but because the intention to do it. Mrt knife jockeys are evil because of intent to harm/murder. A shitty driver that runs down a family is bad, but not evil. Because they were not intending to cause harm/death. Assuming they weren’t intentionally trying to cause pain and death.

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Then we can agree that they are immoral, or even evil.

Some good examples that could lead to a definition of evil there.

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Yup. True .

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Who told you the rules are a guideline. The ten commandments are absolute. Not a guide line.

And of course there are religious people that commit evil "We are all sinners ".

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Ideas of good and evil change with cultural norms and values. The word of God is absolutely. But of course if you’re an agnostic as you are that doesn’t apply. Everyone is on their own spiritual journey but I’m Christian so believe in that.

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It’s absolutely possible to follow the ten commandments and be evil.

Also the ten commandment wasn’t written to all of mankind, it was written to the Israelites (key word being the first one “I am your God, who brought you out of Egypt”).

Meaning those who don’t worship God, the ten commandment wasn’t written to them.

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I can understand how someone could obey the ten commandments and not be good but I don’t understand how they could be evil. Can you give an example?

A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.”
Luke 18:20

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I’m an atheist–I don’t believe in “gods”. But I don’t believe the word of God gives you an objective standard of good, just some rough guidelines. We’re all in the same boat ultimately

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Mental abuse, physical abuse, etc.

Discrimination, poor treatment (I’m not sure if this could be covered under stealing), etc.

The Ten Commandment does not cover any of those.

The Pharisees were masters at following rules yet being evil.

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20

Then it’s not very Christian of you to suggest people who don’t believe in what you do are prideful, ergo sinful, and will be punished or killed because of it.

I believe that to be faulty logic, corrupted by emotion most likely.

You say this thread is about possession, but it seems to be about you puffing out your chest about your mystical insights into your own belief system, which to me is just another arbitrary projection.

I get it. I really do. I believe in capitalism and I believe capitalism can save us all, IN THIS LIFE!