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| Evil; Does it exist? | |
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| Topic Started: Jan 5 2006, 12:10 PM (1,119 Views) | |
| Post #21 Jan 31 2007, 09:26 AM |
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I agree with Gentry that G-d is not absent in any situation, evil included and in that evil serves good. Yes, I believe evil exists, but I believe G-d created evil for the greater good of allowing us to choose good rather than just bestow it upon us. Blessing and curse, life and death...the choice is ours with effects to the generations to come. |
Civil Servant
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| Post #22 Jan 31 2007, 11:32 AM |
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CT, I don't want to go so far as to say that God created evil. That goes against who He is. I think a better way to talk about it is to say that when God created something that was "not-god", something outside of Himself, that by definition, not merely the _potential_ for evil, but evil itself also came into the world, as a by-product of that creation. This of course is merely a postulation, and cannot be backed up with any kind of scriptural evidence.. so i do not hold the idea dogmatically. |
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| Post #23 Jan 31 2007, 01:48 PM |
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Two thoughts, not quite connnected... I think creating us with free will meant creating a world with good and evil. A mom slaps childs hand to stop him from putting it in fire. The child only understands "evil" hitting, not "good" protection. Perhaps we are too spiritually immature to see the "goodness" of evil? |
Civil Servant
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| Post #24 Jan 31 2007, 02:18 PM |
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Good thoughts. I would want to say that creation itself necessitated free will, because of the appearance of evil. Ultimately I'm saying the same thing, just putting the cart and the horse in the correct order. Creation -> appearance of evil -> necessity of free will (or at least the ability to choose) We could discuss free will, but we should probably start a new thread for that. :-) I like the analogy you use above. However, often the criticism is why would a good God even create the stove in the first place if we are going to try to burn ourselves on it - but again ignoring the goodness of the stove (cooking food) for the potential danger in it. Very good analogy. But i would want to stop short of saying that there is inherent goodness in evil itself. I don't think you are implying that, but just to be clear. Evil can be _used_ for good, and the results can be shaped for good. But evil itself cannot be called good. (this is where the above analogy fails slightly, because the evil involved is only a perceived evil - in the eyes of the child it is evil, but the protection and discipline of the child is actually good.) wow - over analyzing... this happens often.. especially when I'm procrastinating... |
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| Post #25 Jan 31 2007, 04:18 PM |
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| ahh, procrastination... evil or not? jk ;) |
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| Post #26 Jan 31 2007, 05:51 PM |
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definitely EVIL!!! what can I say... I'm a sinner. :P |
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| Post #27 Jun 17 2007, 06:07 PM | theboyzmom |
| I had to answer yes to this poll. What is evil - I think that those who said that it is an absence of good are correct - but I also agree that it is a choice. What is evil today was not evil many years ago. But there is evil in the world - look at the news everday. There is a differance between evil acts and evil people or pure evil, however. I think a psycopath (which is now merged with sociopath in most scientific circles) is an example of pure evil. They know what is expected of them, they know what society wants of them, what the rules are but they do not care. They do not feel that the rules apply to them. I know a confirmed psychopath that is currently locked up for "treatment" for his sexual molestation of children. Now this kid is only 15 but he knows that what he did was wrong - because he is being punished for it. But he does not care. In the almost two years that he has been in "treatment" he has tried to sexually touch a young lady from another unit, has attempted to rape a staff member - and has admitted that those acts, if commited against him or his family would be grounds for him to hurt that person. But even with that knowlege - he recently fashioned weapons to make sure that he could get the "sex" he wanted by rape of another staff member. Some may say that just the actions are evil, I firmly believe that HE is evil. Anyone that can see another person as a "tool" to aquire what they want without care of the other person's feelings or rights is evil. This is much different than, for example, the person that goes to a party, gets drunk and has relations with someone that later says they did not want to have. In that case, the action is evil but the person may not be. Just my 2 cents worth. |
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| Post #28 Jun 20 2007, 10:30 PM | Rongo |
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I had to put my two cents in here as well. I voted yes, that evil exists. But I am far from understanding how, why or what form it takes. I just know, somewhere deep down that it exists. I've not come up against it often, but when I have, it's been clear to me. To address the pure evil of boys and burning ants--weighed against the pure evil of 11 year old girls, the boys would be flung off the scale by the weight of the girls. :blink: |
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| Post #29 Jun 27 2007, 11:08 AM |
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Of course evil exists - terriorists, rapists, murderers, etc. I had the problem of getting this across to my soon-to-be sister-in-law. I finally pointed out the Amish school shooting - that was pure evil. She finally got it. |
Civil Servant
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4:02 PM May 20