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Is there such a thing as evil?

I say otherwise.

But then given the signature that is attached to every one of my posts that isn't suprising is it?
 
Hang on a minute? You say there is but ask those that say there isn't to explain. Where's your stance matey? I don't think the burden of proof principle just vanished simply because you were up late watching the Excorcist.
 
DickK said:
Hang on a minute? You say there is but ask those that say there isn't to explain. Where's your stance matey? I don't think the burden of proof principle just vanished simply because you were up late watching the Excorcist.
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My position is that the existence of evil is obvious, and I ask others who disagree to explain.

If you disagree you may explain here, or start your own thread which says all is peachy. I will retort in such a thread.

I don't think I need to prove that all is not peachy.

Are there not earthquakes that kill thousands? Are there not deformed babies?

And there are evil people.

Are there not people who blow themselves up in crowded restaurants?

If that is not evil what is? Or do you see that as an affirmative way of countering Zionist imperialism?

What is your opinion of the World Trade Center massacre? I will not call it anything other than a massacre, you may call it an incident.

What of the massacres in Africa right now?

What of the massacres during the American Civil War?

The existence of evil is obvious, the folks who say it doesn't exist are the ones making the outrageous claim that needs proving. Yet they keep on making it.
 
Supply a definition of "evil".

Earthquakes are calamities that can kill thousands, or, in remote areas, no one at all. An earthquake is an event, it's perception as evil is dependent on whom it affects.

I'd think that "evil" involves a degree of intent. As such, it would be the province of intelligent beings. But again, a definition. Is "evil" a noun? Are we talking about a seperate entitiy, a thing, if you will?
Or, are we talking about a value judgement, using the word as an adjective?
 
Bikewer said:
Supply a definition of "evil".

Earthquakes are calamities that can kill thousands, or, in remote areas, no one at all. An earthquake is an event, it's perception as evil is dependent on whom it affects.

I'd think that "evil" involves a degree of intent. As such, it would be the province of intelligent beings. But again, a definition. Is "evil" a noun? Are we talking about a seperate entitiy, a thing, if you will?
Or, are we talking about a value judgement, using the word as an adjective?
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Whatever destroys people is evil. No God necessary to define it.

Nothing wrong with making a value judgement.

Judge and prepare to be judged!
 
In my opinion only humans and some highly evolved animals are capable of being evil. It involves a conscious decision to do evil things. Nature is not evil. Nor are the animals that kill other animals for food.

As for the terrorists, I don't think most terorrists are evil. They do what they believe their god/leader/nation expects them to do.
 
Powa said:

As for the terrorists, I don't think most terorrists are evil. They do what they believe their god/leader/nation expects them to do.
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And that's not evil? Of course it is!

Depending on what their god/leader/nation expects of them of course.

Following orders is no excuse.
 
Abdul Alhazred said:
And that's not evil? Of course it is!

Depending on what their god/leader/nation expects of them of course.
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What I mean is that the ones that execute the terrorist acts are not necessarilly evil by themselves. Sure, they do evil things, but it's because they believe it's the right thing to do. So in their own eyes they're martyrs who sacrificed themselves for the good of their cause (whatever it is). Sure, some of them do it out of hatred but judging from footage some of them make just before they blow themselves up, they don't all appear to be evil. I'm not defending their acts but I just think that we can't attribute terrorism to malice alone.
Following orders is no excuse.
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I agree, but sometimes you're just brainwashed to the point of not distinguishing between good and bad anymore. So in a way even the terrorist themselves are victims (to their religion or whatever).

Don't take all this as my support for terrorism. It's a cowardly and despicable way of dealing with problems and it doesn't solve anything anyway. Look at the Middle East for example.
 
IMO, "evil" is just an emotionally charged term for bad... or, the opposite of good. There doesn't seem to be any other need for the term outside of religious connotations.
 
I'd call certain acts of cruelty...where the person -knows- they are wrong to do it, but does it only for their own pleasure..."evil".

Other than the above, political actions, imo, are usually relative--not really "evil", but good/bad based on whether it's done by your side or the one you oppose.

Like others have said, I don't believe in any general "force of evil", any concept of "evil" apart from how we each judge particular actions in a particular situation.
 
I see the concept of evil as the basis for many a religion. Religion is attracted to absolutes, and calling something or someone that's "bad" and does "wrong things" evil sure fits the bill. They cannot be changed, they are tainted with sin through and through.

Nazi Germany was run by some bad people. They did bad things. Same with Saddam, and any other lousy cretin you'd care to name.
 
Abdul Alhazred said:
Whatever destroys people is evil. No God necessary to define it.
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You're using a certain definition of evil. There are a number of others.

One is that popularized by Nietzsche, which distinguishes between "evil" and "bad." "Bad" is roughly what you mean by "evil." "Evil," on the other hand, is whatever conflicts with a set of precepts, usually religious. I think that the reason he made this analysis was because a lot of things that have traditionally been defined as "good" in a religious context are "bad" in other contexts. Hanging people convicted of witchcraft, for example.

Another is the more popular view, which you also see a little bit of in Nietzsche, which reserves "evil" for actions perpetrated by a knowing, conscious entity.

Another is that evil is a sort of personification, an idea that came from Zoroaster but which has seeped into many religions, especially Christianity.

Another is that a judgement that this or that is evil is simply an emotional reaction, dependent mostly upon the individual and the culture to which he and/or she belongs.

Without deciding upon a definition, and without also having a clear definition of "exists" (in people's perceptions? as observable data?) it's pretty hard to answer a poll question as to whether it exists.

So I'll answer thus: Evil clearly exists. It also clearly does not exist. In addition, it also exists in the same sense that Gandalf exists, and it does not exist in the same sense that Gandalf does not exist. Even more, it exists and does not exist in the same sense that data structures exist and do not exist.
 
I'm not defending their acts but I just think that we can't attribute terrorism to malice alone.
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Agreed. Failing to 'act' can also cause pain/suffering to innocents. The issue is not "is someone hurt", but "why did you choose that particular action/non-action".
 
ChrisH said:
"To evil"? No such verb ...
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Apparently you never lived Alabama, I tell you some of them folks have been eviled up so badly I hardly recognize them as human anymore...
 
Abdul Alhazred said:
Well is there? I say yes. If you say otherwise, please explain.
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Sure why not.

Evil is a noun. Its not a person, not a place, not a thing, but an idea.

Its a idea which refers to the quality of being morally bad or wrong, or things which cause harm or destruction.
 
The way I think of it, evil does pretty much require consciousness. A natural disaster, on the other hand, is or creates tragedy of a different sort. Not necessarily a lesser tragedy, but not really evil.
 
Abdul Alhazred said:


Whatever destroys people is evil. No God necessary to define it.

Nothing wrong with making a value judgement.

Judge and prepare to be judged!
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People are destroyed everyday.

Therefore, by your definition, evil exists.
 
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