The Darkness

[OpenMind5]

Hello everybody, I am back! LOL I have coem back with a very interesting question for everyone. It has to do with Evil. In many religions and even in stories or myths, there is a refrence to evil, but the evil is tied to a person or an image, No what i mean? What i am asking is if there really is a being known as Satan. Or Hades, or is evil a non material thing? How does evil work and where does it play? I know many people worship the "devil" or "evil". BUt which does exsist. Ok, so late me reiterate my question to you all. WHat is evil? (i am not asking about evil actions, but in essence, what is it?) Good luck.

OP5

[Freethinker]

In looking up the defintion of evil, there was a picture of G.W. Bush associated with it. 'nuf said?

[Freethinker]

As to the possibility of some entity which is the embodyment of evil, if one reads the bible and learns of all the atrrocities committed by and in the name of it's claimed source of revelation, it would seem it's GOD is the embodyment of evil itself. It's god performs far more "evil" attrocities and actions than all other entities mentioned in it. In fact the bible states that it's god IS and created evil.

But we can easily reject the biblical concept of a supernatural entity for either or both good or evil. That rules out not only the biblical god, but it's yang, Satan, the Devil, also.

[Tormod]

Hi OP5. Hope you hang around!

EDIT: Forgot to add...we've missed you!

[TeleMad]

Does anything other than humans display evilness? (I would say that predators don't display evilness since they must kill to survive).

[Freethinker]

I would suggest that "evil" requires "intent".

[TeleMad]

That was the point I was timidly trying to make (I feel a bit like a fish out of water when not dealing with hard facts). Feel a bit better that someone else seems to agree.

Now, does that mean that evil is restricted to humans? If so, then it's not a universal of nature but rather an aspect of humankind.

Furthermore, is evil in the eye of the beholder? After all, I would guess that the Nazi's of his day didn't consider Hitler to be evil, while others, even today, lump Darwin in with Hitler to try to show how evil Darwin is/was.

[Uncle Martin]

Originally posted by: TeleMad
Now, does that mean that evil is restricted to humans? If so, then it's not a universal of nature but rather an aspect of humankind.

I've watched cats torture mice and birds for no apparent reason other than their own amusement. I can't know of a cats intent, or if it is smart enough to know it is inflicting pain on its victim, but this seems an evil act. I recall reading about chimpanzees killing without reason. I don't think evil is restricted to humans, we are likely the only species to recognize what it is though.

So I guess it does come to intent. Does ignorance of the consequences of ones actions negate an evil intent? Works in a court of law.(not guilty by reason of insanity)

[Tormod]

Originally posted by: Uncle Martin
I've watched cats torture mice and birds for no apparent reason other than their own amusement.

Yes. *You* (the human) assume that the cat's behaviour is evil.

So I guess it does come to intent. Does ignorance of the consequences of ones actions negate an evil intent? Works in a court of law.(not guilty by reason of insanity)

I think it is difficult, semantically, to draw a line between "intended evil" and "accidental evil". But all these examples are behavioural.

What about OP5's question "what is evil in essence"? I assumed he was asking about if there is such a thing as an "evil force", assumingly in opposition to the "universal good".

OP5's example of the Christian devil is interesting, since it in many ways is a symbol of all things evil (and the ultimate evil, perhaps). Historically I believe this has been much of the basis for the discussion of free will - if there is such a thing as a Master Evil being, tempting us away from the Right Way, and if there is a Good Bein, showing us how to avoid these tempations, then...well...you have the foundation for a religion.

I think neither good nor evil is inherent in the universe. Nor do I think it is limited to human beings. If it implies intent, I would say Unc's cats could be found to have evil streaks. If we found ET, he would also be prone to streaks of evil. I think evil might be a socialogical necessity, or at least a result of intelligence (okay, not ready to go into that discussion yet).

But I don't think this evil comes out of a universal force.

By the way, there is a big difference between the devil and Hades - the Christian devil was a fallen angel, ruler of Hell, where bad people go. Hades was a God (brother of Zeus and Poseidon) - the ruler of the underworld in Greek mythology - and *everyone* who died went there. So the spirits of the dead would end up there no matter how good the person had been.

[OpenMind5]

Hey guys, wanna reply to a pervious comment by Freethinker. You said that god himself created evil. I must disagree. God created all things, and according to the bible, it was thoses things he created that became evil, therefore we as humnas, and the angels, or whatever you believe, created evil. Or is that so??? LOL Evil can take many embodyments, but i think in the end, evil is what you make it. Kinda like when a person kills someone and says, I'm insane, and its all better, becuase they don't understand evil...its all what u make it.


OP5