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Ok kids, here's something we can toss around and argue about. What I'm really asking is if you believe that evil is something in and of itself or if it's how we would define destructive human behavior. This has religious implications because religion is often as seen as a struggle between good and evil. Of course the concept of satan represents evil so I'm wondering how people actually view that in a practical way. There are many examples of behavior that I think all of us would agree is evil such as the horrible killings at Virginia Tech recently or the murdering of innocent civilians by bombers in Iraq. I don't think we should try to explain away any behavior like this and let the person off the hook for it but in order to understand it we need to know the cause. Personally I don't believe that evil is something that exists on it's own but rather it's a manifestation of cruel and unacceptable behavior that could be caused by a variety of things. It sounds like the VT killer was mentally deranged and could be described as a sociopath. That of course is someone who has no feelings of compassion or caring for other human beings and no sense of guilt. So to believers and non believers alike I'm wondering how you view evil.
Dang, you can ask some of the hardest questions. sigh. But, it does make me think and dig for the answer.
This is what evil is to me.
Anything that distorts and tries to destroy my relationship with God. In other words, I consider satan evil because he is trying his level best to turn as many people as he can against God because he was thrown out of heaven and banished for rebelling against God.
I believe he has fallen angels which can be evil spirits working on earth trying to destroy people. By destroying I mean giving them tendencies to go against everything we consider moral and good and just. If we as christians follow Christ as best as humanly possible, we are constantally fighting a spiritual battle with satan. We are tempted at every turn to think and do things which will turn us to sin. If we give into that evil tendency that is subtly placed in our mind, we fall away from Gods grace and Christs sacrifice. Our own desires of the flesh if not kept in check by the Holy Spirit and constant seeking of forgiveness of our sins can over ride us and lead us into a state of evil. Which is to go against the teaching of Christ.
I believe evil is a very real existence straight from Satan and that he does have earthly powers.
Paul, writing to Ephesians, says: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Of course you have to believe the Bible to believe this Montana! I do.
There are forces in this world which are evil just are there are forces which are pure. I think the terrible acts of violence like the VT killings are the result of the evil forces of Satan consuming an individual. Evil does not start as some big grand event. It is a small series of building blocks that go unnoticed unless you pay attention. It can manifest in many forms; doubt, jealousy, greed, revenge, fear, power, lust, and anything that turns a person from God. These seeds are planted, grown, and nurtured unless we cast them out and turn to Christ. Another way evil manifests itself is in making man think that he can stand alone without God.
Many people will say that Satan's greatest trick was making people believe he didn't exist. I do not agree. Satan wants people to turn from God. The greatest trick Satan has is making people think he is Christ. Convincing people to follow a Christianity in which everything is ok and people can do anything because Jesus is all about love and acceptance and we have to tolerate everyone and everything. Christ was patience and love. He was not tolerance of all things. You love your children, yet you do not tolerate everything they do. So it is with Christ. He is our father and loves us but just as a parent lets go of a rebelious child, Christ will turn us over to our wickedness if we continue to rebel. Ultimately, this is Satan's goal, to have us rebel from Christ and be given to our wickedness.
Thanks for your thoughts. Of course I look at it from an atheist's point of view and I think it's possible that there's a few very rare individuals who are born without normal human feelings like empathy and emotional attachments to others. I mentioned on another post that my supervisor's stepsister was one of Ted Bundy's victims in Seattle. Now there's a man who came from a good family and was not abused or mistreated but turned into a monster. I've read that they even suspect he might have been responsible for a missing girl when he was a paperboy at age 15 although it was never proven. He put on a normal face to the world but inside he was consumed with hatred. I think it's much more common for people who've had a very difficult upbringing with abusive parents to bottle up this rage inside until it explodes. Prisons are filled with people like that. Also, I don't believe that there are effective treatments who those who commit rapes and abuse children. Personally I could never forgive anyone who would hurt a child. After murder, this is the worst and most evil act a human being can do in my opinion. In fact I would have no problem with the jury having the option of the death penalty in a child molestation case.
It sounds like religious and nonreligious people can agree on what is evil but may disagree somewhat about the fundamental cause.
I believe evil is a very real existence straight from Satan and that he does have earthly powers.
Paul, writing to Ephesians, says: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Of course you have to believe the Bible to believe this Montana! I do.
Examples of people that let evil take root and destroy them: Hitler, Ted Bundy, Charles Manson, Sadam Hussein, and even that recent case where that pizza parlor worker kidnapped those two boys.. .
Examples of people that let evil take root and destroy them: Hitler, Ted Bundy, Charles Manson, Sadam Hussein, and even that recent case where that pizza parlor worker kidnapped those two boys.. .
Examples of people that let evil take root and destroy them:
God......responsible for 2,270,000 deaths in the bible alone. (excluding the flood and sundry other city wipe-outs)
[quote=aiangel_writer;788996]Dang, you can ask some of the hardest questions. sigh. But, it does make me think and dig for the answer.
This is what evil is to me.
Anything that distorts and tries to destroy my relationship with God. In other words, I consider satan evil because he is trying his level best to turn as many people as he can against God because he was thrown out of heaven and banished for rebelling against God.
I believe he has fallen angels which can be evil spirits working on earth trying to destroy people. By destroying I mean giving them tendencies to go against everything we consider moral and good and just. If we as christians follow Christ as best as humanly possible, we are constantally fighting a spiritual battle with satan. We are tempted at every turn to think and do things which will turn us to sin. If we give into that evil tendency that is subtly placed in our mind, we fall away from Gods grace and Christs sacrifice. Our own desires of the flesh if not kept in check by the Holy Spirit and constant seeking of forgiveness of our sins can over ride us and lead us into a state of evil. Which is to go against the teaching of Christ.
I don't believe in God, does that make me "evil"? I consider myself moralistic, and I have respect for other people. I would also consider myself a caring person.
Evil is certainly a humans ability to do wrongs to other human beings. A few examples of that have already been mentioned, as any other atrocity that we witness around the world.
I do not think this can be linked in any way to "satan" otherwise he would just rise up from the flames and conduct mass killings with fireballs from his nostrils.
Some of the above comments are scary in themeselves, as they asert that anyone questioning the existence of God, or trying to rationalize religiousity must be influenced by the devil.
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What I'm really asking is if you believe that evil is something in and of itself or if it's how we would define destructive human behavior. This has religious implications because religion is often as seen as a struggle between good and evil. Of course the concept of satan represents evil so I'm wondering how people actually view that in a practical way. There are many examples of behavior that I think all of us would agree is evil such as the horrible killings at Virginia Tech recently or the murdering of innocent civilians by bombers in Iraq. I don't think we should try to explain away any behavior like this and let the person off the hook for it but in order to understand it we need to know the cause. Personally I don't believe that evil is something that exists on it's own but rather it's a manifestation of cruel and unacceptable behavior that could be caused by a variety of things. It sounds like the VT killer was mentally deranged and could be described as a sociopath. That of course is someone who has no feelings of compassion or caring for other human beings and no sense of guilt. So to believers and non believers alike I'm wondering how you view evil.
