Do you believe in good and evil? Or good vs evil?

If yes, what defines good and what defines evil?

I believe in good and evil but do not believe that any of the two is superior. I decided to do good and denounce and fight evil because it empowers me and I feel better about myself in doing so.

I just had an interesting exchange with a right-wing Christian and explained him that those whom he supports are indeed evil. He choked, as he is, indeed, the Christian one, while I am not. He goes to church, so he obviously knows good and evil, he choked at my "expertise", how dare I call good Christians like Beck and Palin evil, while I am the one, of all horror, defends the Muslims.

Whether or not I believe in Jesus, his message was of love, inclusion, understanding, compassion, love. Obviously all good stuff.

What's your take?

in fact, much of the evil in the world is BECAUSE of religion

:hide:

Do unto others what you would want other to do unto you.

I think you really nailed this one. Good post.

:)

But I think good and evil is pretty much almost black and white.

Killing - evil
Doing good, compassion, etc - good

And just because I was raised Christian doesn't mean those that AREN'T Christian are evil either.

For many people what they profess to believe matters more than what they actually do. I use to have a roommate that would start arguments because she went to church every Sunday and I didn't. I knew more about her faith than she did and knew she did quite a bit more "sinning" than me but apparently her faith mattered more than my actions.

:dilemma:

We tend to call anyone or anything evil if they disagree with us. And those we designate as evil, call us evil. So, in effect, evil has become a relative term, not something that designates an act, a crime, or a person as irrevocably opposed to all that it good and light in the world.

And good, also, is relative to that same proportion as evil.

So I don't think evil or good exists in a form separate from human thought and human action. I think someone like Hitler was wrong at a fundamental level, but evil, no. I think mother Theressa was right, because her works with the poor and the down trodden made life brighter and better for many, but she is not Good as in the opposite of evil.

So I would say they do not exist except as culturally defined concepts that vary across cultural and social borders.

It is up to each one of us to decide which one is more dominate.

I also agree organized religion does not hold the patent on good or evil.
The christians in name only are just afraid if they did not have their "religion"
they would be devil spawn. They are just afraid to look inside of themselves
and find their true self.

Like the day I was given way too much change. I could have walked away with the extra cash. Nobody would have known. She would have been accused of theft, probably. But that's not what made me tell her. It was just the good thing to do. Just made me feel good to tell her.

But for a split second it did cross my mind to walk away with the easy cash...

Biden vs Cheney. I rest my case.

Or at least that's my definition.

when I was about 11, I decided I no longer believed what they were telling me, and that, just as evil could be wrapped in "religious" belief and practice, good could be found through finding one's own way.

I have never been very shy about stating my beliefs, and have endured a lifetime of abuse from the "good" people ever since.

I believe the concepts of good and evil come solely from the human brain, as do good and evil acts. We make and perceive our own problems, and invent god and religion to understand or cope with them.


mark

People are bad or good depending on their genetics/experience. There is no free choice to choose to be a good person or bad person, it's determined by the aforementioned.