Evil

[Longhorn]

I just love how you atheists deny the concept of Natural Law then turn around and tacitly call on it by calling it programming. Stop trying to hide your moral nihilism.

There's that n word again....

[brewer]

It is subjective (as some have previously indicated) and a matter of perspective. Hitler and his elite thought they were stand up guys until the evil hoard came and made him commit suicide. Stalin, Pol Pot, Jim Jones, Chuck Manson, Jim and Tammy Fae, David Koresh, Tim McVeigh, they all had (and some still have) people that think they did nothing wrong. No evil in them any where.

You need to come to your own definition for evil. Ideas and actions that you can and can't accept. If you investigate each person enough I think you will discover that we all have a different perception/perspective.

[Minimalist]

Does Evil exist? What is Evil?

Evil is the guy you're pissed at.

Just remember, had Germany won WWII, there would be statues of Hitler all over and the fucking church would have made him a saint because he miraculously made the jews disappear.

[Aoi Magi]

'Evil', like 'good' is subjective. The rule of thumb is basically that we take what is beneficial to humans, society, our species in general and call that 'good' and we take what is harmful to us and we call it 'bad' or immoral.

Both you and Magi answer only to immediately retract it. First you say that good and evil are subjective and then you qualify it by asserting that some things (objectively I assume) are beneficial or harmful. When you identify a benefit or harm you make a value judgement. Why does collective survival trump self-preservation? All death and suffering is personal and cannot be added.

Chad, it would be great if you could stop "assuming" everything. No I didn't mean those objectively, those examples are from my perspective and is hence subjective.

Not quite. Only a specific portion of humanity(sadly, they belong to the same species), following a specific inconsistent belief system, is termed as sinners. Most other belief and non-belief systems don't have that concept.

Are you fucking stupid? I said "some people' do this.

1) Calling people stupid is pretty rude.
2) I was referring to the last part you wrote "yet human beings are the only ones who are "sinners".". In case you haven't heard, there are sects even within christianity who don't apply the concept of sin in some cases, like the death of newborn babies, because they don't want to imagine their "unsaved" babies being roasted in hell.

[ignoramus]

Of course it exists. Evil is merely a description of an act.

Oh look, if I put a "D" in front it becomes the devil! So God much also be real! checkmate...

[GenericAthiest]

Both you and Magi answer only to immediately retract it. First you say that good and evil are subjective and then you qualify it by asserting that some things (objectively I assume) are beneficial or harmful. When you identify a benefit or harm you make a value judgement. Why does collective survival trump self-preservation? All death and suffering is personal and cannot be added.

Chad, it would be great if you could stop "assuming" everything. No I didn't mean those objectively, those examples are from my perspective and is hence subjective.

Are you fucking stupid? I said "some people' do this.

1) Calling people stupid is pretty rude.
2) I was referring to the last part you wrote "yet human beings are the only ones who are "sinners".". In case you haven't heard, there are sects even within christianity who don't apply the concept of sin in some cases, like the death of newborn babies, because they don't want to imagine their "unsaved" babies being roasted in hell.

Sorry, I am not usually like this. I have been playing a game called, "league of legends" where the people are really toxic. I quit though.

[robvalue]

Evil is a subjective value judgement, nothing more.

[Wyrd of Gawd]

Does Evil exist? What is Evil?

The Bible says that a person is evil if he doesn't believe and obey.  You are good if you believe and obey.  So evil is disbelief and disobedience.

[Wyrd of Gawd]

There are some actions I consider evil. Mostly those that harm others while only helping one or a few people. Someone who kills people so he can use their skins for upholstery.

I don't believe there is some embodiment of evil that wants to spread evil across the world because it hates goodness.

Good and evil are subjective concepts that can be anchored in objective things. The simplest idea of this is that if you wouldn't like it done to you, you shouldn't do it to others. It's the cornerstone of empathy, which all social creatures need.

David killed 100 men so that he could get their foreskins and tens of thousands more.  He locked up five of his wives in the dungeon.  He had a man killed so that he could get his wife.  Some people think he was the best Jew ever.  Hardly anyone (I do) ever call him an evil scumsucker.

[robvalue]

Good - God

Evil - Devil

Come on people. You're not even trying anymore. Could it be more obvious that these are personifications?