Evil May Never Be Vanquished

[CynthiaCypher]

One of the things I see many people talk about not only on here but just about everywhere I look is how we can solve the various evils that plague us...both those who believe in the revelations of religion to the verisimilitudes of science believe that all the evils that plague us can somehow be cured by their methods.

We are told if we believe in this or that or work toward this or that, we may someday find the cure to this plague. We hold on to the hope that somehow evil can or will end.

But what if what we call evil is part and parcel to our universe? What if that which we call evil is a necessary component of this universe? What if there is no end to evil and we are in a futile effort to escape it? What if evil is not a problem we should try to try to find a solution to but something we should learn to accept as a mystery of being?

 

[Sunstone]

...a mystery of being?

Sophomoric drivel.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

"Good" and "evil" are just concepts that humans made up in the first place.

 

[Sunstone]

"Good" and "evil" are just concepts that humans made up in the first place.

What? They're not "mysteries of being"????

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

What? They're not "mysteries of being"????

Oops, sorry. I forgot that evil is a supernatural force of titanic proportions out to get us all!

 

[Sir Doom]

Just because it is made up doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Quite the contrary, in fact.

Not that I'm keen on the idea of evil as any kind of 'force' or something. But I'd be a liar if I said I can't name someone I think is evil. And though this is a subjective and more or less arbitrary judgment on my part, the term isn't rendered meaningless by the apparent absence of demons or the like.

More on the topic, however...

I think what you might call evil is an unfortunate side effect of a curious and opportunistic species. I don't think we'll ever be rid of it. I think there will always be those that are willing to exploit those weaker than themselves (Which I think is the essence of 'evil'). Its not right (of course), but I don't think its going anywhere, unfortunately.

 

[Breathe]

To know the pleasure of scratching an itch, an itch must be there.
If there was no itch, there would be no scratch. If there was a scratch and no itch, the scratch would have no pleasure.

 

[Sunstone]

Just because it is made up doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Quite the contrary, in fact.

Not that I'm keen on the idea of evil as any kind of 'force' or something. But I'd be a liar if I said I can't name someone I think is evil. And though this is a subjective and more or less arbitrary judgment on my part, the term isn't rendered meaningless by the apparent absence of demons or the like.

I pretty much agree with you here.

 

[Pegg]

One of the things I see many people talk about not only on here but just about everywhere I look is how we can solve the various evils that plague us...both those who believe in the revelations of religion to the verisimilitudes of science believe that all the evils that plague us can somehow be cured by their methods.

We are told if we believe in this or that or work toward this or that, we may someday find the cure to this plague. We hold on to the hope that somehow evil can or will end.

But what if what we call evil is part and parcel to our universe? What if that which we call evil is a necessary component of this universe? What if there is no end to evil and we are in a futile effort to escape it? What if evil is not a problem we should try to try to find a solution to but something we should learn to accept as a mystery of being?

my feeling is that if evil were a normal part of the universe, then we wouldn't question it or try to solve it just as animals dont. They live by laws which dictate their life course, and when disaster strikes them, they dont appear to look for ways to solve it.

But the fact that 'we' do try to solve it, and we do consider it to be a 'wrong' of some kind, then it must not be a normal part for 'mankind'

 

[CynthiaCypher]

my feeling is that if evil were a normal part of the universe, then we wouldn't question it or try to solve it just as animals dont. They live by laws which dictate their life course, and when disaster strikes them, they dont appear to look for ways to solve it.

But the fact that 'we' do try to solve it, and we do consider it to be a 'wrong' of some kind, then it must not be a normal part for 'mankind'

Pegg, maybe the way mankind is, is not a normal part of this universe. Maybe mankind sees evil were there is none.

"To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted." - Titus 1:15

 

[CynthiaCypher]

I think what you might call evil is an unfortunate side effect of a curious and opportunistic species. I don't think we'll ever be rid of it. I think there will always be those that are willing to exploit those weaker than themselves (Which I think is the essence of 'evil'). Its not right (of course), but I don't think its going anywhere, unfortunately.

Sure what you are describing is evil, but I am also talking about natural evils too, such as disease, predation and natural calamities. Those things are never going away either.

 

[Pegg]

Pegg, maybe the way mankind is, is not a normal part of this universe. Maybe mankind sees evil were there is none.

"To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted." - Titus 1:15

but would this verse to apply in the case that someone murders their baby because it wasnt born the prefered gender? Or a husband beats up his wife because she spoiled the dinner?
Or a bunch of nasty kids bully another child to the point of suicide? Obviously not.


As for disease, our bodies are able to rid itself of disease. Our immune system is simply amazing and if it were working to 100% capacity in a perfect environment, I dont believe we would ever be affected by disease.
Earthquakes and things can be controlled by God....but he doesnt control them now because mankind chose independence and so thats what we've got. But in a world governed by him, these things wont exist.

The bible gives us a glimpse of what the future will be like when the world is governed by our loving Creator:

Isaiah 65:25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together,
The lion will eat straw just like the bull,
And the serpent’s food will be dust.
They will do no harm nor cause any ruin in all my holy mountain,” says Jehovah


Isaiah 60:18 No more will violence be heard in your land Or destruction and ruin within your boundaries. And you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.

Isaiah 33:24 And no resident will say: “I am sick.”

 

[LuisDantas]

Sure what you are describing is evil, but I am also talking about natural evils too, such as disease, predation and natural calamities. Those things are never going away either.

That is not evil. That is just mortality.

 

[Koldo]

To know the pleasure of scratching an itch, an itch must be there.
If there was no itch, there would be no scratch. If there was a scratch and no itch, the scratch would have no pleasure.

Actually, that is just how we are hardwired.
That could be changed in the future.

 

[Koldo]

But what if what we call evil is part and parcel to our universe? What if that which we call evil is a necessary component of this universe? What if there is no end to evil and we are in a futile effort to escape it? What if evil is not a problem we should try to try to find a solution to but something we should learn to accept as a mystery of being?

What is there to lead someone to any of these conclusions?

 

[1137]

One of the things I see many people talk about not only on here but just about everywhere I look is how we can solve the various evils that plague us...both those who believe in the revelations of religion to the verisimilitudes of science believe that all the evils that plague us can somehow be cured by their methods.

We are told if we believe in this or that or work toward this or that, we may someday find the cure to this plague. We hold on to the hope that somehow evil can or will end.

But what if what we call evil is part and parcel to our universe? What if that which we call evil is a necessary component of this universe? What if there is no end to evil and we are in a futile effort to escape it? What if evil is not a problem we should try to try to find a solution to but something we should learn to accept as a mystery of being?

Or good and evil are nonsensical concepts that have no place outside high school lunch tables.

 

[1137]

my feeling is that if evil were a normal part of the universe, then we wouldn't question it or try to solve it just as animals dont. They live by laws which dictate their life course, and when disaster strikes them, they dont appear to look for ways to solve it.

But the fact that 'we' do try to solve it, and we do consider it to be a 'wrong' of some kind, then it must not be a normal part for 'mankind'

But mankind has evolved to reason and think critically. These other animals do not. Maybe that is how we could question events and create concepts to explain them?

 

[LuisDantas]

Or good and evil are nonsensical concepts that have no place outside high school lunch tables.

That I never quite understood. Surely good and evil are defined well enough by the effects of things over the sustainability of situations.

So what does sustain the statements that they are fully arbitrary concepts? I just don't know.

Is there some sort of premise that choosing a group or environment as worth preserving is arbitrary? As if it could be reduced to choosing one group over another?

I don't agree that such a premise is necessary or realistic, but I don't see how else one could claim that good and evil are not useful concepts.

 

[Pegg]

But mankind has evolved to reason and think critically. These other animals do not. Maybe that is how we could question events and create concepts to explain them?

they've been here a lot longer then us... if they havnt figured it out yet, perhaps its because they are not meant to try and figurer it out.

The universe has spoken.

 

[Koldo]

Or good and evil are nonsensical concepts that have no place outside high school lunch tables.

I bet it felt great to trivialize centuries upon centuries of work from multiple remarkably intelligent sources.