Good and Evil?

[InvestigateTruth]

What is good and what is evil? Do these two 'forces' exist at all, or are they simply concepts dependent upon the subjective experiences of man? What is good for one may not be good for another, and the opposite is true for evil. How then do we identify and express the specific and distinguishing qualities between the two?

"The epitome of this discourse is that it is possible that one thing in relation to another may be evil, and at the same time within the limits of its proper being it may not be evil. Then it is proved that there is no evil in existence; all that God created He created good. This evil is nothingness; so death is the absence of life. When man no longer receives life, he dies. Darkness is the absence of light: when there is no light, there is darkness. Light is an existing thing, but darkness is nonexistent. Wealth is an existing thing, but poverty is nonexisting.
Then it is evident that all evils return to nonexistence. Good exists; evil is nonexistent. " Abdulbaha - Some Answered Questions

Bahá'í Reference Library - Some Answered Questions, Pages 263-264

 

[ellenjanuary]

There will be a nation, a people who will be God connected and empowered who will invent things and set everything up differently. They will be an example. This will not happen easily. This could rise out of the ashes of our present world or as the scriptures say there will be a new heaven and a new earth. Even the animals will not be predatory.
All that has to happen is for man to establish a new consciousness using the nature of Jesus as an example.

Give 12/18 a try; for connectivity... I coulda written this post... satan, however; artifact of closed environment, seed held within. Dirt from the ground, in Genesis; to Job 7? Something all of us have, deep, within... like a mirror of the personality. But I had to burn the self, multiple times, to find in there. I call him Lucifer; wear it, sometimes... it ain't evil, it's... adversary. We are plenty capable, with the evil; ain't no pawning off excuse... but Jesus... personally, once I came close to accepting Historical Jesus; but I didn't see him there... and locally; that satan aspect seems viral... they are some of the nastiest; horribly minded people... sorry, maybe it's local... but Christianity is no longer tolerated in the local universe...

...eew.

But this was supposed to be a boring job. A low key affair... sorry, again. Too much news. I hate the news.

 

[Penumbra]

What is good and what is evil?

If I use the words good and evil, I typically mean benevolence and malevolence.

Do these two 'forces' exist at all, or are they simply concepts dependent upon the subjective experiences of man? What is good for one may not be good for another, and the opposite is true for evil. How then do we identify and express the specific and distinguishing qualities between the two?

Yes, they exist. They are indeed dependent on experience. Without life there isn't any morality.

Good, or benevolence, is desiring to do kind things for others, while malevolence is desiring to harm others.

 

[Orias]

If I use the words good and evil, I typically mean benevolence and malevolence.

Yes, they exist. They are indeed dependent on experience. Without life there isn't any morality.

Good, or benevolence, is desiring to do kind things for others, while malevolence is desiring to harm others.

Motive should also be noticed.

If you are ignorant to a man's being, and this man attempts to steal or gain in an "unfair" way, the victems of this happening may consider this man "evil" in the sense that he is doing what is not conducive to them or what they don't like. In the eyes of the man...well he's just trying to survive.

An "evil" person would be one who is in Opposition to another, but then that would make us all evil, and selfish turds

 

[Koldo]

Motive should also be noticed.

If you are ignorant to a man's being, and this man attempts to steal or gain in an "unfair" way, the victems of this happening may consider this man "evil" in the sense that he is doing what is not conducive to them or what they don't like. In the eyes of the man...well he's just trying to survive.

An "evil" person would be one who is in Opposition to another, but then that would make us all evil, and selfish turds

He may have multiple motivations. One does not overlap the other. The robber may intend to grant his survival , and to bring financial "harm" to someone else.
It is not possible to steal anything without the latter.

To intend to take something from someone unlawfully equals to wanting to bring financial "harm" to someone.

 

[Orias]

He may have multiple motivations. One does not overlap the other. The robber may intend to grant his survival , and to bring financial "harm" to someone else.
It is not possible to steal anything without the latter.

To intend to take something from someone unlawfully equals to wanting to bring financial "harm" to someone.

Not necessarily.

Doing harm to the Opposition may have completely escaped this man's mind, the point being he only takes himself into consideration (give or take the strength of this man's mind).

It is more or less an unthoughtout consequence.

It's somewhere along the lines of, kill one to save a thousand. Though the perspectives are different, the scenario still applies, "evil" is only projected through impertinence and dislike, not malice intent, though it may seem malicious but a lack of understanding point of view.

But sure, there are those types of people that do try and provoke harm, but it may not always be the case.

 

[Koldo]

Not necessarily.

Doing harm to the Opposition may have completely escaped this man's mind, the point being he only takes himself into consideration (give or take the strength of this man's mind).

It is more or less an unthoughtout consequence.

It's somewhere along the lines of, kill one to save a thousand. Though the perspectives are different, the scenario still applies, "evil" is only projected through impertinence and dislike, not malice intent, though it may seem malicious but a lack of understanding point of view.

But sure, there are those types of people that do try and provoke harm, but it may not always be the case.

I find 'good and evil' discussion to be quite odd. Because people tend to define both in different ways.

Personally, i think the human mind is hard-wired to the point where it is a necessity to want to do harm to produce evil.

 

[Kami Servant]

In my opinion, good and evil are both aspects of divine spirit. However, evil occurs when the creative impetus is expressed wrongly, and good comes when it is expressed well. However, the fact that Shinto does not offer any doctrine telling you which is good or evil means you must discover morality for yourself, which is a beautiful element of Shinto.

 

[Orias]

I find 'good and evil' discussion to be quite odd. Because people tend to define both in different ways.

Personally, i think the human mind is hard-wired to the point where it is a necessity to want to do harm to produce evil.

There are people like that, however what most people consider "evil" is truly just a misunderstanding in perspective.

Only people who crave attention or act out against society (i.e. the crazy people) would only ever consider themselves truly "evil".

Personally I view man as Opposition, now whether or not others chose to trasnlate that into "evil" is up to them. The highest law of life is self preservation, by means no one truly lives for anyone else but themselves.