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What Is Good And What Is Evil? - Page 5

Name: Jane

Comments: Very interesting comments. This is by far the most thought provoking online discussion site I've looked at. Contributors are not the usual eejits you get elsewhere.

The information about Egyptian society was interesting, but only dealt with one subject; fertility and therefore connections with adultery. Interesting, but what about murder, theft and all the other commandments? Can you give us any information on how the Egyptians viewed these subjects? Or another society? Maybe the Greeks, who (I think - correct me if I'm wrong) were coeval with them?

I suppose it's all down to when conscience was born. At what point was it possible for the human mind to have compunctions about behaviour, consider and care about how his actions would affect another human being's feelings. Things which come under the 'evil' banner, I suppose, are acts committed without regard for another's feelings.

Evil What Good What

I think that if you do something without regard to anothers well being and that act is harmful to them it is a evil act. I feel that every one has a right to do as they wish and say what they want as long as it does not interfere with anothers rights. You would be considered evil if you walked up to someone and took their car, money, purse, or any other item belonging to that person. On the other hand you would be considered more good if you went up to someone and offered them the use of your car to get their stuff home or you offered them some money to assist them in a hard time. Even a free meal. It is easy to see what is good or right and what is evil or wrong in many cases. I think those that do wrong or evil acts are not functioning correctly. If they know it is wrong and they still do it does that mean they are more evil?

What Is Good And What Is Evil? Health & Special Psychology

This discussion is not about what is good and evil but if we would know the difference if we took religion out of the mix.

Page 5 Evil What Good What

Name: Jane

Comments: Depends if we"re describing the person or the act. People say hate the sin, love the sinner. If someone commits an "evil" act (an infant, perhaps) without understanding the consequences to the other person, I can't describe the perpetrator as bad or evil. The occurrence is more of an accident, a tragedy. Deliberately committing a malignant act I would agree is a malfunction, being "not right in the head", whether a general state of mind or a momentary lapse - "in the heat of the moment". But then, if the person was "not right in the head" we ask where we can lay the blame, and we get into questions of responsibility. Saying society, or humanity, as a whole kind of lets every one off the hook. Saying the responsibility lies with the individual lets the rest of us reassure ourselves of our own righteousness. Society has to respond somehow for the common good, usually in the form of removing the offender from general society, to a prison or mental hospital, to protect others. Actual JUDGEMENT, beyond law making / breaking, is totally beyond us. [..] Let it be.

Message Edited... Persephone: Removed the religious reference.

Evil What Good What

Okay, that's all well and good but would we know that if there was no religion?

Edited: Danieltos on 16th Jul, 2009 - 4:01pm

What Is Good And What Is Evil?

Yes we would. Look at people who do not go to church or do not believe in a religion. They still know the difference between good and evil. Even back before there was any religion we knew that to take from another was wrong and would get us kicked out of the tribe at best. What is good or right and what is bad or evil is ingrained upon us from the time we are born. It is part of us and religion has nothing to do with it.

What Good What Evil - Page 5

When we were in "tribes" as you put it, we were little more than animals. When someone took something from another the other person didn't like it and since there was a chance that he might do it again they threw him out. It was a totally self serving act so that his own things weren't stolen again, not because it was "wrong\evil". I look at people who don't have religion and here's what I see. Self serving and uncompromising people. Atheists kill babies, practice adultery and premarital sex. They are gluttons and lustful, they are reverting into animals. Now I agree that the only thing that's different with religious people is that they are trying, not succeeding as much as I would like.

The only reason that we have laws is because they were majorly influenced by religion. If there was no religion we'd still have them, but only to stop people from taking things and making others mad, not because it's wrong.

What Good What Evil Psychology Special & Health - Page 5

Those are good arguments, in fact if anyone wants to focus on the atheist or the element of religion as regard to this Topic then you may want to check this Thread: Athiest Not To Be Feared where religious references are allowed.