Based upon historical and contextual notions regarding the concept of evil, and what makes an act "evil", we can learn many things. For instance, tyranny is considered "evil" in almost every tradition imaginable. Tyranny, being defined as a rulers legislative enslavement of the ruled, negates the free expression of a populace, and produces poverty and economic despair.
Hitler was considered a most heinous tyrant. He declared war on all those who did not fit his ideological profile of what a human being should be (nonjewish germans). Most modern people would consider him to be corrupt and evil. Yet, these same people believe in and worship a god who, according to their own textual accounts, commits acts and atrocities every bit as heinous as Hitler ever did. In fact, in comparison to the Christian god, Hitler was a saint!
If the God of the Bible was real, he would be the living personification of evil.
There are movies and shows depicting gangs who provide protection for businesses and people who live in a specified area, for a price. And those who do not pay that price are oft times shown just what they need protection from, when the "protectors" begin a campaign of destruction and brutality. This seems to me to be no different then what the biblical god does. He offers protection from himself if you simply do what he wants you to do.
Yet, this religion continues to thrive.
I believe that the reason that Christianity has lasted for so long is that people actually believe that they have no other choice than to be a Christian. Just as people continue to follow and support laws that blatantly violate the Constitution, they just feel helpless to oppose what is considered "mainstream". It's the "go with the flow" attitude. And that would be why there are so many extremist. In social psychology, you see that any group of people who feel threatened by some must react tooth and claw to protect themselves. Religious people feel threatened by their own knowledge and lack of belief, so they lash out by trying to force others to believe as they feel that they are supposed to. Only by so doing are they able to justify and validate the belief that they are adhering to the same religion as everybody else, because they force everybody else to follow the same religion that they do.
It's a vicious cycle, and it makes no sense. Perhaps that is the most evil thing of all.
Raligan Post Noob
Joined: Sep 10, 2007
Posts: 55
Location: Almost Texas, but still Oklahoma
Posted:
Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:24 am
Awesome. We need to bring charges on (the Judeo-Christian) god for racketeering. Never thought of it but you're right- Just worship me and we'll get along fine.
flowcool Just Arrived
Joined: Feb 07, 2008
Posts: 7
Location: Colorado, USA
Posted:
Fri Feb 08, 2008 11:04 pm
The concept of evil is something I have thought about many times. I have a dualistic opinion myself. Yes I have a sense of morals and conscience about what is right and wrong or good and evil. But at the same time I help but remove myself from our earthly and small ideas of life and think beyond all of that to a universal perspective. Does anything we do really matter? We have been here but an insignificant thought of the universes existence. And I cannot help but to think none of this matters and that our lives are pointless. In that case good and evil do not exist and all this is a conditioned perspective based apon natural processes. I feel a huge void in my life in the absence of a purpose to life. I see how easy it is for others to believe in a god or something to live for and look forward to. But I cannot allow myself to be diluted in this way. We give our selves a reason to exist in one way or another. Love, friends, work but I always come back to the question of "Does any of this really matter?"
Sliced_Bread Newbie First Class
Joined: Jan 08, 2008
Posts: 27
Posted:
Sat Feb 09, 2008 2:01 am
The terms "Good" and "evil" (or bad) are just terms that were created to justify certain actions against others. For either to exist they both must exist and both must be absolute opposites.
We can take any person, situation, action, anything and cut it apart into what is good and what is bad. You can then take any of those parts and do the same thing with a little more research and so on, and so on. If both good and evil co-exist in all things, isn't safe to say that truly they don't exist and are self contradictory? How can one thing be polar opposites?
I'm finding it hard to comprehend these subjective terms. Also what one person thinks is good, another can think is evil. Whose right? and how can either be absolute?
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