Is it Really all about Good and Evil???

[Bird123]

Have people allowed Religions to convince them that it's all about good and evil? In attempting to convince people that it is all about good and evil, are Religions just attempting to control the actions of people? By creating the division of good and evil, don't Religions divide people into classes based on Religion's view of what good and evil actually are?? A person is a mosaic of many different things. Can one justly label a person as completely good or evil??

OK, let's look around this world we live in. God does not race down here every time an evil or good act is performed. Perhaps, it doesn't matter which you choose. Since this is a causal universe, the results of our choice will teach everyone what the best choice is. Sure, evil does occur, however doesn't good end up in front after all is said and done? Religions might classify most as evil at heart, however isn't mankind's real propensity toward goodness? If one looks with loving eyes instead of hating eyes, isn't this easy to see? Isn't the interaction among people the real fix in life??

OK, if it's not about good and evil, what's it really all about? Perhaps it's something as simple as Knowledge. Look at this world we live in. Advances in knowledge and science bring an easier life. Doesn't ignorance breed bad choices, hurt, hate, standing in the way of mankind solving so many of the problems of the world?

So look around at this world we live in. What do you see??

 

[Father Heathen]

Anyone of sound mind can determine what is "good and evil" by applying reason and compassion, weighing cause and consequence, etc. We're social animals by nature.
Religion doesn't have a monopoly on morality. On the contrary, it's often used to make people forgo both reason and compassion, as a tool to manipulate and control.

 

[Raahim]

When you look with the eyes of justice you can see both good & evil - many things in this world are more complex than simple good and evil label and most of the time it depends from person to person because what I might consider evil someone else might consider it good or not-so-evil. We are all born good, no child is born with hatred - hatred is thought as well as being good. When I currently look around the world I see collapse and hatred, especially in Europe at the moment and there's nothing much I as an individual can do but hope for better future and live my life the way I want it.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

When you look with the eyes of justice you can see both good & evil - many things in this world are more complex than simple good and evil label and most of the time it depends from person to person because what I might consider evil someone else might consider it good or not-so-evil. We are all born good, no child is born with hatred - hatred is thought as well as being good. When I currently look around the world I see collapse and hatred, especially in Europe at the moment and there's nothing much I as an individual can do but hope for better future and live my life the way I want it.

If we were all born good, then why does a parent know at a child's birth that its leaning will be toward wrongdoing ?
Rather, as the old adage says ' as the twig is bent so the tree will grow '

We can hope for a better future because God promised father Abraham that All families of Earth will be blessed - Genesis 12:3
and that All nations of Earth will be blessed - Genesis 22:18
Blessed with the coming benefits of healing for Earth's nations - Revelation 22:2

We are nearing the soon coming ' time of separation ' on Earth - Matthew 25:31-33,37 - when humble people can remain alive on earth, and continue to live on Earth right into the start of Jesus' coming 1,000-year governmental rulership over Earth when Jesus, as Prince of Peace, will usher in global Peace on Earth among people of goodwill.

 

[Raahim]

If we were all born good, then why does a parent know at a child's birth that its leaning will be toward wrongdoing ?
Rather, as the old adage says ' as the twig is bent so the tree will grow '

We can hope for a better future because God promised father Abraham that All families of Earth will be blessed - Genesis 12:3
and that All nations of Earth will be blessed - Genesis 22:18
Blessed with the coming benefits of healing for Earth's nations - Revelation 22:2

We are nearing the soon coming ' time of separation ' on Earth - Matthew 25:31-33,37 - when humble people can remain alive on earth, and continue to live on Earth right into the start of Jesus' coming 1,000-year governmental rulership over Earth when Jesus, as Prince of Peace, will usher in global Peace on Earth among people of goodwill.

I never heard that a parent knew at child's birth what it'll end up being (good or bad), that there might later be some issues in child's behaviour can't be know from the start but if the child is showing some signs of aggressiveness at age six then some actions can be done in "fixing the problem" and cause of such act should be examined.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

I never heard that a parent knew at child's birth what it'll end up being (good or bad), that there might later be some issues in child's behaviour can't be know from the start but if the child is showing some signs of aggressiveness at age six then some actions can be done in "fixing the problem" and cause of such act should be examined.

Sure, abnormal actions by age 6 needs action as to the cause.
Unless damaged, we all come equipped with an in-born conscience.
With proper guidance one's conscience should work properly so as to have the freedom to act responsibly toward others.
At birth, a parent knows without training or guidance the child's leanings will Not be upright.
A child left on the loose (without discipline) will bring shame to the parents.

 

[Raahim]

Sure, abnormal actions by age 6 needs action as to the cause.
Unless damaged, we all come equipped with an in-born conscience.
With proper guidance one's conscience should work properly so as to have the freedom to act responsibly toward others.
At birth, a parent knows without training or guidance the child's leanings will Not be upright.
A child left on the loose (without discipline) will bring shame to the parents.

You still didn't quite answer to me how does a parent know by birth the child's behaviour?
There is a phase is child's life (roughly period from five to seven years) when they become naturally more aggressive but it's just a phase as it is in puberty, in some cases it becomes a huge issue while in other's it simply goes away. Parent's expectations are usually not met.

 

[Sunstone]

Sure, abnormal actions by age 6 needs action as to the cause.
Unless damaged, we all come equipped with an in-born conscience.
With proper guidance one's conscience should work properly so as to have the freedom to act responsibly toward others.
At birth, a parent knows without training or guidance the child's leanings will Not be upright.
A child left on the loose (without discipline) will bring shame to the parents.

Your comments are not well informed by the findings of developmental psychology. This is 2016. No need to stay put in 1916 when it comes to psychology.

 

[Bird123]

If we were all born good, then why does a parent know at a child's birth that its leaning will be toward wrongdoing ?
Rather, as the old adage says ' as the twig is bent so the tree will grow '

We can hope for a better future because God promised father Abraham that All families of Earth will be blessed - Genesis 12:3
and that All nations of Earth will be blessed - Genesis 22:18
Blessed with the coming benefits of healing for Earth's nations - Revelation 22:2

We are nearing the soon coming ' time of separation ' on Earth - Matthew 25:31-33,37 - when humble people can remain alive on earth, and continue to live on Earth right into the start of Jesus' coming 1,000-year governmental rulership over Earth when Jesus, as Prince of Peace, will usher in global Peace on Earth among people of goodwill.

Does a parent really know at a child's birth they are leaning toward wrong doing? Perhaps this particular parent sees what they want to see or what they have been conditioned to see. I see a wonderful work of art who through their lifetime will learn and grow through their free choices and they might even learn more through the bad choices.

As for your stories of ruling and controlling for 1000 years, this is not God. Stories of mankind often include control. Do you want to control others to your way of thinking? If God can create universe to run so well by themselves, do you really think God is having problems with the kiddies?

 

[Valjean]

Good and evil are Abrahamic concepts. In the Dharmic cultures it's more like pragmatic vs impractical. You're either on the path or off the path -- in the brambles.

 

[George-ananda]

What do you see??

That peace, love and happiness are what matter. That 'good' leads to happiness and 'evil' leads to misery.

 

[Taylor Seraphim]

When you look with the eyes of justice you can see both good & evil - many things in this world are more complex than simple good and evil label and most of the time it depends from person to person because what I might consider evil someone else might consider it good or not-so-evil. We are all born good, no child is born with hatred - hatred is thought as well as being good. When I currently look around the world I see collapse and hatred, especially in Europe at the moment and there's nothing much I as an individual can do but hope for better future and live my life the way I want it.

What about the unfortunate people that are born with mental disorders that prevent them from feeling empathy towards other humans?

 

[Father Heathen]

Good and evil are Abrahamic concepts.

Nonsense. All societies had some concept of morality completely independent from Abrahamic influence. "The golden rule" is pretty universal and didn't originate from - nor is exclusive to - Abrahamic faiths.

In the Dharmic cultures it's more like pragmatic vs impractical. You're either on the path or off the path -- in the brambles.

Nonsense. Dharmic cultures aren't devoid of compassion or a sense of justice. For example, would you encourage someone to feed a homeless person, or discourage someone from beating a homeless person? Then you do have a sense of "good" and "evil". And what would determine whether or not an action incurred positive or negative karma if actions weren't considered either good or bad?

 

[Riverwolf]

Have people allowed Religions to convince them that it's all about good and evil?

The idea of cosmic, objective morality is a pretty recent one as far as religion goes. As far as I can tell, it started in Zoroastrianism and sort of spread from there. Other religions, however, didn't really have such concepts until influenced by, say, Christianity.

OK, if it's not about good and evil, what's it really all about? Perhaps it's something as simple as Knowledge. Look at this world we live in. Advances in knowledge and science bring an easier life.

Let me ask you a question: is an "easier" life an inherently "better" one? Universally? For absolutely everyone?

Doesn't ignorance breed bad choices, hurt, hate, standing in the way of mankind solving so many of the problems of the world?

Let me also suggest that too much knowledge can potentially bring about depression, guilt, self-loathing, crushing cynicism, and suicide.

So look around at this world we live in. What do you see??

I can only see the world as it is presented to me by others, and even then, through the biases of my own experiences. And it is the same with everyone else. This world is BIG. It's big, and complex. We, as individuals, can only hope to ever see a small fraction of what's going on, and even then often through other peoples' presentations.

And from what little I can see, which is a great deal more than what I could see when I was younger, concepts like "good" and "evil" are basically meaningless except in describing relationships to phenomenon. Therefore, the same thing can be good for one person, and evil for another.

For the record, I'm very much playing devil's advocate. I'm a major proponent of knowledge and education, and definitely think living an "easy" life by default, with the option of living "harder" ones for those who are able to, is better than the other way around.

 

[blue taylor]

Good and evil do not exists as entities. They are human concepts only, so they are subjected to the judgment of each person. Good and evil do not exist except in the minds of people. Jesus said "For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts of lust, theft, murder, adultery, wanting what belongs to others, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, pride, and all other folly". Of course there are lots of people who do not believe these things are evil. Evil is in the eye of the beholder. Good, however is related to how you treat other living things.

 

[Bird123]

Good and evil are Abrahamic concepts. In the Dharmic cultures it's more like pragmatic vs impractical. You're either on the path or off the path -- in the brambles.

Yes, you are right. I guess using the term religions can not really label the total diversity in one group. Many people do see a narrow view of either good or evil in this world.

As for being on the right path, through the learning from our choices aren't we all really on that path to perfection? Of course, some do take a long and bumpy road to finally get there.

 

[Bird123]

That peace, love and happiness are what matter. That 'good' leads to happiness and 'evil' leads to misery.

Yes. It is so Easy and so Simple and yet many just have to experience it all first hand in order to discover this simple truth.

 

[Bird123]

The idea of cosmic, objective morality is a pretty recent one as far as religion goes. As far as I can tell, it started in Zoroastrianism and sort of spread from there. Other religions, however, didn't really have such concepts until influenced by, say, Christianity.



Let me ask you a question: is an "easier" life an inherently "better" one? Universally? For absolutely everyone?



Let me also suggest that too much knowledge can potentially bring about depression, guilt, self-loathing, crushing cynicism, and suicide.



I can only see the world as it is presented to me by others, and even then, through the biases of my own experiences. And it is the same with everyone else. This world is BIG. It's big, and complex. We, as individuals, can only hope to ever see a small fraction of what's going on, and even then often through other peoples' presentations.

And from what little I can see, which is a great deal more than what I could see when I was younger, concepts like "good" and "evil" are basically meaningless except in describing relationships to phenomenon. Therefore, the same thing can be good for one person, and evil for another.

For the record, I'm very much playing devil's advocate. I'm a major proponent of knowledge and education, and definitely think living an "easy" life by default, with the option of living "harder" ones for those who are able to, is better than the other way around.

As for your comment that too much knowledge could result in depression, guilt, etc. perhaps when all sides are seen instead of the partial knowledge then the picture will change. Choices rarely are good ones based on limited information. It all adds up when the missing pieces in the picture are in place. That is why I tell people not to react to things. Think, then Act tends to bring better results.

 

[Bird123]

Good and evil do not exists as entities. They are human concepts only, so they are subjected to the judgment of each person. Good and evil do not exist except in the minds of people. Jesus said "For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts of lust, theft, murder, adultery, wanting what belongs to others, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, pride, and all other folly". Of course there are lots of people who do not believe these things are evil. Evil is in the eye of the beholder. Good, however is related to how you treat other living things.

OK, whether something is good or evil is the judgment of each of us. After experiencing all sides, the best choice is clear. After seeing all sides, intelligence will make the best choices. Suddenly, what one considered evil will no longer become a viable choice.

 

[Riverwolf]

As for your comment that too much knowledge could result in depression, guilt, etc. perhaps when all sides are seen instead of the partial knowledge then the picture will change. Choices rarely are good ones based on limited information. It all adds up when the missing pieces in the picture are in place. That is why I tell people not to react to things. Think, then Act tends to bring better results.

Problem is, we can only act with limited information and partial knowledge. No matter what, there will always, always, be more information to be found.

Think too much before action, and the opportunity for action could pass because of that over-cautious hesitation (not always a good thing). There are times when thoughtfulness is appropriate, and times when it is not; it is possible to overthink things.

Context is everything.