Religious concept
By mofelorn
@mofelorn (611)
Philippines
6 responses
@Nebuloso (179)
• United States
18 Apr 07
I'm not sure that I agree with your postulation that "good" and "evil" are purely religious concepts. Another way of viewing those concepts would be from an evolutionary perspective:
"Good" people tend to either help others, or at least do others no deliberate harm. These people help others survive, enabling the survival of that species.
"Evil" people tend to deliberately and maliciously hurt others, either through their actions or inactions. These people hinder the survival of others, putting the survival of that species in jeopardy.
Please keep in mind that it is not my intention to start the evolution/religion debate in this thread. I am merely trying to explain a way in which someone could catagorize others as "good" or "evil" on a purely non-religious basis.
2 people like this
@flowerchilde (12529)
• United States
19 Apr 07
I think you are right.. some of the best behaving and generous people I know, happen to be atheist.. My brother and his wife! And I also think they plainly can see evil.. and evil actions..
@Jennifer21 (2476)
• United States
18 Apr 07
Atheism, in the broadest sense, is the absence of belief in the existence of gods or deities. Other definitions combine this absence of belief with belief in the nonexistence of God, or simply with the conscious rejection of theism. Atheist believe in no God or Goddess, no heaven or hell. They are far from Hitler though. Hitler was not an atheist, he was a protestant, almost a cult ruler. They are two totally different things.
2 people like this
@flowerchilde (12529)
• United States
19 Apr 07
..actually, hitler was very heavily into the account.. even studied mesmerism, etc.. I suppose protestant was a good cover he may have used for awhile.. as a matter of fact Germany pre-hitler was very much into the occult also..
@Chiang_Mai_boy (3882)
• Thailand
18 Apr 07
The concept of good and evil have nothing to do with religion. If a person lives with a heart filled with kindness and compassion they have no need for a supernatural entity to tell them the difference between good and evil.
1 person likes this
@judyt00 (3496)
• Canada
18 Apr 07
criminal despotic dictator is a term that comes to mind. Just like the description of saddam Hussein. Ther have been and will continue to bepeople like that until such a time as people stop worrying about being politically and religiously correct and stop them before they get too big. Look at Amin and Khadaffi. They too murdered millions while others watched. Why. they used religion as an excuse.
1 person likes this
@flowerchilde (12529)
• United States
19 Apr 07
..people's faith is not what is responsible for mass murder unless they are the ones being murdered. Religion is not the root of all evil.. and is not the problem. Flawed human nature is the problem.. which allows evil to grow and fill the heart, and it usually starts with some sort of dehumanizing of others, which becomes a bigotry and a hatred and a blaming of some segment or race as more responsible for troubles in the world, than another segment or race... this is what man does over and over, it's the same old, same old.. If the nonreligious claim the religious are the guilty ones (or vice versa) it's the same thing as one religion saying another religion is the guilty party.
Also, when we teach that there is no evil.. no absolutes.. we're just asking for trouble.. lots of trouble..
@Latrivia (2878)
• United States
3 Jun 07
In the words of Eddie Izzard (with whom I agree completely):
"Hitler was a mass murdering f*ck head."
I think that sums it up nicely, don't you?
Also, good and evil, or right or wrong, are not really religious concepts. They're philiosophical concepts, which have no objective existence. Their existence is only within our minds. That said, regardless of your religious affiliation (or lack thereof) you can still have a grasp of "right" and "wrong". Of course, your understanding of morality depends entirely on the culture you grew up in.
@hello_cancer (183)
• United States
18 Apr 07
hitler was a murderer who killed thousands of people. the concept of good an evil may be a religious concept in a sense, but the concept of good and bad and right and worng is a human concept. evil is an excuse used to explain bad things that happen and bad people that come into power without looking anywhere else for an explanation. hitler was a smart man who was good at public speaking and getting people on his side. he used his power for destruction and power rather than the common good of the people. granted, he thought it was for the good of the world, but then you have to ask yourself what happened to make him think that way.
there is right and wrong. good and bad.
i don't believe in evil.
1 person likes this
