Many people believe in the existence of evil; some do not. Every creature survives by feeding on others. Is competition evil? How about the food chain?Â
Perhaps those events are proof of evil, or an expression of evil? If there is no evil, than how do we explain such horrific events?
Certainly, a lot of horrible events have occurred in history, such as the holocaust during World War II.
Jesus certainly taught that evil exists. In fact, he explained that evil is well organized and has a leader. There is a lot about evil in the Bible.Â
What is evil? How can we define it? Can we say it is doing this or that, or NOT doing this or that? Or, is everything just relative?Â
Does evil exist apart from humanity, in some autonomous form? Â
Is the concept of evil just a religious thing?Â
If evil is not natural, then where did it come from?
Is evil a human thing?
Did God create evil?
Is the universe dualistic?
Please share your thoughts below.
In nature, evil does not exist. It cannot exist. There are but two mandates that all creatures are bound by. The first is to survive the inherent dangers their existence is faced with. Animals are created with a remarkable range of abilities that protect them. I find both beauty and awe when witnessing the dance of life between all creatures. The second is multiplication. Animals have their mating seasons and there is order and conflict in that also, but not evil. My existence does not come from anything I have done or could do to bring it about. That is why I believe in God. Nature, which gives unlimited joy and variety can be harsh but not evil. Yes, when we see the innocent cruelly treated, abused, and without reason disposed of, our inner senses feel the wrongness and call it what it is; evil. We do evil to one… Read more »
In my previous post I addressed the question of a scientific, quantum physics, based interpretation of what may be called “Spirit World”. In brief, it concerns the information structure of the universe, as distinct from energy. The Casimir force is one item. Within the information structure, it is possible for human related information to be inconsistent with non-human information that is for example from experimental data of the validity of scientific theories. This is not claiming that science is perfect, but rather has an accuracy that has known limits. This interpretation is a refutation of materialism and political theories that arise from that. Lysenko was an example of bad science. “A Way for Explaining Religion to Atheists and Agnostics” discusses such subjects in more detail, with extensive references.
Put very very simply, if there is no God, there is no evil.
If there is a God, there is evil.
Well, this sounds like dualism. Goodness does not require the existence of evil as a yang yin counterpart. Looking at fallen humanity we might think so, but looking at the rest of nature and the universe we cannot make a convincing case for that. The balance of nature and the food chain, etc., is not evidence of evil.
I does sound like it, but that’s the wrong viewpoint.
Goodness is the light. Evil is the shadow. You can’t have shadow without light.
In other words, it’s not a yin/yang relationship. I don’t need dirty clothes to know what clean ones are. A baby does NOT need to be neglected to know what love is, etc.
The evil that we speak of is not the shadow of the light. It sounds poetic but evil is rooted in self-centered thought and behavior in myriad forms. Matured parental love that is beyond self-centeredness is the only way to purge oneself of it. That explanation is far too simple. A sophisticated and useful understanding can only be derived from a serious study of the Divine Principle.
Sorry, but what you are describing *IS* a yin/yang relationship, if you believe that evil can exist apart from goodness. It simply can’t. You’re taking this from the fallen point of view, were we are immersed in Satan’s realm. Evil is evil because the light shines on it. Without that light, we cannot see it. Goodness can exist apart from evil, but not the other way around. That is in the Principle.
Point well taken.
Yes, there is evil. I have done evil so I know there is. i repent and try to never do it again, We can’t change the past but we can change the future. The thing is to be aware of God’s heart.
Great topic! I don’t see “competition” or “the food chain” as evil — they are essential to life on earth. But hurting others for pleasure and exploiting others without concern for their welfare — that seems either (a) ignorant; (b) psychotic (sick); or (c) evil. Can the first two reasons explain all the bad human behavior that we see? And why is such behavior distinctly human and not apparent in other species? I don’t know the answer to these questions.