How do you define evil?

KellyJay [on another thread]: "All have sinned and fallen short of God, God who is good. How do you define evil?"

@fmf said
KellyJay How do you define evil?"

"Evil" is egregious immorality (as already defined in numerous previous discussions, involving doing harm, deceiving and coercing) and gratuitous, sociopathic action that is gravely detrimental and/or damaging to others, and which stems from an abject lack or even absence of empathy and compassion.

@fmf said
"Evil" is egregious immorality (as already defined in numerous previous discussions, involving doing harm, deceiving and coercing) and gratuitous, sociopathic action that is gravely detrimental and/or damaging to others, and which stems from an abject lack or even absence of empathy and compassion.

Evil is that which works against good for its own ends.

@kellyjay said
Evil is that which works against good for its own ends.

Examples of "that" in your sentence above?

[i.e. those things that work against good for their own ends.]

@fmf said
KellyJay [on another thread]: "All have sinned and fallen short of God, God who is good. How do you define evil?"

Evil people are the ones who are cast out of the Kingdom of God. Here is an example of who Jesus consider to be evil people

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.(Matthew 25:41-43 KJV)

@fmf said
KellyJay: "How do you define evil?"

To avoid confusion, the word "evil" is probably best used as an adjective rather than a noun. It's not a 'thing' that exists or that was instituted by an evil being. The word "evil" is simply an adjective that is more loaded up with disapproval than the word "bad".

@fmf said
"Evil" is egregious immorality (as already defined in numerous previous discussions, involving doing harm, deceiving and coercing) and gratuitous, sociopathic action that is gravely detrimental and/or damaging to others, and which stems from an abject lack or even absence of empathy and compassion.

Yes. Spot on.

@fmf said
Examples of "that" in your sentence above?

[i.e. those things that work against good for their own ends.]

Examples of evil would be lies, false balances, greed, reviling, vengeance, murder, rape, lust, stealing, anything that puts oneself above God and others in ways contrary to loving them.

@kellyjay said
Examples of evil would be lies, false balances, greed, reviling, vengeance, murder, rape, lust, stealing, anything that puts oneself above God and others in ways contrary to loving them.

Are you able to perceive evil without the assistance of your belief in God?

@FMF
Intentionally doing that which you know to cause harm or restrict other sentient beings free will to serve their own will

That's just off the top of my head. Tis a good question invoking many complicated issues🙃

@FMF
It's been said every child knows good from bad (without any knowledge of God or such)

@karoly-aczel said
@FMF
Intentionally doing that which you know to cause harm or restrict other sentient beings free will to serve their own will

That's just off the top of my head. Tis a good question invoking many complicated issues🙃

Hey Karoly, how you been.
Hope all is well

@fmf said
Are you able to perceive evil without the assistance of your belief in God?

John 3:3
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

We are all made in the image of God we know good from evil, but with the GOOD, it is not without God.

@karoly-aczel said
@FMF
It's been said every child knows good from bad (without any knowledge of God or such)

It also said they know because they were made in God's image.

@fmf said
Are you able to perceive evil without the assistance of your belief in God?

I think we are heading back to the compass discussion we had a long time ago where we were talking about how to do know which way is right by one's own internal compass; mine points this way, and another points that way so which is correct, or worse, is anyone correct, is there a correct?

If truth, goodness, justice, and righteousness are absolute and there are fixed standards, not knowing them means we are untethered to the truth, and any we go is good enough as far as we are concerned. If we have a fixed point, we can know which way is to the left of that point or its right.

We may disagree on who is always doing something wrong given specific scenarios, but we know there is a wrong, and it is being done around us now and then. This confusion is where we find ourselves, viewing life through a glass darkly, flying blind, not sure which way is up sometimes, other times knowing or thinking we know while running into others who are dead set against what we believe is true.

I have to paraphrase an analogy I heard from I believe from J. Warner Wallace, looking at what is good is like playing darts trying to hit the mark is doing good. When we have a fixed mark, we can throw at it, and everyone knows we hit or missed it, while without a fixed spot, anywhere the dart lands is fine. Even if we continue to throw landing in a different place each time, it's where I went now; my beliefs are this I'm simply hitting what I'm aiming at now, and we can say that with each different throw.