To: CobaltBlue
Evil isn't a thing, and it's not a being. It can't be created. It's a state of mind. You can't create a state of mind? Does not the process of living create many states of mind?
But whatever; how can a being (man), created by (and in the image of) a perfect and good and all-powerful Creator have a "state of mind" which is clearly NOT a reflection of its Creator? Does free will mean that man MUST choose evil instead of good? How does that make sense? How can mankind choose what the Creator did not create and therefore did not intended as a choice? What power contaminated God's perfect creation? How could His creation be contaminated if it was a reflection of his perfect Being. How could a perfect Being create an imperfect world? If a world is perfect, there is no imperfection in it, there is no option to choose imperfection (evil).
309 posted on
11/01/2003 8:43:39 AM PST by
Semper
To: Semper
Creation isn't a "reflection" of the Creator. Nothing created is perfect, therefore, all creation is imperfect. Imperfection isn't evil.
As far as I have ever been able to determine, every evil act can be said to be motivated by drives which are not necessarily evil.
The seven deadly sins - lust, gluttony, anger, sloth, pride, envy, greed - are all perversions of normal drives which are essential for self-preservation.
Take rape. The drive to procreate isn't evil. Forcing someone to submit to you sexually when they don't want to is evil.
Take physical violence. The drive to protect yourself isn't evil, but beating up somebody just for fun is evil.
Why do humans do the wrong things? It's possible that they were never told the right things to do, although that's hard for me to believe. According to Catholic theology, if a person was never told the right things to do, he is not held to the higher standards of someone who was told the right things to do.
Where did the rest of us learn the right things to do? You could believe that God sent avatars and prophets to tell us, or not - I assume that you don't.
But most people behave more or less morally, even atheists. Why? Well, moral philosophy is more or less universal.
There are some cultures who think it's ok to have sex with very young people, and some that think it's ok to have many wives, and some that think war is a lot of fun, but I am not aware of any culture that thinks it's ok to rape your children, or kill your wife, or steal from your parents.
Variations on the Golden Rule are found in all major systems of moral philosophy.
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