Question about Evil

[lucky 2.0]

I am sorry. I will shut up soon because I am annoying myself.

I am watching t.v. about the murder of Jamie and her baby and they are bringing in for similiarity of Lacy Peterson and her baby. Makes me wonder:

Why do people go bad? It scares the hell out of me.

I read a book 20 years ago called People of the Lie. It is by Scott Peck who wrote the bestseller, The Road Less Traveled. It proposes, and I believed after reading the book, that some people are born evil. I swear it had a huge impact on me not wanting to have kids because you do not know what you will get.

So, do you believe there is human evil? And if so, what causes it?

This is a deep question. Deeper than I normally care to go. But my world is really shaped by the reality of this question.

What do you think?

[sammys]

Question about Evil

They are born and then they develop personalities that are just like the devil. Take for instance Susan Smith who murdered her kids, her boyfriend who she wanted to be with did not want to raise children. Her way to have what she wanted was to get rid of the children. She to this day does not understand that she was wrong. It was not done out of depression or anything like that, she still insists that she had to do it.


Sammys

[rottrod]

Question about Evil

There are some who say that people aren't evil they just make bad choices, (even some churches teach that these days) and I have only one answer for that. Adolph Hitler. I am not Jewish but believe that this man who murdered untold millions of my Jewish brothers and sisters and those who sheltered them is the definition of evil in the heart and soul of man.

There have been others who have been done evil on a smaller scale, and in courtrooms across america and other places everyday lawyers and doctors try to explain it away with this and that excuse but the bottom line is evil is evil. I think some people snap and have true remorse later, but some are truly sociopathic, ie. evil.

Oops, you pulled my chain, hubby and I were just talking about this this evening. It is scary. It's scary that some of these people get picked up and get released a couple of times and then really hurt someone. It's scary that parents are so busy just trying to earn a living that they don't realize their kids are so weired that no other kids want to hang out with them, and that their kids are so angry they are planning to shoot up the school.

Lucky you started a thought provoking thread it could get well...... interesting.

[lushy]

Question about Evil

Lucky, this is such a sadly simple answer. It all comes down to the brain we were born with. No more, no less. Why do we have an addiction to alcohol? Because of our brain. Why are people obese? Because of their brain. Why are people evil? Because of their brain. Yes, outstanding factors can certainly influence these brains to not go these extreme places, but if they are not in the exactly perfect environment their brains will lead them to where they naturally want to be, which is not always a good thing.

[imatree]

Question about Evil

Damn. What a question. I'm the one who always felt I could find a way to sympathize with just about anyone. I eek out of jury duty everytime I"m called because I fear that I couldn't commit a murderer because I might be too "understanding". (Though I must admit in my aging years I'm not as soft.) I agree largely with Lushy that we are born with the brain we are born with. I also fully believe in more - we are born with the soul we are born with. The spirit. The karma. Maybe it's along the same lines. And I do give more credit than maybe Lushy's view to early environmental influences.

Hitler. He's the one that defines this question.

[MDBiker]

Question about Evil

Yes, I believe there is evil in the world. No, I don’t believe children are born evil.

I do believe some people are more easily pulled in, or overtaken by evil, much like some people have an intrinsic talent. They have a propensity to believe in, or to allow their mind to encompass, things which are out of line with conventional wisdom. I would suggest that Hitler did not consider himself to be evil. His perception of evil very well could have been that Jews and Black people were destroying the “pure” bloodlines which were so important to him. If that were the case, he would have believed himself a crusader against evil. In fact, I believe he and most others we consider evil were mentally ill with a progressive illness.
Innocent? No.
Living in an alternate reality? Yes.

Here is a question to consider:

Was it Evil which beguiled the U.S. to drop the first atomic bombs on Japan?
Or was it evil which enticed Japan to attack Pearl Harbor?

[rottrod]

Question about Evil

Bear,
You raise some good points. I also don't believe children are born evil. I would also agree that Hitler did not believe he was evil but I do believe he became obsessed with producing a pure Aryan race and that led him to do evil deeds and procure others to do unspeakably evil deeds, which in my mind makes him evil. Whether his obsession drove him insane or not, I believe his heart was evil. Genocide and the hatred behind it is evil. When it is passed down from generation to generation it is ignorance. The originator is evil.

Atomic Bombs.....You are talking about War now. Was the US evil? Well the people weren't , the president may have jumped the gun to show some force in the arms race, we all know the 2nd bomb never should have been dropped. I wasn't around back then, I'm sure the Japanese thought we were evil.
I think the Japanese were just foolish to attack Pearl Harbor.

You know you are one of my favorite people here, I'm not disputing you at all..just point counterpoint.

[MDBiker]

Question about Evil

Rotrod, no offense taken, I think we agree really.

I despise what Hitler was and what he did. But I think initially he thought he was doing the right thing. I do think he was mentally ill from the beginning, but as he began to gain power, he became a monster. I was only saying he and his henchmen would have a different perspective of what evil really is. It?s Kinda like ?beauty is in the eye of he beholder? if you know what I mean. As far as the idiots who are holding on to that as inspiration, they are more misguided than evil, and almost certainly mental in their own rite.

Is evil relative to what a normal person would do in the same circumstances? The cannibalistic tribes in Africa appear to be evil to civilized man, but they were only following their established traditions. Thus, to the tribesman and warring tribes, cannibalism was not evil; it was a fact of life. From our prospective, any cannibalism carries a connotation of evil, but they are not mental or evil. They are only doing what their society has taught them was right.

I have a vegan niece who believes people who eat meat are evil. Personally I have eaten it longer than I can remember and I always thought it was fine (I don't think I am evil). That said, I have been to the killing room of a slaughter house, and from that perspective I can see what she is talking about. We don?t see all the things which could be considered evil which occur before our ?meat? is served. Do you understand what I am saying concerning perspective?

At any rate, I enjoy the mental exercise, and this is a thought provoking thread well worth posting.

Bear

[Pisces]

Question about Evil

Hi,

I'd like to add to the discussion something I've learned.

My last bf had killed a bloke (amoungst other things he had done that I didn't have any idea about), his story was the bloke was an asshole and deserved it, he had no remorse, no guilt whatsoever.

At first I believed him and even though I could never condone murder, I thought this guy must have provoked him to the point my ex lost it and killed him in a fit of passion, so to speak.

When I got the full story of what happened, though his family, ex friends, and even through my exs own words, I found out that my ex and the guy he killed disagreed, and my ex just didn't like him, the bloke had a nice wife, money, and his life was going well...

My ex decided well before hand that he was going to kill him, planned it for months, even had a list of people he was going to kill, this bloke at the top, he told me this himself...

Anyway, to cut the story short, my ex shot this bloke 10 times at close range, got caught and did 6 years for manslaughter, bragged about it in goal, to me and anyone who would listen, he had no remorse.

The point is, I now believe there are psycopaths around us, and having looked into it, theres 1 in every 100, or more, most don't kill, but they have no conscience, just seem to be born without one... look up psycopath on the net and learn about them, it will give you the signs to watch for, I got out lucky, he was on parole, and they only do anything if it's to their own benefit, and hurting me wasn't good for him, hopefully he finds a new distraction before he gets off parole...

Yes, I think they are born that way.

Love Jas xx

[Guest]

Question about Evil

Yes, lucky I do belive you are born evil. My daughter is married to a schizoprenic, who refuses to take his medication. Being a nurse she tries to fix him. I belive he has extreme potential for violence. He how is shoving and smacking her and she is 4 months pregnant with twins. Anyone I could go on, but the thing is I have seen pictures of him and his brother as children they are about 2 years apart in age, He has always had this evil look on his eyes almost sinister, while his brother is fine. His brother is an over achiever functions normally in life, this guy is lazy and has issues with nearly everyone. Yes, I do belive he is totally evil, and born that way. I pray nearly everday that my daughter dosen't end up a statistic.
Mar

[Change]

Question about Evil

Being the optimistic soul that i am, i prefer to see the good in people, which hasn't always been the best thing for me. I actually believe that most people are inherently good, but i do believe there is something missing in the minds of those who commit atrocious crimes.

I don't believe this occurs at birth however, i am more inclined to believe it is socialised into us somehow, or certain events etc. cause a lack of socialisation.

I believe i have met 1 or 2 truelly evil people and it wasn't that they were overtly destructive or anything, they just didn't have any regard for human nature or societies tenants.

It is interesting. I might read that book.

[Quiescent]

Question about Evil

Evil = Satan in my book.

Some choose a walk with the Devil.

Hence, "the devil made me do it." I belive he probably did.

[Change]

Question about Evil

Wow, do you think good or evil is something that we choose? That is an interesting concept. I am almost inclined to believe that we do.

[Guest]

Question about Evil

Q, I agree to an extent, but what about children who murder/ The case I most remember was the one in England with the 2 boys leading a toddler off and murdering him near the rail tracks.
Just thinking
Mar

[Quiescent]

Question about Evil

Yes, change, I do believe that evil something we choose. Lucifer was an angel first remember.

Simey, I don't have all the answers but I think children who are raised by evil people are more prone to also be evil. Children who have been molested tend to grow up and become molesters themselves. Evil begets evil.

Obviously some people are more evil than others.