Can you recognize Evil?

[wizard2c]

There's been a lot the past few days with the new Star Wars movie about Darth and the dark side.

But the truth of the matter...in real life.....can one truly recognize evil. Let's face it face-to-face...evil is insidious...oftentimes unseen...it creeps upon us like a fog which rolls upon shore....it is hidden until too late it's known.

What are your opinions.......can you instantly recognize evil and do you even know what evil really is? Or do you even care it exists at all?

 

[Danospano]

Is Darth Vader truly evil? I recently saw an interview with George Lucas where he describe Anakin's path to the darkside as a similingly legitiment move in his own eyes (Anakin's). People makes decisions everyday for good reasons (perhaps selfish, but always good reasons), and it's highly unlikely there's a pure evil in this world. Yin and Yang, baby...YIN AND YANG

Can we see Ultimate Evil? Yes, but it's a subjective thing. I can say George Bush is evil, and I can also say Osama Bin Ladin is evil, but are they either? Both teams are fighting for their side, and screw the other camp if they should make progress.

The question is then, 'What's best for everyone"?

Can we realistically answer that? All actions affect us differently.

 

[verte76]

It does seem like alot of the evil in this world is politicians and more specifically fanatical politicians. George Bush's brand of Christianity isn't mine, and bin Laden is a

 

[coemgen]

Yes, Evil is bald, wears a gray suit and always points his pinky up to his mouth.

Seriously, evil is anything that goes against God's will. Yes, sometimes it's not as obvious as other times. It's source is the devil, however it's carried out by us.

 

[nbcrusader]

Seriously, evil is anything that goes against God's will. Yes, sometimes it's not as obvious as other times. It's source is the devil, however it's carried out by us.

Yes, for Christians, evil is recognized by a knowledge of Scripture and the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

Evil is seductive and alluring. Thus, it is not easily recognized by mere appearences.

 

[coemgen]

"I have one request . . . and that is to have sharks with freaking lazer beams attached to their heads."

 

[the soul waits]

In all seriousness...yes I do believe that one can encounter someone or something that appears to be the best thing ever, but later, turns out to have been *drama-alert* : evil in disguise.

Speaking out of personal experience, because that's all I've got, I can say I had 1 experience like this and it still baffles me but I did learn so much from it.

 

[coemgen]

Satan's a tricky bastard, isn't he?

 

[A_Wanderer]

Yes I think that evil can be reciognised, not always to be sure but there are times and events where it is.

Darth Vader is evil, Anakin Skywalker however is not. I would consider them to be seperate individuals, one the twisted shadow of the other.

 

[wizard2c]

reply

There's always a saying that I like and that is:

In order to capture the dragon, you have to be the dragon. {In order to understand evil....you have to experience evil}.

Thank you for all your opinions........

 

[A_Wanderer]

In order to kill the dragon, you must be the bravest champion in all the land.

 

[BVS]

I think evil comes in many forms none of which seen by the naked eye. Evil, like NBC said is seductive. If it's in human form it doen't come in horns and a tail but a very attractive man or woman. I don't believe any human to be pure evil, for everyone has their "Anakin".

If you claim to have never seen the devil face to face, you're probably running by his side.

 

[nathan1977]

The darkest form of evil is the form that doesn't recognize its own darkness. If we go on pure subjectivity, Hitler didn't think he was evil -- he saw a world that had significant problems, made judgments about what he assumed the world needed, and then developed a Solution based on that need. Mind you, it doesn't make what he did any less evil.

We hesitate to call evil as such -- or worse, to use "they don't think what they're doing is wrong" as an excuse or justification -- to our own detriment. I frequently have such conversations with friends, and these days people say more and more, "Well sure, but haven't you ever thought about killing an enemy/stealing from a store/cheating on a loved one/lying about an exam" -- as an excuse to say, "How can you judge?" In my mind, the dark side of humanity common to all is hardly an excuse not to call something what it is and do something about it.

All it takes for evil to exist is for good men to do nothing.

 

[BVS]

All it takes for evil to exist is for good men to do nothing.

I love that!!! Now how that gets executed is something else entirely.

What it really comes down to is that somethings aren't absolute. Actually...most things aren't absolute.

 

[A_Wanderer]

And that view that there are no absolutes extends to a view that there is no good and evil and that there is nothing good to defend. It is that grey pit of moral relativism that really enables evil to prosper.

 

[BVS]

And that view that there are no absolutes extends to a view that there is no good and evil and that there is nothing good to defend. It is that grey pit of moral relativism that really enables evil to prosper.

Well there are no absolutes. One can say killing another is wrong. But what about self defense or war? Does justification dissqualify it as evil? In that case, someone who's fighting against us, not so much for the cause but for their land, rights, etc does that make them evil?

You may say the view that there are no absolutes allows evil to prosper, but I say the idea that there are absolutes brings birth to evil. Admitting there are no absolutes allow those of different beliefs to coexist.

If absolutionism took over all but the largest group would be wiped out. Not to get personal but you would be part of the extinct.

As naive as it may sound, Live was right in their song 'The Beauty of Grey".

 

[A_Wanderer]

No I would agree that there are no absolutes, but when people take that view and extend it to the view that there is no difference it becomes an issue.

 

[datatyme]

Evil is easy to recognize. Evil is anyone who acts extremely, out of hatred or fear without caring about the consequence.

Get it right, there's no blood thicker than ink.

The situation in Iraq is almost 20,000 times worse than Columbine High School in the # of deaths, yet Columbine has metal detectors, and Iraq has more US soldiers than Iraqi police, pretty f'd up really. But they're only Arabs right, not worthy of common human dignities? Plus the US soldiers don't all have adequate equipment, but that's alright, by God' graces they will deflect the Arab's weapons.

From what I've heard, we all bleed the same color blood and we're all the same inside. I guess that doesn't always matter to some since we sometimes look different, speak different languages and even believe in different gods. The rest of the world is wrong and 60% of America is right, yeah right.

Outside, it's America...america.

 

[indra]

Can you recognise Evil?

Well I can but no one else seems able to.

 

[BVS]

No I would agree that there are no absolutes, but when people take that view and extend it to the view that there is no difference it becomes an issue.

I agree. But...whereas there is a beauty in grey there is also a danger.

We live in a world of grey, we can't deny that, many want to change that and create a world of black and white, I don't think that can ever be done.

So where do we draw the line?

The problem lies in the fact that one group consider's one man's doing a sin as the other group sees it as their life. We see it in the micro and macro. War has never been about the absolute, it never has and it never will. There is always some deception and/or political gain behind it.

 

[indra]

And my post above was just a joke. But not really, as all too many people really do believe the very thing I posted. Well, they don't believe I, indra, can recognise evil. Rather all too may people think that they, and only they can recognise evil. And anyone who disagrees with them is, yep, you guessed it -- Evil.

 

[BVS]

Evil is easy to recognize. Evil is anyone who acts extremely, out of hatred or fear without caring about the consequence.

What about those that just hint? They hint over periods of time? They aren't extreme but may breed extremism in the future. They speak half truths but modify the rest in order to make you question the what's true.

Believe me it's not always extremism. It's the subtle that will sometimes take over, and hatred and fear can often be disguised as patriotism or faith.

 

[indra]

What about those that just hint? They hint over periods of time? They aren't extreme but may breed extremism in the future. They speak half truths but modify the rest in order to make you question the what's true.

Believe me it's not always extremism. It's the subtle that will sometimes take over, and hatred and fear can often be disguised as patriotism or faith.

That's the much more insidious evil.

 

[A_Wanderer]

Evil is easy to recognize. Evil is anyone who acts extremely, out of hatred or fear without caring about the consequence.

Get it right, there's no blood thicker than ink.

The situation in Iraq is almost 20,000 times worse than Columbine High School in the # of deaths

What the? 13 people killed so we have 260,000 Iraqi's ~ that figure is laughable. And as for the dignity of the Iraqi people, what of those that felt that they should have been left to suffer under Saddam because their culture could not accept things like liberty and democracy.

 

[the soul waits]

Pondering :
I think the evil we experience outside of us, around us, is at times recognized or not, can take you by surprise or you see coming from a mile away...and that leaves us confused sometimes?

Why?
Because I think whether or not you recognize evil at any given time, is a reflection of where you are in your own state of mind. The evil vs. good we see around us, can easily be internalized. The more we are tuning into the "evil" side of our minds and act accordingly, the less we recognize it as such outside of us and, like another poster here wrote, are running by its side.

(sorry for any spelling errors, english is not my native language and I'm not particulary focussed today)

 

[A_Wanderer]

Can an act of evil also be a selfless act?

 

[the soul waits]

Tough one....would you care to elaborate with an example?

 

[BonosSaint]

Can an act of evil also be a selfless act?

Suicide bombers, Wanderer? Good question. Is the evil in the act or the intent? Is it evil to be misguided?

 

[the soul waits]

Well, if what you're referring to is suicide-bombing, A_Wanderer, I don't think evil can be a selfless act because I don't regard suicide-bombing to be selfless at all.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

I've known a few people who I think of as being rather "evil", I suppose it depends upon your definition. My definition might be more stringent than someone else's. Or maybe less depending upon the person.

Perhaps we all have the capacity for evil(and I think we all do, we are equal in that way) and it's just a matter or recognizing that and controlling it-and letting the good shine through and triumph. I think some people can't or maybe more accurately don't want to control it. I think can't is mostly in cases of truly clinically psychotic people.

I guess evil mostly results from ego, greed, selfishness, hatred, and lust for power. Also lack of compassion.