I honestly don't see how on the basis of your philosophy you can call anything evil,immoral,unjust or satanic. I note though that you major on making moral judgements.Gnostic Bishop wrote:Flann 5 wrote:
Here's your involuntary visit to the dentist's chair Bishop. I've gone to this thread to get your explanation of evil in our world.
Much has been written to explain evil and sin but I see as a natural part of evolution.
Consider.
First, let us eliminate what some see as evil. Natural disasters. These are unthinking occurrences and are neither good nor evil. There is no intent to do evil even as victims are created. Without intent to do evil, no act should be called evil.
In secular courts, this is called mens rea. Latin for an evil mind or intent and without it, the court will not find someone guilty even if they know that they are the perpetrator of the act.
O.k. so only acts done with intent to do evil should be called evil.
Evil then is only human to human when they know they are doing evil and intend harm.
So what about human cruelty to animals?
As evolving creatures, all we ever do, and ever can do, is compete or cooperate.
Cooperation we would see as good as there are no victims created. Competition would be seen as evil as it creates a victim. We all are either cooperating, doing good, or competing, doing evil, at all times.
All we ever do or can do is compete or cooperate because we are evolving creatures.
Without us doing some of both, we would likely go extinct.
This, to me, explains why there is evil in the world quite well.
Be you a believer in nature, evolution or God, you should see that what Christians see as something to blame, evil, we should see that what we have, competition, deserves a huge thanks for being available to us. Wherever it came from, God or nature, without evolution we would go extinct. We must do good and evil.
Note here that "what Christians see as something to blame,evil, that is competition, actually deserves a huge thanks for being available to us." "We must do good and evil."
What Christians mistakenly call moral evil is really just evolutionary competition and is something we should be grateful for.
There is no conflict between nature and God on this issue. This is how things are and should be. We all must do what some will think is evil as we compete and create losers to this competition.
"This is how things are and should be." We all must do what some (Christians no doubt) will think is evil as we compete and create losers to this competition.
As we compete for survival and resources and mating reproductive success we create losers in this competition but none of this is evil it's just that some less enlightened people think it is.
How do we create these losers in this competition Bishop?
Doing evil then is actually forced on us by evolution and the need to survive. Our default position is to cooperate or to do good. I offer this clip as proof of this. You will note that we default to good as it is better for survival.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBW5vdhr_PA
This is interesting "Our default position is to cooperate and do good." If we are "wired" in any way it is to cooperate according to you. So competing is actually against our default wiring?.
What your video shows is that babies have a rudimentary ability to discern and approve or disapprove of helpful and unhelpful actions.We have a moral sense innately perhaps.
Can you help but do evil? I do not see how. Do you?
And if you cannot, why would God punish you?
So you cannot help but do evil and therefore can not be blamed by God for anything you do. Doing evil is forced on us by evolution and we must do evil as we compete and create losers.
Earlier you say that only acts done with intent can be called evil. How do you explain evil acts done with intent? What's the cause of that evil?
Regards
DL
I constructed this post badly so am underlining my comments to distinguish them more clearly from Bishop's.