Community Chat

[chickenbutt]

On 3/26/2015 Silver Lining said:

On 3/26/2015 Topaz Gem said:

On 3/26/2015 chickenbutt said:

On 3/26/2015 Justina rae said:

Evil certainly comes out of rigid belief systems and not just those halfway around the world. I feel sorry for any children who are taught to believe certain things from when they are very young. They don't know any other way. It is ingrained. These children become intolerant adults and learn to hate those who are different.

I'm glad that others see that because it is really quite disturbing.

I'm not sure I agree that they're all evil. They may be close-minded and bigoted, but many of them wouldn't hurt a fly. True evil is someone who takes their belief system one step further by killing another person or inflicting harm on society in general. Beheading anyone???

I agree with you, Topaz. Being close-minded and/or bigoted is not the same thing as being evil.

Hi! I hope that you (and Topaz) saw my response that explained that that was NOT what I meant.

[Justina rae]

On 3/26/2015 Silver Lining said:

On 3/26/2015 Topaz Gem said:

On 3/26/2015 chickenbutt said:

On 3/26/2015 Justina rae said:

Evil certainly comes out of rigid belief systems and not just those halfway around the world. I feel sorry for any children who are taught to believe certain things from when they are very young. They don't know any other way. It is ingrained. These children become intolerant adults and learn to hate those who are different.

I'm glad that others see that because it is really quite disturbing.

I'm not sure I agree that they're all evil. They may be close-minded and bigoted, but many of them wouldn't hurt a fly. True evil is someone who takes their belief system one step further by killing another person or inflicting harm on society in general. Beheading anyone???

I agree with you, Topaz. Being close-minded and/or bigoted is not the same thing as being evil.

All I'm saying is that IMO most evil originates as a result of rigid belief systems. The potential for evil comes from rigid beliefs. Close-mindedness and bigotry resulting from rigid belief systems are traits that lend themselves to evilness as demonstrated in history.

[Autumn in NY]

Even atheists believe that evil acts occur. It's not exclusively a theological concept.

[PenneyT]

On 3/26/2015 Justina rae said:

On 3/26/2015 Silver Lining said:

On 3/26/2015 Topaz Gem said:

On 3/26/2015 chickenbutt said:

On 3/26/2015 Justina rae said:

Evil certainly comes out of rigid belief systems and not just those halfway around the world. I feel sorry for any children who are taught to believe certain things from when they are very young. They don't know any other way. It is ingrained. These children become intolerant adults and learn to hate those who are different.

I'm glad that others see that because it is really quite disturbing.

I'm not sure I agree that they're all evil. They may be close-minded and bigoted, but many of them wouldn't hurt a fly. True evil is someone who takes their belief system one step further by killing another person or inflicting harm on society in general. Beheading anyone???

I agree with you, Topaz. Being close-minded and/or bigoted is not the same thing as being evil.

All I'm saying is that IMO most evil originates as a result of rigid belief systems. The potential for evil comes from rigid beliefs. Close-mindedness and bigotry resulting from rigid belief systems are traits that lend themselves to evilness as demonstrated in history.

Or do evil people sometimes twist belief systems to fit their agendas? Or gravitate to systems that fit their already formed beliefs? Many dictators created evil structures that had no previous form in history, i.e. Hitler's death camps and systemic destruction of many groups of people on a huge scale. Did he grow up being bombarded with such beliefs, or did he use his power to do whatever he wanted?

[Pashmina_1]

On 3/26/2015 Justina rae said:

Evil certainly comes out of rigid belief systems and not just those halfway around the world. I feel sorry for any children who are taught to believe certain things from when they are very young. They don't know any other way. It is ingrained. These children become intolerant adults and learn to hate those who are different.

That is crazy talk. Evil comes in different forms, from all walks of life. Some even believe that certain people are born evil, not made from their environment at all.

[Silver Lining]

On 3/26/2015 PenneyT said:

On 3/26/2015 Justina rae said:

On 3/26/2015 Silver Lining said:

On 3/26/2015 Topaz Gem said:

On 3/26/2015 chickenbutt said:

On 3/26/2015 Justina rae said:

Evil certainly comes out of rigid belief systems and not just those halfway around the world. I feel sorry for any children who are taught to believe certain things from when they are very young. They don't know any other way. It is ingrained. These children become intolerant adults and learn to hate those who are different.

I'm glad that others see that because it is really quite disturbing.

I'm not sure I agree that they're all evil. They may be close-minded and bigoted, but many of them wouldn't hurt a fly. True evil is someone who takes their belief system one step further by killing another person or inflicting harm on society in general. Beheading anyone???

I agree with you, Topaz. Being close-minded and/or bigoted is not the same thing as being evil.

All I'm saying is that IMO most evil originates as a result of rigid belief systems. The potential for evil comes from rigid beliefs. Close-mindedness and bigotry resulting from rigid belief systems are traits that lend themselves to evilness as demonstrated in history.

Or do evil people sometimes twist belief systems to fit their agendas? Or gravitate to systems that fit their already formed beliefs? Many dictators created evil structures that had no previous form in history, i.e. Hitler's death camps and systemic destruction of many groups of people on a huge scale. Did he grow up being bombarded with such beliefs, or did he use his power to do whatever he wanted?

Excellent and logical explanation, PennyT.

[carlycat]

I would not say evil is nothing more than mental illness. Not all mental illness is evil.

[Justina rae]

On 3/26/2015 PenneyT said:

On 3/26/2015 Justina rae said:

On 3/26/2015 Silver Lining said:

On 3/26/2015 Topaz Gem said:

On 3/26/2015 chickenbutt said:

On 3/26/2015 Justina rae said:

Evil certainly comes out of rigid belief systems and not just those halfway around the world. I feel sorry for any children who are taught to believe certain things from when they are very young. They don't know any other way. It is ingrained. These children become intolerant adults and learn to hate those who are different.

I'm glad that others see that because it is really quite disturbing.

I'm not sure I agree that they're all evil. They may be close-minded and bigoted, but many of them wouldn't hurt a fly. True evil is someone who takes their belief system one step further by killing another person or inflicting harm on society in general. Beheading anyone???

I agree with you, Topaz. Being close-minded and/or bigoted is not the same thing as being evil.

All I'm saying is that IMO most evil originates as a result of rigid belief systems. The potential for evil comes from rigid beliefs. Close-mindedness and bigotry resulting from rigid belief systems are traits that lend themselves to evilness as demonstrated in history.

Or do evil people sometimes twist belief systems to fit their agendas? Or gravitate to systems that fit their already formed beliefs? Many dictators created evil structures that had no previous form in history, i.e. Hitler's death camps and systemic destruction of many groups of people on a huge scale. Did he grow up being bombarded with such beliefs, or did he use his power to do whatever he wanted?

Whether they twist them or not. Just having rigid beliefs that they think is the ONLY way to believe. No open-mindedness "My way is the RIGHT way. My way is the ONLY way." This rigid thinking leads to hatred of others, leading to actions that are evil.

[bikerbabe]

Some are born evil.

Some learn evil behaviors from others.

Some have a brain that short circuits and they do awful things.

There is no single answer.

[kittymomNC]

On 3/26/2015 Pashmina said:

On 3/26/2015 Justina rae said:

Evil certainly comes out of rigid belief systems and not just those halfway around the world. I feel sorry for any children who are taught to believe certain things from when they are very young. They don't know any other way. It is ingrained. These children become intolerant adults and learn to hate those who are different.

That is crazy talk. Evil comes in different forms, from all walks of life. Some even believe that certain people are born evil, not made from their environment at all.

I certainly don't think that is "crazy talk"... you said it yourself, it comes in different forms and from all walks of life. Why did McVeigh and Nichols blow up the Federal Bldg in Oklahoma City? Because they were angry at something they didn't agree with and with people who believed differently than they did in what was right and wrong. And what they did was evil - or as Webster's puts it - morally reprehensible.

The chief conspirators, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, met in 1988 at Fort Benning during basic training for the U.S. Army.^[17] Michael Fortier, McVeigh's accomplice, was his Army roommate.^[18] The three shared interests in survivalism.^[19][20] They expressed anger at the federal government's handling of the 1992 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) standoff with Randy Weaver at Ruby Ridge as well as the Waco siege—a 1993 51-day standoff between the FBI and Branch Davidian members which began with a botched ATF attempt to execute a search warrant leading to a fire fight (it is unknown whether ATF agents or Branch Davidians fired the first shot) and ended with the burning and shooting deaths of David Koresh and 75 others.^[21] In March 1993, McVeigh visited the Waco site during the standoff, and then again after its conclusion.^[22] McVeigh later decided to bomb a federal building as a response to the raids.

McVeigh initially intended only to destroy a federal building, but he later decided that his message would be better received if many people were killed in the bombing.^[