Why is there Evil? Atheist why has Evolution not eliminated it? (page 3)

rawe

Our ability to plan and work towards a purpose is important to our survival. Even the simple act of preparing food for later consumption is an act of short-term self-denial and expending energy for long-term benefit. Since working towards a goal and having purpose is so much of our character, we have a difficult time understanding how a process like evolution works entirely without purpose or direction of any kind.

As far as we can tell our ability to work in groups to hunt for food has been key to our survival. Being a social co-operator has had high survival index for us. But so has our ability to be agressive and violent towards animals more distantly related to us. Thus I would posit that for humans, evolution has eliminated human-towards-human evil acts to a large degree. But evolution would eliminate it completely only if such had a higher surival index and could be accomplished on a step-by-step basis. Since we had to hunt for food, it is possible our aggression towards animals, with a spill-over effect towards other humans, has been a beneficial for our survival.

Cheers,

-Randy

Satanus

So, both 'evil' and ultruism helped us humans, as a species, the succeed better to this point. It may be a matter of a balance between 'evil' and ultruism. Further back, in our history, say during the age of empires, perhaps the evil side of us worked better in promoting civilization. Perhaps, as our density increases, as our technology improves and we understand nature better, ultruism will prove to be more beneficial to our race, and the proportion of evil in our society will go down. I guess, that i am an optimist, deep down.

S

return of parakeet

Tennyson:

Who trusted God was love indeed
And love Creation's final law
Tho' Nature, red in tooth and claw
With ravine, shriek'd against his creed.

hamsterbait

THE UNIVERSE IS THE WAY IT IS BECAUSE IT IS THE WAY IT IS.

""evil"" usually means something the arguer hates or does not agree with.

Read the atrocities in Joshua and Judges of the Jewish and Christian "Holy Books"- is this EVIL - "God " told them to do it.

TOUGH.

Get over the world and accept that you will die, your "GOD" does not probably exist any more than Wotan.

HB

BackseatDevil

If you take the spirituality out of your question, and just look at the elements of what you're asking, it might be easier to explain how I personally believe.

The human mind tends to take things farther than intended. with the word "evil" you have the idea of malicious intent. And some people are malicious. but concepts like violence will never be eradicated because the universe was formed out of violence. Volcanos, hurricanes, supernovas, the planet Jupiter are all horrifically violent. The animal kingdom is filled with violence, and sometimes... meanness when it comes to lions leading the pack and such.

Point is, the elements that make up your concept of "evil" exist in the natural order of things. So I don't look at things as "evil" as i do "negative". and for every flow of negative, there has to be a positive (ying/yang, +/-, North/South type thing). We should actually be very aware of both the positive and negative aspects of the world around us and ourselves. But there will always be two sides. When I run across negative people... i tell myself "that's fine" and I appreciate they exist because it makes the postive people much easier to identify.

But that's just me :-)

(This is also why the concept of life everlasting here on earth in a utopian paradise doesn't make much sense. If there is no negative force, there is lack of appreciation of the good. Without appreciation there is no motivation to uphold the good in life.

the worst child of contentment is complacency.)

-James

backseatdevil.com

Satanus

Another devil. And, he sounds just like me, too. Perhaps we were hatched from the same pod.

S

blondie

This thread reminded me of an old Outer Limitis (1964) WOLF 359 (at 12 this was disturbing)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0667852/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl

A scientist creates a tiny model of another solar system's planet, seeding it with life, to study planetary development. The miniaturization allows the simulation's evolution to advance much faster. A ghostly bat-like creature hovers on the in-closed model watching the humans, while emitting waves of fear terrifying them. Written by David Stevens

Plot [ edit ]

Working on behalf of corporate interests, scientist Jonathan Meridith has created a miniature version of a remote planet (the titular Wolf 359) in his laboratory. Due to the miniaturization, this artificial world knows an accelerated development, thus allowing Meredith to study its evolution through an electronic microscope, and observing the birth of archaic lifeforms at its surface. However, soon, a mysterious lifeform evolves along with the developing experiment, being apparently aware of the scientist's presence outside of the microcosm, and even acting aggressively towards him at some point. Manifesting by night in the absence of light, the creature takes a physical shape into the laboratory itself, destroying all life inside it, including plants, a colony of ants and a couple of guinea pigs. Becoming aware of the situation, Meridith weighs the value of his experiment versus the possible dangers, and resorts to firing his lab assistant and sending his wife back home, in order to keep them away from harm. Pursuing his studies, the scientist soon discovers the creature inhabiting the planet seems to be a manifestation of the planet itself, similar to its collective mind, and bent on destruction. As the evolution of the miniature world progresses, Meredith observes a reproduction of the darkest moments of Earth's history at its surface (including the development of nuclear weapons). Lowering his guard one night, the scientist is suddenly attacked by the creature; he is however saved by his wife, who returned from home at the same moment, and who breaks the miniature planet's containment cell, causing its atmosphere to escape, and subsequently causing the creature to be destroyed along with the planet. In the epilogue, Meredith can be seen recording his final report on Wolf 359, telling that the experiment is over and the planet destroyed, yet also mentioning that the experience could be a success in the future, if only one could find a better planet.

This_suit_doesnt_fit

Why dont sharks live by proper christian morals?

Why do the "good and meek" bunnies get eaten by the "bad" wolves?

People live by make-believe, nonsense morals that oppose nature & biology... then they wonder why nature doesnt match their rules. Christian morality is counter-productive. It is designed to control people, not to support their well being or survival.

5go

Define Evil the problem with that is if you defne it. I bet I can find one example of you god commiting said EVIL.

Commanding innocent children to be put to death EVIL

God had no problem with on it several ocassions EVIL.

On one occasion it was to allow a sinner (David) to be spared a death sentence for a sin DOUBLE EVIL.

Letting man fall in the first plase is a sin of omission an EVIL.

BackseatDevil

@ Satanus :-) thanks!

Why is there Evil? Atheist why has Evolution not eliminated it?

Plot [ edit ]

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