Absolutism! (good vs evil)

SpiceItUp

I have noticed alot friends here lately posing the question of things being good and bad etc. So here is my question.

Is there such a thing as ABSOLUTE good, ABSOLUTE evil, ABSOLUTE anything?

Those that believe in god may pose that he/she is absolute good and that the devil is absolute bad.

I tend to disagree with such statments that don't allow for any flexible thinking. I think that with every life there is a balance of their goodness and evilness (for lack of a better word). This is also one of the reason I have studied Eastern religions as they focus on a balance (harmony if you will) within...the Yin and the Yang. I feel that as a person we are able to focus on what part we wish to have the most control. Those that have focused on their light within..well we then get people like Ghandi and Mother Teresa. Those that focus on their dark side...examples of Charles Manson & Jack the Ripper. I also firmly believe that Ghandi wasn't pure goodness and that Manson wasn't pure evil. They merely let those aspects of their personality take over.

It has been said (lol..sorry had to use that) that there is absolutley no absolutes. Figure out that one.

Spice

SpiceItUp

What about Absolute "truths"...do any of those exist?

Robert_V_Frazier

What about Absolute "truths"...do any of those exist?

Chocolate is good.

Robert Frazier

Crazy151drinker

So jack the ripper had some good in him because all yang has a little ying and all ying has a little yang. Hmmmm hard to say if he (who ever he was) had some good in him. But just like no one is perfect, one could argue that no one is 100% wrong. But we are talking about 'Heavenly' things here. As for God being Absolute good- hes has done some very mean things! He has BBQ'd many people!! Oh well, he is God and he can do anthing he wants :) Jesus on the other hand was/is 100% good. The Devil/Satan was/is 100% bad (that is unless you buy his pitiful 'Gods picking on me' crap.

just my .02

SpiderMonkey

Farkel posted something about this sort of issue a few days ago; I forget which thread. Basically, it had to do with Hitler; what if he couldn't help it? What if he had a chemical imbalance of some sort that made it impossible for him to "be good"? Would God still love him, at least from the perspective of the *potential* for good that he would have had without that handicap?

I agree... The closest I get to believing in absolute evil: I think it's evil to kill, persecute, label others "sinners," seek converts, etc, for the sake of a religion that one believes is the absolute good. But many of those who do so are misguided, taught from childhood to do so, so I can't really even see that as evil. Just wrong. Not to say I wouldn't kick Hitler in the nuts if I had the chance.

QUANTUM

good & bad.........free & slave......life & death......sweet & sauer.......rough & smooth.......black & white.....

opposites......yes ...but each lives within it's own sphere....each is an absolute within that sphere.....If god was anything but an absolute we couldn't trust HIM.....HE wouldn't be unchangeable....And that's the long & the short of it!!!

Quantum The Great

Sirona

Oh its all so subjective. We can't even DEFINE good and evil.

Quantum (the great?):

We don't know for certain that God is unchangeable.

Sirona

SpiceItUp

Robert - I may get crucified for this but I dont really care for chocolate. In fact if we went on that thinking I would have to say that broccoli is good.

Crazy151 - Aha....but that would first have to go on the assumption that one believes in God & the Devil.

Spider - As usual we agree.

Quantum -

If god was anything but an absolute we couldn't trust HIM

and I dont even trust that he exists..but you missed the point..I wasn't only opening it to the god-devil. I am talking about everything and anything.

Sirona -

We can't even DEFINE good and evil.

that was one of the points I was trying to make.

I am finding myself at a loss for words lately due to the fact that the majority (if not all words) are given either a negative or a positive connotation. Take the word selfish for example. here is the definition (courtesy of Merriam-Webster):

1: concerned excessively or exclusively with oneself : seeking or concentrating on one's own advantage, pleasure, or well-being without regard for others
2: arising from concern with one's own welfare or advantage in disregard of others <a selfish act>

This definition does not by any means include harming onesself or others...nor does it disclude (is that a word?) the idea that even though it is intended for oneself that it may or may not actually benefit others or many.Take this scenario for example---- Highly intelligent physician wants recognition...so he creates or acheives a technology or procedure that will give him this recognition and fame that he so desires. Now he has done this for selfish reasons but the end result is in fact extremely helpful to many others and will save lives. Yes...he was selfish but was it a bad thing?

Anyway I think im rambling at the moment (too much sun today perhaps) but the idea is the same why do we constantly give words a negative or positive view?

Would love any responses as these are some discussions that really get my juices flowing and boy am I happy when the juices are flowing.

Spice

Edited by - SpiceItUp on 5 July 2002 2:11:12

Sirona

Spice

It is natural for human beings to categorise things. We do it in our brains - sort of like a tree . e.g.

Food -> Fruit -> Apple

So we also categorise certain words into "bad" and "good". Its a way of organising things in our minds. Under the term "bad" might be words like sin, kill, devil.

Anyway, I like to see the "dark" or negative as being necessary. How would we know positive if not for negative?

Sirona

SpiceItUp

Sirona - Yeah I think thats goes along with my whole point of there having to be a balance or a harmony if you will. And yes organising things within our minds help with the thought process. But I guss I am stating that where does it end. Why does everything HAVE to be catagorized like that. We do it in evrey instance instead of just letting ourselves be free in our thinking. Why does evrey word or every thought whether its a theory, opinion, concept have to have a negative or positive core. I think it severely limits ourselves to have any higher state of realization.

Of coarse I have been told that my way of thinking and sortings things out are a little erratic. And I usually take this as a complement (usually by the underttones or person that says it)

Spice thinks... apple-red-dentitst-teacher-tree-crunchy (but ahh that could be a bit confusing for some...hmmm...maybe thats why I seem a bit loony at times )

Spiced red apples

PS - Sirona I am not trying to argue it is just these are questions in my mind everyday and I thank you for rambling along with me.

Edited by - SpiceItUp on 5 July 2002 11:44:33

Absolutism! (good vs evil)

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