Is Mankind Born Evil....or Good?

by Farkel 119 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Phantom Stranger

  OK, I'll take a hack at it... the following will exclude psychopaths and such. I''ll avoid the terms good and bad.

  We are born with compassion for others and attraction to others at the surface of our personality. Babies are not hateful, at least not right away.

  As we grow older, events occur that we associate with threats to us - real or imagined, physical or emotional. We adopt behaviors to keep us safe from these threats. We shut down emotionally, we decide that men or women are always going to hurt us, we decide that the world will take advantage of us. Some of us lash out first to keep people away so that we won't get hurt after they get close to us. In this way we cover up the compassion and attraction that was originally there.

  We continue these behaviors for years, even after the threat is gone. Habits and reactions learned young are hard to shake.

  Much of the pain and hurt inflicted on others, much of the anger in the world, is anger carried around from childhood that never had a place to go. I'm not minimizing crimes committed by "rehabilitated" criminals -it's much easier to identify the anger than to change our automatic reactions.

  I believe that fear -fear of being unloveable, fear of being rejected, fear of being alone, and fear of not being good enough on one's own - fear is what keeps most people in the WTS, and fear is also why most humans hurt others. It's only after we conquer our fears that we reach out with compassion.

  Every day man is crucified between two thieves - the regrets of yesterday and the fears of tomorrow. Benjamin Disraeli.
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  Analysis

  I don’t really view it that we are born either good or evil.

  I think all babies are born with a desire to be comfortable (food, warmth, pain free etc.) and to be accepted (or Loved).

  Based on their genetic makeup of the individual they will act good or evil based on the environmental nature of their formative years. What or how they act is their way of being comfortable and to fit in and be liked by others.

  As to modern medicine never allowing another Hitler, the lust for power will ensure that we have more Hitlers. How many countries in this world today are people oppressed and killed for no other reason then their race or religion? Hopefully we will not have another Hitler on a Global scale.

  To me the true test would be a study of identical twins raised in completely different environments.

  I have read that some researchers of note in DNA, view DNA as the Software Program that controls our makeup. Based on inputs from the environment different people will react differently to the events in the lives. For example Saint Patrick was enslaved as a young man and escaped. His nature (or software) was to bring Christianity to his captures. Another completely rational reaction would be to become a warrior and conquer his captures and enslave them.
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  ColdRedRain

  I would have to say no just because of Hitler.

  What made Hitler evil was that he killed perfectly good, competent, smart men just because he believed in a flawed system of "The master race", which did not better mankind. Not to mention that his "Master Race" would only consist of northern Europeans, which would eliminate any genetic diversity within his idea for a worldwide "Master Race", making it prone to certian diseases, much like how ethnically isolated sub-saharan Africa has people that are prone to Sickle Cell anemia and Jehovah's Witnesses are more likely to be nutty due to the fact that there are many nutty people in the religion and it frowns on dating outsiders, who are less likely to have mental problems.

  "Good" and "Evil" just depends on what is good for the majority of mankind at the situation. Mankind wouldn't have been bettered with the elimination of Jews and other ethnic groups.
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  teejay

  Farkelmeister,

  Humans are born with the capacity for both. Genetics, surroundings and nurturing will determine which of the two capacities will gain a dominant foothold in the individual’s behavior.

  That said, if I had to pick one or t’other, I’d say that, generally speaking, the majority of us are born with more of an inclination to do good than evil rather than the other way around.
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  Yerusalyim

  My understanding of the Catholic faith on this issue is not that we are born evil...but we are born no longer in a state of grace...predisposed toward doing evil while able to do good (original sin)...the Jewish thought on this...from my reading just today in fact...is that man is neither good nor evil, but has the potential for both...the Commandments etc are designed to bring out the good in them. Uniquely...Satan and his angels aren't seen as fallen angels that are evil...but rather angels "programmed" to tempt humans so they are fulfilling God's will in tempting us.
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  onacruse

  We are born neither evil nor good. We are simply born.

  Evil and good are societal/ethical/religious labels attached to us by others, or expected of us to attach to ourselves.

  Craig
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  Yerusalyim

  Moral relativism is scary.
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  onacruse

  Yeru:

  Moral relativism is scary.

  Why?
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  gumby

  Genetics, surroundings, and nurturing, will determine which of the two capacities will gain a dominant foothold in the individual’s behavior

  I think this comment sums up this question in the fewest words of all. I agree totally.

  I feel however that the strongest of those mentioned.......are the surroundings.......what the child hears, sees, tastes , smells, and feels. What it sees as the norm in individuals who have been raised in the same manner.......will act much the same way.

  It would be spooky to see what a human could be capabable of, that was raised in a totally controlled enviroment, controlled in a way the person in charge......wanted it. It would challenge our thinking on the matter in a big way.

  Gumby
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  onacruse

  gumby:

  Genetics, surroundings, and nurturing, will determine which of the two capacities will gain a dominant foothold in the individual’s behavior

  ...

  I feel however that the strongest of those mentioned.......are the surroundings.......

  But, my dear sir, this misses the whole point of the question! As far as "are we born evil or good?" surroundings and nurturing are completely irrelevant...and though genetics does have to do with the physical condition in which we're born, it has nothing whatsoever to do with good/bad.

  Craig