Are people intrinsically good or bad?

by eyeslice 38 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  eyeslice

  One of the things we were constantly taught as JWs was that the vast majority of the world are intrinsically bad; wicked enough to warrant destruction at Armageddon.

  Last Xmas, a film "Love Actually" (sentimental tat really but who says we don't need sentimentality occasionally) was based on the idea that everywhere people are in love and being loved.

  Also, a couple of TV documentaries shown recently in UK, Michael Palin's 'Himalaya' and Ewan McGregor's 'Long Way Round' had these intrepid travellers visiting remote corners of the earth. It was striking just how friendly and helpful people can be to strangers. This has been my experience too when we have visited remote places on our travels.

  So, what's the verdict? Are people intrinsically good or bad? What do you think?

  Eyeslice
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  blondie

  Without writing a book, I think people are intrinsically good unless there has been something physical in utero or during development outside that has damaged the thinking patterns in their brains. That is pretty hard to prove.

  So I think people know what is acceptable in their social community and can make choices, good or bad.

  Why?

  Blondie
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  under74

  "So I think people know what is acceptable in their social community and can make choices, good or bad."
  
  I buy that. I think we all have the potential for both.
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  Euphemism

  I believe that morality is a social construction by humans, hence it is technically illogical to morally evaluate humanity as a whole.

  However, I do believe that people are intrinsically co-operative. That means that a) they follow the universal principle of reciprocity, and b) they respect the strictures and customs of their society. There are some people who don't internalize those principles; we call them psychopaths. There are others who are driven to greater beneficence than is socially called for; we call them altruists. But I would guess the distribution probably follows a bell curve.
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  JamesThomas

  As individual "people", we are expressions of a phenomenal universe which is a balance of opposites: good/bad, up/down, light/dark, etc., etc; and so there is incorporated within us the entire spectrum. That said, deeper than the phenomenal opposites, there is an intrinsic formless boundlessness which naturally moves toward doing onto others as we would have them do unto us, because there really is no actual separation. No them, no us.
  
  
  j
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  Balsam

  I believe people are good so long as they feel they benefit from it. Over all I also believe that human kind want to view themselves as good and kind. Perhaps the believe in Christ and the bible makes it more important to be so, for most people.

  I think there is a dark underbelly to all people through. I've seen very good people act very generious and loving, and I have also seen those same people shun those they imagained as apostates by the religion they embrace.

  I think a movie that portrays this well is the Movie Theatrical proformance " Dogville" with Nicole Kidman as the lead character. Very interesting play. People either seem to hate it or love it.

  I thought it reflected the relationship between Jehovah's Witnesses and Ex-JW very well though it was not about them at all.

  It is about a young woman looking for santuary in a small down during the depression, how they react to her, embrace her, then turn on ther when they imagine she has wronged them. And her revenge on them.

  Balsam
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  sandy

  I said this before here on the frum: I've always loved what Anne Frank wrote in her diary, I believe it to be true as well.

  Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart.
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  eyeslice

  Sandy,

  What an interesting quote. It seems to me that even the darkness of the concentration camps was the result of a relatively few individuals.

  Eyeslice
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  one

  Too much is being done by humans that negatively affect other humans and animals

  Few actions are taken to intentionally and positively affect other humans, environment and animals, even when it does not cost anything to do them.

  She take care of the horse so she can ride the animal, sooner or later.

  What's wrong?

  Lack of education? Hard to beleive.

  Where is the "natural" balance?.

  WT teaches there are invisible "enemies"...

  Well, common human negative atitude is sometimes amazing, for no reason.

  It is frustrating and a reason why, since i can remember,. i questioned WT teaching about the origin of evil.

  In other words since a fully good god created all... how could any of his creatures become bad.

  Not going back until WT give me a better answer.
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  Simon

  I think there is a wide variance between nature and nurture and everything in between: Some people are good despite having bad things happen to them. Others are bad despite living a priveleged life.

  Who knows how some bad person could have turned out without some 'event' in their life or if things had been different? It's harder to imagine someone who is *good* doing evil but if evil was done to them first ... who knows? Still, people always can make a choice themselves.

  There are often cycles of bad acts and damaged victims who then know no different than to perpetuate things themselves.

  I think most people are, on the whole, good though.