BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality Philosophy Do You Believe in Evil?

Do you believe in evil? Does evil really exist? What's YOUR definition of evil?
You are invited to share your thoughts on this powerful force that causes destruction of many lives.

There is evil, there is good, there is love, hate, black, white, fear, contentment, and all sorts of duality. That is just what it is, duality. Some say that there has got to be such polarity as in the yin and the yang. Why ? Who makes up these rules? Some say that the devil is evil. I do not know of a more evil being than that that is within me or for that matter all the rest of us when enough buttons are pushed. Some could say that I am good. I could say that about myself but that does not mean that anyone else shares my belief. There is what there is. I love the old movie Grapes of Wrath with John Caradine and Henry Fonda. The ex preacher Casey said ," What some folks does is nice and what others does is not so nice and that's all a feller's got a right to say. I do not know whether he ( the man they were putting in the ground) was good or bad, it's just what people does." Some say that a particular man is super intelligent and that other one is really dumb. By who's standard do they speak? Evil is what each individual will allow to be visualized. The same with good. It is perceptions. I think we need to just BE.

I believe in evil! It most certainly exists. I dated evil. His evil disposition destroyed the relationship, and was making me wicked. Once I realized that he was evil, and I removed myself from his control, I became myself again...happy and gracious.

Wow !! He must have really been a piece of work !!!!!! I am glad that you are now away from him and happy !!!!!

I think to answer the first two questions -- do you believe in evil, and does evil really exist (and if you believe in it, I can't imagine how you could not believe it really exists, whether or not that is true!), you have to answer the third -- define evil. Kind of like, "Do you believe in truffala trees?" If you don't really know what a truffala tree is, how could you know whether or not one might exist.

Anyway, I think at least one aspect of evil is the intentional hurting of another (physically, mentally, whatever) for the pleasure of causing them that pain. (I do not include more animal killings for food -- that isn't with intent of causing suffering.) And, since there seem to be people that do that, by that definition, evil seems to exist.

A piece of work alright:

mean-spirited actions
passive agressive behavior
malicious disregard for my feelings
intentional pre-meditated punishing

He was an ugly heartless man.

WHAT WAS I THINKING?

Yes, there is real evil in the world. Have any of you ever know anyone specific who never has a conscious. I did. Pretty scary.
They had no care whatsoever for any of their actions and never apologized when they did wrong because they felt that they were never in the wrong no matter what they did.

sorry meant conscience.

Yes, that is especially true of children who have been abused. But, as any grown person who has gone through therapy (successfully ) can tell you, it is far easier to understand and find forgiveness for a parent whom they have come to see is ignorant, as opposed to one who caused intentional harm. When you are a child, you have no power; no choice - but once you are grown, you can begin again and choose to become healthy and whole. This means shifting your choices from attachment to abusive people, to people who are healthy and whole. Getting stuck on "blame" or "victim" tapes can only keep you from growing, emotionally and spiritually.

But in either situation, it us up to the harmed person to create and nurture their own healing process, and become who they were always meant to be. I love the term "making lemons out of lemonade." With insight and determination, all wounds can become great gifts.

Shay (student of the Tao)

I definitely believe in Evil, with a big "E" - I believe Satan is a real (person isn't the right word) just like God is.

And then I also believe in evil with a little "e" - that is within mankind's doing.

That kind of evil is our concious or deliberate choice to not do good.

Cara you mentioned pain in your article. I think there is also fear, jealousy, and selfishness.

There are a few humans that are in the realm of Evil with a big "E" that I can think of - Charles Manson, Ted Bundy, Adolf Hitler, etc. People that have turned their backs on other humans to such an extent that they have ceased to BE human themelves.