Is doing evil a necessity of life? Did the ancients know this and Is that why we are all named as sinners? I think nature created the potential for evil in each of us because without that potential we would not have the ability to make a free choice between good and evil or evolve to find the fittest human. Consider. Evolution has two major components that we must do to survive; compete or cooperate, as required. Cooperation we would see as good because it does not create a victim or loser. Competition would be seen as evil as it creates a victim and loser. From this view, we must do evil and to survive as that process produces the fittest. To not compete would produce the least fit and we would likely go extinct. Do you see this conundrum of us having to do evil? If you do, should God punish us for doing what we must do so as not to go extinct? I do not see God as justified in punishing us and that is why Gnostic Christians like me are Universalists. I see us all as not requiring salvation. God would not do evil by punishing us for doing what we must do to survive and thrive. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exsultet “O happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam”. “in the light of paradise, even the sin of Adam may be regarded as truly necessary and a happy fault.” If sin and doing evil is good and necessary for Adam, who represents all of mankind, then the church and I are suggesting that it is good that we all do evil. It seems that nature, or God, if you are into the supernatural, ultimately, created a perfect imperfect world. To appreciate perfection, we must know imperfection. This knowledge frees the mind. Regards DL
True, but it is generally something we do not wish or like to be subjected to. I am not defining it otherwise. I can speak to your relative view though to show what I mean by us having to do evil to the victims of our competition. Think of the last time you competed for a job and lost. That type of feeling I am sure you did not like and you would have seen your loss as evil to some extent. You likely live where there are social safety nets so the evil may not have seemed that great when you did not get the job, but if you were where there are no safety nets, you might feel quite evil to a higher level if your family went hungry due to your loss. Regards DL
If this hypothetical god existed would (s)he be ok with humanity or a sub group of humanity doing what it needs to do to avoid going extinct? Assuming it is a moral god that reflects my values and not the values of some other person or culture then I'm sure it would be ok with it. However just what is necessary "to avoid going extinct?" Your interpretation of that may be different than mine. Perhaps a genocidal tyrant sees his act of genocide as doing what is necessary for his tribe to avoid going extinct. Maybe a terrorist who kills thousands in a coward's attack feels that (s)he is doing what is necessary to avoid his tribe going extinct. When we think of those we call "evil" there is a great deal of subjectivity there. Certainly Hitler felt he was the saviour of his people. Osama bin Laden felt he was making a statement and therefore defending his people. Perhaps the greatest evil is limiting our perspective to value only what is of benefit to our tribe and not seeking to find a greater harmony with our surroundings.
Evil is definitely subjective, as I have already agreed with. To individual minds, even Hitler's, seeking to be the fittest, I guess playing to the crowd is considered to be one of the best way to become the fittest as that gains one power. Elimination all opposition seems to indeed be a way to become the fittest in whatever environment one is in. Regards DL
