"Good"

[ECILAM]

Please define. Please also include an accompanying definition of "Evil."

Discuss.

[spud]

Paul said "Only God is Good." I'd go with that...But I think most of us try.
Evil - Osama - Hitler - child molesters etc. I believe you can SEE evil. And I sure seem to see a lot of it lately.

[vpkozel]

I am good. Great actually.

The rest of you all suck.

[VOR]

I am good. Great actually.

The rest of you all suck.

Ha and you have a wife that thinks you're a patriot. A minuteman.

[mathmajors]

http://www.rangers.at/ger/referee/images/05.gif

[ECILAM]

Spud: Thank you.

Everyone Else: :mad: You know, I was hoping for something a little more profound.

Where's friggin' Hasbeens when you need 'im?? :teeth:

[Superfluous_Nut]

good is relative to the observer. evil is the opposite of good and is similarly relative to the observer.

that's as far as i can go with it...

[Miss tery]

good is relative to the observer. evil is the opposite of good and is similarly relative to the observer.

that's as far as i can go with it...

[VOR]

good is relative to the observer. evil is the opposite of good and is similarly relative to the observer.

that's as far as i can go with it...

no actually good as a noun is an absolute, as an adjective is relative. It should be gooder, but english is fucked up. Also good as a concept changes with the social dynamic. While the average republican considers good to be enslaving as many workers as possible so that he may derive maximum profit from their labors, the society may see good as enforcing a livable wage for all members of society thus limiting the profits of the bloodsucking class. It's not really relative, but merely a different concept of good.

[mathmajors]

good is relative to the observer. evil is the opposite of good and is similarly relative to the observer.
Bullshit. Either it's through the uprights or not.

[Superfluous_Nut]

no actually good as a noun is an absolute, as an adjective is relative. It should be gooder, but english is fucked up. Also good as a concept changes with the social dynamic. While the average republican considers good to be enslaving as many workers as possible so that he may derive maximum profit from their labors, the society may see good as enforcing a livable wage for all members of society thus limiting the profits of the bloodsucking class. It's not really relative, but merely a different concept of good.
i don't mean relative in the sense of non-absolute. i mean relative in the sense of relativity. it's related to the person's view. i suppose i could have said "subjective".

i don't think there's one absolute good and one absolute evil. good is whatever somebody thinks is good -- for them.

[VOR]

i don't mean relative in the sense of non-absolute. i mean relative in the sense of relativity. it's related to the person's view. i suppose i could have said "subjective".

i don't think there's one absolute good and one absolute evil. good is whatever somebody thinks is good -- for them.

But if the universe is hierarchical, that implies that there is ultimately a single good that supersedes all others as the good.

Rather you are considering the adjective form of the word which is used to compare states of being.

[Superfluous_Nut]

But if the universe is hierarchical, that implies that there is ultimately a single good that supersedes all others as the good.

Rather you are considering the adjective form of the word which is used to compare states of being.
sure. but i don't believe the universe is hierarchical.

[VOR]

sure. but i don't believe the universe is hierarchical.

Well then get me something from mars.

[spud]

Well then get me something from mars.

How about an Almond Joy Bar, or some M & M's :rofl:

[kshead]

good is relative to the observer. evil is the opposite of good and is similarly relative to the observer.

that's as far as i can go with it...

Moral relativism? Yikes.

[TimTam]

Please define. Please also include an accompanying definition of "Evil."

Discuss.
just for the record it really annoys me when people propose topics for conversation like this. and end with discuss. miss tery does it a lot.

good is caused by the motivation for presents

[Superfluous_Nut]

Moral relativism? Yikes.
like i said, perhaps "subjective" is a better word that relative.

[VOR]

like i said, perhaps "subjective" is a better word that relative.

but your subjective judgement has to be benchmarked to some fix datum, hence relative.

[kshead]

like i said, perhaps "subjective" is a better word that relative.

Moral subjectivism? Yikes. :)

[Superfluous_Nut]

but your subjective judgement has to be benchmarked to some fix datum, hence relative.
yeah, i suppose so.

[Superfluous_Nut]

Moral subjectivism? Yikes. :)
you think that's bad?

[kshead]

you think that's bad?

I think we beat moral relativism to death in "Philosophy and Morality" in college(GREAT class by the way, almost like TBR in a classroom) and I still never thought cannibalism was/is ok.

I know killing someone is wrong. I don't need God to tell it to me.

[Superfluous_Nut]

I think we beat moral relativism to death in "Philosophy and Morality" in college(GREAT class by the way, almost like TBR in a classroom) and I still never thought cannibalism was/is ok.

I know killing someone is wrong. I don't need God to tell it to me.
actually, i was just joking when i asked if you thought moral subjectivism was wrong.... but anyway...

if killing is wrong, how do you explain capital punishment?

[kshead]

actually, i was just joking when i asked if you thought moral subjectivism was wrong.... but anyway...

if killing is wrong, how do you explain capital punishment?

I don't. Like I said...it was a fun course. :)

[hasbeen99]

Where's friggin' Hasbeens when you need 'im?? :teeth:


Sorry man, I was taking care of my wife. Excellent thread, BTW. :xyzthumbs

In a global sense, I agree with SN and Tery. Both good and evil are defined by the individual. That's why our laws are so fluid, complex (even contradictory), and numerous, and why interpretations and applications change so often.

As for myself, I agree with Spud in choosing to accept God's standards as the benchmark for good. The reason I've made that choice is that I've examined God's motivations and I trust them. I also believe motivation goes a long way toward defining both good and evil.

[Thelt]

Good: selflessness, mercy, charity, love, kindness, justice, truth, honesty

Evil: greed, wrath, anger, hatred, depravity, jealousy, lies

[Superfluous_Nut]

Good: selflessness, mercy, charity, love, kindness, justice, truth, honesty

Evil: greed, wrath, anger, hatred, depravity, jealousy, lies
you should check the dealdy sins thread i started here a few months ago.

capitalism is evil, right? greed and jealousy.

war is also evil, i suppose. wrath, anger, hatred.

[BigVito]

Good impoves & helps the world and the people in it. Evil is doing doing harm. The problem with this view is the contradictions of "greater good" and, also, how evil can become a catalyst for positive change. Sometimes the opposite happens, however. As the saying goes, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."

[spud]

Sorry man, I was taking care of my wife. Excellent thread, BTW. :xyzthumbs

In a global sense, I agree with SN and Tery. Both good and evil are defined by the individual. That's why our laws are so fluid, complex (even contradictory), and numerous, and why interpretations and applications change so often.

As for myself, I agree with Spud in choosing to accept God's standards as the benchmark for good. The reason I've made that choice is that I've examined God's motivations and I trust them. I also believe motivation goes a long way toward defining both good and evil.


BTW How is your wife. And how is the adoption process going. You guys were brought to my mind while I was praying last night.

[slydevl]

you should check the dealdy sins thread i started here a few months ago.

capitalism is evil, right? greed and jealousy.

war is also evil, i suppose. wrath, anger, hatred.

I don't know that anger can be wholly classified as evil. There is such a thing as righteous anger. I get angry thinking about abortion. I don't think my anger is evil.

[spud]

I don't know that anger can be wholly classified as evil. There is such a thing as righteous anger. I get angry thinking about abortion. I don't think my anger is evil.


Nor wrath for that matter. Bible talks about God's wrath. It's all how it's used and to what purpose.

[Superfluous_Nut]

thelt listed anger and wrath as evil. i'm skeptical of that as well as you guys...

[BigVito]

Nor wrath for that matter. Bible talks about God's wrath. It's all how it's used and to what purpose.Righteous wrath serves well to justify death and mayhem inflicted by deities, governments and individuals alike.

What if 9/11 was the beginnings of God's wrath and we simply don't understand it? What if our bombing of Iraq is? One person's righteous wrath is another person's murder.

[hasbeen99]

BTW How is your wife. And how is the adoption process going. You guys were brought to my mind while I was praying last night.

She's doing just fine. Should be fully healed up within the next week. :xyzthumbs

Right now we're working through the reading list the adoption agency gave us. We have a seminar to go to on April 30th up in Modesto. After that, it's counseling, evaluations, more reading, and I presume a lot of paperwork. Then we wait.

Thanks for asking. :)

[hasbeen99]

Righteous wrath serves well to justify death and mayhem inflicted by deities, governments and individuals alike.

What if 9/11 was the beginnings of God's wrath and we simply don't understand it? What if our bombing of Iraq is? One person's righteous wrath is another person's murder.

Your point is well taken, and not out of the realm of possibility, IMO. The Old Testament cites several cases of God using Israel to punish other countries, and vice versa by means of war.

[Miss tery]

just for the record it really annoys me when people propose topics for conversation like this. and end with discuss. miss tery does it a lot.

Bullshit. I've done it once and it was to mock Sly. He instigated the silly fashion.