RateItAll: The Opinion Network

Sure there is good and evil, but it's rarely that simple. The actual incidence of pure good or pure evil is very low, maybe Mother Theresa and Adolph Hitler. Almost always there's complexity and compromise clouding the issue. Acts of good often invlove self interest, or compulsion from other sources. Acts deemed evil are often the perspective of others, the perpetrator may have other explanations.

Obviously both good and evil exist, and equally obviously there are few people who are utterly one or the other.

Although there are a few that come close, and I've had the uncomfortable experience of interviewing one who was pretty far over on the "evil" quadrant. I won't reveal his name, but he was in prison, convicted of some particularly heinous crimes of which he was inordinately proud, and after talking to him, and looking into the cold abyss of his eyes, I was very thankful for the guards within close call.

Look around, and will make you a believer.

Yes, but my definition of evil is an act that hurts innocent people, not some victumless crime or consensual act. Throwing some 17 year old kid in prison for statuatory rape for a consensual sex act with a 15 year old girl was in itself an evil act of government oppression.

I don't give a damn to the darkness. I might be a wicked man who broke the ten commandments, but I still love good, and take it most. I believe that there is good and evil, but I don't fear evil when I believe in God.

A person don't have to look around too long to see that both of these exist.

I not only believe in good and evil but also where they both originate from.

If you are asking if there are good and evil people, then yes. If there is some mysterious "force" of good and evil, I doubt it.

How can you not believe in it when it's all around you?

I already said I belive in myself (good) and I believe in IJR, too.

Much of human existence has witnessed the operation of good against evil. It's out there, folks.

Yes, but I am suspicious of characterizations like 'pure good' or 'pure evil' as they are generally always oversimplifications, but cozy ones with which we can easily identify, most of us having been brought up on a diet of monotheism with the concept of angels and devils, 'Lord of The Rings' and 'Star Wars'. But these ultimately impede understanding. I prefer to skip the short cuts that they offer and try to draw my own conclusions.

I think there is such a thing, but it is a very subjective belief. My good might be someone else's evil and vice versa. Zoroastrianism in a nutshell, and then co-opted by many other religions along the way.

Randomocity makes a good point. Pretty much everyone has some good and some evil in them. There is a gray area.

In many situations, yes. It depends where you come from and how you were raised. ... A good person who commits himself to helping the needy deserves to be commended. An evil corporate pig who extorts money and cheats on his taxes deserves to be condemned.

Good and evil exist, but where is the line? Everyone has a bit of both.

Every person has a good and evil way of dealing with things. The 'good' entity and 'evil' entity are made up things. We decide what we do.

I have no doubts of the existence of good and evil. Both are all around us, and, I believe, are in a constant battle against each other. When I hear of little children brutally murdering other children for no reason, I think that is a result of evil overpowering.

There's really no denying that it's there. With people like Mother Theresa who devote their entire lives to helping people, to serial killers like Bundy, Gacy, Hitler etc...It's definitely present in the world.

Not in the absolute sense.The concept of Good vs Evil is a gross oversimplification.Things are Good or Evil more less according to what use they are put to.So-called evil is more often than not caused by ignorance.I would define Evil as doing harm with full knowledge that one is doing it.Which is often driven by Greed.

Good and evil certainly exist. They exist ubiquitously side by side within every one of us. Those who claim they are doing good are often committing evil in response to some other evil. Are you listening, George W. Bush?

good and evil is present in our every day lives. america vs the terrorists and the redsox vs the yankees are the two best examples my drunken ass can think of right now.

Without a doubt. I see good and evil as opposite ends of the same continuum, with most of us spending most of our time on the side where we are good to those around us. I find one of Abichara's comments on the topic to be especially thought-provoking: The greatest evil is sometimes committed by those who seek to end all wrongdoing in the first place. Indeed, some of the most clearly evil atrocities committed against humankind (The Holocaust, 9-11) are the result of instigators being so swept up in blind ideology that they could no longer distinguish that their version of good was in fact evil. When we start focussing our good deeds in terms of how much we can destroy what we interpret as evil, these concepts may no longer be 100% polar opposites.

Two examples of good vs evil example 1: a 50 year old man sues a 21 year old exotic dancer for money she owes him for a breast implants loan on Judge Joe Brown. The poor man loses his case because the evil young lady convinced Judge brown that the money he gave her was a gift, not a loan. Perfect example of evil winning the good-the 50 year old male plaintiff the evil-the 21 year old female exotic dancer who owes him money. Example 2: A woman is on trial for murdering her boyfriend for his money and she cried the battered woman's syndrome in her defense. Unfortunately, the jury believes her and she is acquitted. That would be evil winning.

Of course we live it everyday. We ourselves are either good or evil and this is by free will.

I think it depends on which perspective you have. 'Good' for one may be 'evil' to another.

Yes, I believe that there is such a thing in good and evil. Fundamentally, I see good as order and structure, doing the right thing at the material level. Evil is anarchy, doing what you want without caring about your fellow man. Some would argue that morality is a relative concept. What one society views as good another one views as evil and vice versa. There are noble values like not exploiting other people for personal benefit, kindness, and helpfulness. It's about how you treat your fellow man; some traditional societal practices are evil. Every society has evil to one degree or another. However, I have little tolerance for people who believe that they are in an eternal struggle against wrongdoing. Take for instance George W. Bush's constant referral to the evildoers. Yes, terrorists are evil, but he must realize that the greatest evil is sometimes committed by those who seek to end all wrongdoing in the first place. Such openended commitments ironically enough cause more evil. This will never be a utopia. As much as we want to believe that we can overcome our little demons, we never will because that's in our nature.

Yes, actions can be good or evil, however saying that people, countries and/or cultures are elementally good OR evil is very dangerous as they are usually a very complex mix of both.

This one was a toughie. If you're talking about the good and evil in people (I really wanted to clarify that because some people could be talking about 'evil' as in the devil and demons and all of that)then I would have to say no. I don't believe that a person can be absolutely evil or absolutely good. Think of it this way, as soon as we're born we have no prejudices, no judgement, no hate. We are innocent babies. It's how we grow up that affect our feelings and actions. And yeah, I suppose DNA has something to do with it but it's not the deciding factor. Now take me, for example. None of you know me but I can honestly tell you that for the most part I'm good. I like to think I have a kind soul. But let's say someone in my family dies at the hands of another person. Guess what? That person better watch out because I will be coming after them. And I have no idea what I'd do when I get my hands on them but you can be sure it won't be pretty. That event can trigger a whole different emotion in a person and I do believe that if I was in that situation I would go from a caring person to a vengeful and hateful person. Now about these jackasses (pardon my French) who simply do these senseless violence because they like it, well hey, I have nothing to say on their behalf. Maybe there really are demons that take over a person's body to make them do those things, I can find no other reasonable excuse for their actions.

Yes, I believe in good and evil, but unfortunately evil wins a lot. Best example of good winning: the Allies victory in World War II.

Good/Evil is a human concept and what actions fall into each category change with time and culture and from person to person. Just try this thought exercise: What is the difference between a Murderer and a Soldier? Or why is it when you kill a dozen people you are called a murderer but if you kill 1,000+ your a conquerer? What's the diference between a Pirate and a Privateer? There is no absolute Good or Evil.

I believe that evil wins when good people do nothing.

I believe in absolutes but I think that absolute evil and absolute good exist only in the spiritual realm. During our life on earth, we seem to be kind of floating through combinations and different levels of it with the ability and responsibility to choose. I don't think the existence of either is up for a vote though. I do, however, feel that people who seek the truth will be able to discern one from the other. All you really have to do is open your eyes - it's all around you.

Yup. You can try to live with the pretense of objectivity, but good and evil exist.

I suppose that some things are more 'evil' than others, but I don't think that there are absolutes in the world. Good and evil are pretty abstract concepts which are entirely subjective and therefore don't mean much as a standard of worth. Every person has their own definitions of good and evil. And since I don't believe in God or the Devil either, I really doubt that there will ever be a final battle between Good and Evil. The only struggle that seems to be occurring in the universe is that between chaos and order, and chaos is winning (and will never lose thanks to thermodynamics).

Yes! And, I do believe that one day good will conquer all evil. Until then, in the words of Buzz Lightyear, Evil never wins!