----- Original Message ----- From: "Sonja van Baardwijk-Holten" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, July 05, 2002 2:56 AM Subject: Re: Religion and ethics
> Robert Seeberger wrote: > > > There is good in the world and there is evil. And while the world is not > > painted black and white, I do believe there is some responsibility to to a > > member of a civilisation to fight against evil. And perhaps against those > > who enable it. > > Define 'evil', define 'good'.... :o) I think that you'll find that it is very > much context dependent. Evil is the willful causing of harm to people or the delibrate refusal to stop preventable harm. Good is the willful causing of benefit to people or the delibrate stopping of harm. I'll agree that in many real life situations, the effects of actions are uncertain. Actions may cause both harm and good, and reasonable people may differ on the balance. What I am talking about is the existance of truth: some actions are good and some are evil. It is evil to kidnap a young girl, torture rape and kill her. It is good to run into a burning building, risking your life so that many more may live. Do you also believe that good and evil are just a matter of opinion? Dan M.
