I don't believe there is an 'evil force'. Actions as you described, 'harm for harm's sake, are in line with the assertion of the original post. 'Evil is a product of the actions of mankind.' When one violates the sanctity of another's Life they relinquish the sanctity of their own. With that view, self defense does no harm, the initiator harms them self.
peace & Love On May 9, 10:54 am, RichardM <[email protected]> wrote: > I think I will stick with the definition of evil given by Goethe's > Mephistopheles: that force that always negates. It is evil to harm > for the sake of doing harm. On the other hand, sometimes it is > necessary to do harm for the sake of a greater good, as in the case of > self-defense. That, as Niebuhr wrote, is the source of tragedy. > > On May 9, 8:04 am, Tinker <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Saying that you had judged by the ten commandments was referring to > > the strictness that you use to say we are not basically good. > > Gruff, we all make mistakes. Moral codes and especially laws are not > > true measures of good. We all have a 'heart' that does tend to guide > > us toward good. > > > peace & Love > > > On May 8, 3:01 pm, gruff <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Not necessarily. The decalogue is god-based and I'm atheist. But > > > apply any set of rules, law and/or moral codes and the same thing > > > applies. We are all guilty of something, somewhere, sometime. > > > > On May 7, 11:22 am, Tinker <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > I think you must be using the ten commandments to judge good :-) > > > > > peace & Love > > > > > On May 7, 1:08 pm, gruff <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > I have to disagree with the conclusion that people are mostly good, or > > > > > at least modify it to say that for the most part people behave in a > > > > > manner which allows them to live within the boundaries of society. > > > > > But there's not a one of us who are not guilty of something somewhere > > > > > sometime, and most of us far more than de minimis. We all bend, > > > > > warp, twist and crack the law and our moral codes whatever they may > > > > > be. Let he (or she) who is without wrong cast the first stone. > > > > > > On May 5, 6:20 am, Rosey <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > People are mostly good, but what do they matter when we have > > > > > > influential political authorities that are not? Who makes the > > > > > > bigger > > > > > > difference? They lead and conformists willingly follow, regardless > > > > > > of > > > > > > a subconcious knowledge that wrongdoing is involved. > > > > > > > It will often be difficult to find the owner of a traceless $20 > > > > > > bill. > > > > > > However, the attempt to do so is noble in itself. > > > > > > > On May 5, 5:06 am, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > I see things a little differantly Allan, > > > > > > > > People are mostly good and kind, I also belive this,(the obviouse > > > > > > > caveat being racists being good and kind to only their 'own > > > > > > > people'). > > > > > > > But people are easily corruptable also. > > > > > > > > Many people are not by their nature thiefes or untrustworthy, but > > > > > > > I > > > > > > > wonder how many people who find say £20 laying there in the street > > > > > > > would attempt to trace it's rightfull owner or just pocket it? > > > > > > > > On 5 May, 09:15, iam deheretic <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > Personally I think people are very good and kind , it is built > > > > > > > > into their > > > > > > > > core being and no escaping it,, the real problem comes from the > > > > > > > > few who for > > > > > > > > their own gain what ever the reason turn away from this basic > > > > > > > > goodness and > > > > > > > > create the hardships and problems that are commonly labled as > > > > > > > > evil. > > > > > > > > Allan > > > > > > > > > On Tue, May 5, 2009 at 9:56 AM, ornamentalmind > > > > > > > > <[email protected]>wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Of course if one is looking for a collective mentality…it is > > > > > > > > > already > > > > > > > > > here. If one isn’t aware of it, then yes, one most likely is > > > > > > > > > manifesting some of what you call negative aspects. This is > > > > > > > > > why the > > > > > > > > > only way to this full unity is through full and totally > > > > > > > > > transcendental > > > > > > > > > introspection. Until the psyche is clarified, the confusion, > > > > > > > > > illusion, > > > > > > > > > hatreds, disillusionments etc. will be all that is seen. > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > > ( > > > > > > > > ) > > > > > > > > I_D Allan- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Minds-Eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
