What Acts are "evil." Which People are "evil?"
Commenters on this blog often use the word "evil" to condemn some activity or person they do not like. I suppose the most frequent activity the is "evil" is abortion. Probably gay marriage or homosexual acts have been called "evil." Homosexuality has slipped off the leader board of sins lately and trans has moved up to the top. I would guess many Christians in the U.S. would call trans "evil" today.
I'm not an authority on theology so I can't identify specific sins listed in the Bible that reach the lofty category of "evil." The word "abomination" is used for a label against homosexual acts. I don't know if this is synonymous with "evil" or not. I dismiss this anyway because I've read "abomination" is a poor translation from the original language texts.
Recently I read a "call to arms" on a Christian site which says the world is falling to evil. Christians should recognize this and wage a counter offensive the post admonishes. I was interested in learning what sins specifically are "evil." The article did not disappoint. "A tidal wave of evil is sweeping all nations on earth." The evils are "pornography, homosexuality, transgenderism, abortion drugs and alcohol abuse."
The author is a religious leader in Nigeria. In Nigerian law, homosexuality is punishable by up to 14 years of imprisonment. Perhaps the simple and clear distinction between good and evil in the article reflects to some degree a reflection of cultural bias in Nigeria but the general theme he advocates is not far off from millions of Christians in the U.S. We all know there are thousands of cases of clergy sexually harming others including children.
Some countries on the African continent have laws that punish homosexuality with death. Whether it is 14 years in prison or death, it is these kinds of laws that are barbaric. The religious term for these countries is "evil." Yet, Christian denominations are expanding into Africa. Much is made at how successful Christianity has been in places where homosexuality is a crime.
We know laws or generally agreed upon norms are needed in every society. Notions that are only religious and don't involve harm to others in society need to be kept out of our laws. We don't need religious leaders to instruct we who are "lessors" on how to conduct ourselves.
Instead, we need religious leaders in both the U.S. and Africa to take the logs out of their own eyes.
As in the linked article: To preach that it is a “demonic idea” that humans are fundamentally good and have the capacity to be moral without need for Christ’s sacrifice, is divisive nonsense intended to set apart and harden the hearts of the faithful. To those afflicted with this bunk I say; “There are victims of your faith.” So ditch your Christian persecution complex. And as the body count mounts from the current fit of self-righteous Christian piety in politics, bitterness towards the faith increases in proportion. It is hard to step out of your Bible Bubble and look around without a jaundiced eye but Christian love must be beyond good and evil or not at all.
ReplyDeleteWhat is evil? A god that has a devil for a father. Who is evil? A god that has a devil for a father.
Careful Jon; You are approaching original sin.
Deletehelper--"Careful Jon; You are approaching the original sin."
DeleteI've been given a pass and am allowed to eat apples.
Jon; "Apples" isn't mentioned. Only fruit on trees. The artists liked to paint apples. Could have been bread fruit, figs, oranges, etc.
Deletehelper "could have been fruit on trees."
DeleteActually, I knew that from previous comments. I've been given a pass on fruit on trees.
this is for Jon, not Arby. are we then to assume that evil is in the eye of the beholder? or is evil only that which does not harm to another? what, then, is it to cause harm to another? using the "wrong" pronoun? doing drugs: something that harms oneself but, for vaious reasons, also harms the body politic? I could go on. but I can say that before you flaunt the "harm" theory of ethics, you had better have a damn good definition of harm.
ReplyDeletetsm "but I can say that before you flaunt the "harm" theory of ethics you had better have a darn good definition of harm."
DeleteI agree it is not always easy to define. In a democracy it's a collective project. City councils, state legislators, court, Congress, they spend all year every year figuring this out--changing their minds sometimes. That said, the definition will be more accurate and measurable than that of "evil."
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Deletetsm--"BTW, evil is, strictly speaking, not measurable."
DeleteGood comment. When religious people say "evil" is taking over the world, its whacko. It's a subjective and political word.
that is not what I meant at all. you missed the bus by a mile. just shows that, given your mind-set, everything is reduced to the lowest comon denominator.
Deletetsm "that is not what I meant at all. you missed the bus by a mile."
ReplyDeleteActually, I know exactly what you meant. Your posts have a very predictable pattern. You want to steer the conversation toward something which has no accountability or measurement. You consider yourself an expert in lofty religious thinking. I am not interested in that kind of meaningless propaganda. I like having you here, but I also like having rational discussions.
au contraire. you didn't miss the bus, you didn't even know that there was a bus. and where in hell did you get the idea about "lofty religious thinking". evil is real, very real, even tho' not measurable. latest news: not everything that exists in the universe is measuable. besides, when challenged, you retreat into a kind of solipsism: it isn't real, it's just all in your head. BTW, is everthing in your field (economics) measurable? if it was, economists would have a far easier job than they do.
Deletetsm "evil is real, very real, even thou not measurable."
ReplyDeleteYou remind me of the fundamentalist church grew up in. Sin was (is) BIG. Also reminds me of Prothero's book where he said Christianity is basically all about sin. People like you measure sin even though you don't seem to know you are doing it. You have already told us abortion IS evil. That is, you have measured sins and know some measure higher than others. Abortion is measured to be so big some priests will not give Biden communion. My former denomination now bills itself as inclusive, one world, no racial discrimination. But it has kicked out two churches each year for two years because the churches hosted gay marriages. That denomination measures evil. A prominent ND retired politician wrote on Face Book that sin is not an issue because sins are forgiven. No, they are not. As you say, there is EVIL.
There cannot be a Catholic Church unless sin can be measured. Evil is a kind of sin so evil is being measured. In the real world we measure bad behavior by how much harm it does to others. Murder does more harm than robbery. Things work out ok if we can keep religion in its box when making these rules about behavior.