Where does evil come from?

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11 Answers

Taylor Brookes Profile
Taylor Brookes answered

It comes from humans because it is a human idea.

Darik Majoren Profile
Darik Majoren answered

It goes against Self Survival.

Intentionally doing harm to others goes against Reciprocity, and Empathy . . . Mix this with the gene's that make someone highly aggressive . . . You have a Psychopath. Since we didn't have the means to diagnose, we branded such actions under "Evil".

We lump those thing that go against basic human caring and dignity this way.
Good and Evil are from our earliest understandings of Light and Dark or Day and Night.

For theists, it is God whom is the creator of all things, and He boasts this very thing in Isaiah 45:7.

Hope This Helps Profile
Hope This Helps answered

Evil is a behavior, that can originate in the thoughts of a mind, when one intends to carry out a harmful impulse or desire.

The first record of the development of "evil" desire and intent, is recorded at Genesis chapter 4, verse 1-5, where a sly individual set himself against God, to imply that Jehovah, was the liar: 

"Did God really say that you must not eat from every tree of the garden?”

The Woman replied: "You must not eat from it, no, you must not touch it; otherwise you will die."

And the response given to the woman- perhaps the original lie- was: “You certainly will NOT die."

The suggestion that Jehovah God was 'afraid' of the mortal couple, was absurd, of course.  And charge the that they might pose a threat to God, reach a par with Him, in power and wisdom, was hardly better. 

That single act- to slander and devalue Jehovah- sparked a long series of harmful, evil acts, that have caused unthinkable distresses for humankind.  And a series of evils.

AnnNettie Paradise Profile

Being imperfect, evil comes from within us. Daily we have to fight to do what is right, because doing good does not come naturally. The bible describes it as a struggle that we have within ourselves. (Romans 7:19) That is why it is vital to heed the bible's counsel to "return evil for evil with no one" and to "keep conquering the evil with the good" as Jesus did. (Luke 23:34) 

Because good conquers evil every time an evil thought is rejected, every time we refuse to return evil for evil.

Megan goodgirl Profile
Megan goodgirl answered

Satan.

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Darik Majoren
Darik Majoren commented
IF that were true, Lucifer would only be the medium by which Evil propagates . . God boasts of Creating Evil (Ra) in Isaiah 45:7
Tom  Jackson
Tom Jackson commented
@Dark Majinn

The point of that passage in Isaiah is that whatever questions you come across in life, God is your only answer.

Trying to assuage "Evil" is futile.
Darik Majoren
Darik Majoren commented
"God is your only answer" - I can agree that this is exactly what He was saying in that verse . . He created it all . . .

So, based on that I think we are both in agreement?
Charles Davis Profile
Charles Davis answered

"Evil is in the hearts of mortal men" (not sure if that is an accurate quote). However the OT says that God created evil. Christianity and the NT say Satan is the reason for evil, the only problem is, God created Satan, so he still created evil. But I go with the quote.

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Tom  Jackson
Tom Jackson commented
Yeah, it seems like circular reasoning---on the other hand, my sons know I love them because I both tell them and show them and thus their conviction about the issue becomes more real.

I personally prefer syllogisms and near linear progressions--- but then there is the Fibonacci sequence.
Darik Majoren
Darik Majoren commented
“Responding to atheist claims about the inconsistencies of the Bible and still trying to reply from the one tool box that we both carry without using the more powerful tools of the second box that only I carry occasionally makes me appear clumsy and frequently give me headache” - Don’t sell yourself short Thomas. The “Second Tool Box” is the virtuosity of Faith? I just wanted to make sure that I read this correctly. So within this God given gift (that IS what the Virtue of Faith is . . “God Given”), you are able to provide “deeper” context then the original scribers of the Holy Texts?

I ask because this is a common theme with theists when confronted with contrasting ideas within their infallible Bible. To the Atheists they are mere words written down, but they take on deeper meaning therefore CORRECT interpretation when viewed through these God given “Faith Goggles”. I won’t even get into how ANYTHING God given when it comes to actual belief in God is more Calvinistic in ideology then Catholic or Protestant.
Darik Majoren
Darik Majoren commented
I submit that IF the first tool box was given to man BY God (We’ve already covered in another thread that God created everything), then it is sufficient enough to provide all the determination of context one needs to understand these texts. Further, if Faith, as a given virtue, is needed as some sort of Supernatural cryptic key to unlocking ACTUAL truth/meaning within the scriptures then all religions that believe in the “Same” God should be in agreement regarding their particular Church Doctrines.

So you can see how it is that atheists don’t really “buy into” the concept of God given (thus inspired) virtues, especially when it has to do with the very real belief in HIM.
otis campbell Profile
otis campbell answered

Evil comes from all sorts of things the beutifull poppy flower but it brings us heroin. Leaves from plants turn into cocaine a highly addictive drug. So what looks pretty can fool u

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Darik Majoren
Darik Majoren commented
All though I am not sure either plants sentient enough to have had insidious designs on the fall of humanity, I am positive man will continue to find ways to kill himself.

Addictive personalities are both Genetic and Indoctrinated.
Smiley Crankenhoof Profile

Evil started with the first generation of Man and has been carried forward ever since. Evil produces evil.

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Darik Majoren
Darik Majoren commented
Is Evil really Evil in the context that we label it as such?
Is a Serial killer Evil? What then after he is put to death for his crimes and during the autopsy we find a tumor growing in the part of his brain that destroyed his ability to feel emotion and increased his rage? . . . is this evil?
Smiley Crankenhoof
Evil begins where lack of empathy for others starts. Torturing another human being for instance is generally considered evil. Torturing another person for no other reason than the enjoyment of seeing another person in pain could possibly be seen as evil by even the least empathic among us. There are some standards that make such sense, that are so logical, that barely any empathy is required to judge some actions as evil.
Darik Majoren
Darik Majoren commented
So you might want to do some reading regarding psychopaths . . . Genetically, and through environmental forces outside their control, they can have Greatly reduced (To almost nonexistent) empathy. The section of the brain responsible for this is identical in almost every psychopath.
This is one of the reasons why facial micro gestures as well as macro gestures are lost to them. They cannot successfully "Read Pain" in another's face . . .
So again, is this evil or is it nature?
Evil is something ascribed to a supernatural force that has sway over and against those who do good or good in general . . .
If lack of Empathy is considered "Evil" what of those whom have no control of this, and are born as such . . .

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