Root of all evil?

Discussion in 'Religion Archives' started by Thomas, Aug 9, 2006.

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What is the root of all evil?

  1. Money is the root of all evil

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  2. People are the root of all evil

    10 vote(s)
    37.0%
  3. God is the root of all evil

    10 vote(s)
    37.0%
  4. evil doesn't exhist

    7 vote(s)
    25.9%
  1. DJ Erock Resident Skeptic Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    458
    Girls evil, because money is the root of all evil, and here's how

    We all know that it takes time and money to keep a girl happy, so

    Girls = (Time)(Money)

    And, we all know the old saying "time is money", so

    Girls = (Money)(Money) or (Money)^2

    Of course, Money is the root of all evil

    Money = √(Evil)

    So therefore,

    Girls = (√(Evil))^2

    And cancel out the square and root.

    Girls = Evil.

    Therefore, Money must be the root of all evil, seeing as we know that girls are evil from personal experience.
     
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  3. candy Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    1,074
    To me greed is the root of all evil because the greedy do what ever they must do to acquire the object of their greed.
     
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  5. Gordon Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    173

    Absolutely true but the actual quote in context is aimed at christian preachers/leaders (as I have stated in an earlier post) so there are lessons to be learnt (especially by us christians) in that direction specifically as well as in the more general sense of greed which I agree causes so much harm in the world.

    regards,

    Gordon.
     
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  7. NooFas Registered Member

    Messages:
    25
    Humans created the distinction of good and evil, and have categorized different phenomenon as good or bad. So, it is humans alone that are at the root of evil.
     
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2006
  8. Hapsburg Hellenistic polytheist Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    5,224
    To quote the film Wallstreet:
    "Greed is good."
     
  9. c7ityi_ Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    1,924
    Why did we do that?
     
  10. purple_hairstreak My true colours clash Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    292
    Probably in order to co-exist, at least semi-peacefully with some sense (or illusion) of security.

    Anyway, I voted for evil doesnt exist. Because I think in reality, evil really doesn't exit. It is created by humans, so it exists only in our minds--which doesn't make it real.

    Of course, I'm not counting the true evils of the world--those of bad spelling, grammar and especially punctuation!

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

     
  11. c7ityi_ Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    1,924
    Why wouldn't evil be real if it only exists in our mind? The universe also exists in our mind. No one has ever experienced the universe except with the mind.

    I think we created good and evil because they exist in reality. If they didn't exist, we wouldn't have created them in the first place.

    Good and evil exist for the same reason as men and women exist. There is a distinction because we created it, and we created it because there really IS a distinction!! Somewhere... there is a distinction... nowhere...
     
  12. Hapsburg Hellenistic polytheist Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    5,224
    Because people are stupid animals. Your analogy does not work. The universe exists and has been proven to exist via physical evidence. Good and evil are abstract ethical concepts that vary from person to person.
     
  13. KennyJC Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    2,936
    Whilst the 'war on terror' is indeed a cover to further self-interests such as oil etc, there are several factors involved.

    Bush would not have gotten support from his citizens if it werent for the religious right saying "We can do what the hell we want, because we know it's right, and if they (secular Europe), don't like that, then they can butt out"

    Secondly, the behavior of religious leaders and followers in the Middle East has done themselves no favours for making themselves easy targets.

    Thirdly, a secular nation like Sweden gives no reason to attack or be attacked. If it had oil, then it would not be attacked by any secular nation. Not even whacko religious American's could find an excuse.

    Desire... yes, in the hands of fundamentalist religious nutjobs, it's a dangerous thing.
     
  14. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    72,825
    I think this was more due to misleading statements that gave an impression of ties between Al-Qaeda and Saddam. I doubt they were protecting Christianity- they were all freaked out post-9/11

    What religious leaders? They are all dictators. And you might ask yourself why they are so belligerent.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Middle_East#European_domination

    The US has conducted incursions into 21 countries in the last 50 years. Do you believe they all wanted it? Or that the incursions were justified?

    So there is no crime in the secular countries? The prisons are empty?
    The government is flawless?
    Not selling arms or anything to undemocratic regimes, are they?
    Or setting up monumental debts in exchange for aid to Third World countries?
    You don't always need to wield the weapon yourself to kill somebody.


    It's human nature. I just realised from Jaster's thread that all you rational scientific minds have no background in philosophy. I had not realised this, but now I understand why the arguments in the religion section are the way they are. Do they not offer philosophy in school?


    As long as there are human beings there is desire and uncontrolled desire can lead to evil.
     
  15. NooFas Registered Member

    Messages:
    25
    Categorization has been helpful to humans. If I am in a situation where my visual field contains a rock and a lion, then I am fortunate that my brain categorizes them as two separate objects on this particular level instead of categorizing the scene as existing merely of smaller component parts. Seeing and having the full concept of a lion is useful, while having the concept of a foot and rock and teeth all in the same area is not. Similarly, viewing the scene as a massive interaction of particles is not useful. So the brain, at some higher level of abstraction, has allowed us to categorize things in useful ways. Good and evil as linguist entities have helped convey to other people what should be avoided and what should not be. This doesn't mean that something is intrinsically good or bad though. Giving things characteristics such as “good”, “strong” or “tall” are helpful in defining new concepts such as “lion” and “chair”. But, these characteristics that must be used to understand a new concept that we give those characteristics are generally given by conscious beings and are not intrinsic to the concept itself.
     
  16. KennyJC Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    2,936
    They weren't protecting Christianity. Right wing religious are just pro war full stop.


    Religious leaders AND the citizens by and large.

    Wow you spotted that even secular countries aren't perfect. Congratulations. Although I believe the subject was war? And correlation between participants of war and level of religious fundamentalism in participating countries?


    Religion is dogma. Very different to philosophy.


    And to be non-religious means you will more likely be lead to rationalism rather than 'evil' as the newspapers show each day. A country filled with atheists will be a rational and secure place. A country filled with people frothing at the mouth over a sky fairy isn't.
     
  17. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    72,825
    So left wing religious aren't?
    And India is a deeply religious country; and we are not pro-war. In fact, we are the largest secular democracy, with representatives of all major world religions.

    I still don't see the religious leaders; and I do not believe the people are pro-war. That is an uninformed statement.

    And yet there have been two World Wars largely in Europe. And the EU is not made of only secular countries.

    I've studied both and there is a lot of overlap. If you mean the way that religion is organised in the West, that again is about power, not religion.


    I don't see any rationalism in the obviously uninformed declarations made by atheists in this forum. And you don't need a sky fairy to froth at the mouth over. The reason why there is no war there, is because none of those countries have military aspirations for power or land. But that does not mean that such competition cannot exist in the future, e.g. if the US feels threatened or competed against for resources. Look how Saddam's declaration to sell his oil in Euros turned out.
     
  18. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    72,825
    So left wing religious aren't?
    And India is a deeply religious country; and we are not pro-war. In fact, we are the largest secular democracy, with representatives of all major world religions.

    I still don't see the religious leaders; and I do not believe the people are pro-war. That is an uninformed statement.

    And yet there have been two World Wars largely in Europe. And the EU is not made of only secular countries.

    I've studied both and there is a lot of overlap. If you mean the way that religion is organised in the West, that again is about power, not religion.


    I don't see any rationalism in the obviously uninformed declarations made by atheists in this forum. And you don't need a sky fairy to froth at the mouth over. The reason why there is no war there, is because none of those countries have military aspirations for power or land. But that does not mean that such competition cannot exist in the future, e.g. if the US feels threatened or competed against for resources. Look how Saddam's declaration to sell his oil in Euros turned out.

    PS this discussion is turning political; let's try to go back on topic
     
  19. Satyr Banned Banned

    Messages:
    1,896
    Why don’t you preface your question with a definition of what you consider “evil” and how this definition is not entirely subjective and then maybe we can continue with this absurdity?
     
  20. c7ityi_ Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    1,924
    Sensational "evidence", because we experience everything physical with our senses. Physical is anything we can touch, see, smell, hear, taste -- sensational.
    -
    I agree that good and evil are subjective/personal, however, that doesn't mean that they don't exist.
     
  21. the preacher fur is loose 666 Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    476
    god is the root of evil, but it is man made, its because 4 billion people believes it's real that we must hold it subjective existence to task.
    and heres a little song I found, I thought it was apt.


    sang to the tune of Nine Million Bicycles by Katie Melua

    There are four billion lunatics in the world
    That's a fact,
    It's a thing we can't deny
    Like the fact that they will kill, you and I.

    there are nineteen major religions in the world
    270 minor ones,
    they all think theres is true
    and I know that they will all try to, kill you.

    Chorus
    34000 smaller christian sects, who preach love everyday
    will call us liar's,
    because they dont believe anything that we say

    There are two billion muslims in the world
    More or less
    and it makes me feel quite small
    because these will kill you, worst of all

    Chorus
    uneducated killers
    With the world in their sights
    And they'll never tire,
    Of the killing the innocent, every night

    There are four billion crazies in the world
    That's a Fact,
    it's a thing we can't deny
    they are just out to kill, you and I

    There are four billion madmen in the world
    why dont we just lay down, and die!


    good ai'nt it, should be a hit.
     
  22. wsionynw Master Queef Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    1,309
    Human desires, yes? Therefore humans are the root of all evil. You could argue that animals desire sex, power and land (male Lions for example), but this does not work as it is always based on the struggle for survival and not greed.
     
  23. c7ityi_ Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    1,924
    yes but why do humans have such desires, because god made us so so god is the root, but god is like "nature" so it thinks nothing and has no choice and its not his fault he exists and creates everything so nothing is the root of evil, and it's not nothingness's fault that it exists/existed but it doesn't matter because fault means cause

    sdf
     

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