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SCHMOLL'S ENGLISH 305...WELCOME TO THE COURSE BLOG.
As an online course, the writing that we do in English 305 is substantially different from a face to face course. As such, it is imperative that you understand the course style from the start. Nearly all of your work in this course will be posted on the course blog. EACH WEEK YOU WILL HAVE THREE BLOG ASSIGNMENTS: 1. A BLOG ENTRY, 2. A READING, AND 3. A WRITING ABOUT THE READING.
Your reading and writing on the blog must be completed by the Friday (by midnight) of the week in which the reading falls. You have all week each week to complete the reading and writing for that week, but there are no late assignments accepted, so be sure to be disciplined about the work from the start.
Let me re-state that point; if you do the assigned work before or during the week it is due, you will receive full credit. If you do the work after the Friday of the week it is assigned, you will get zero credit for that week.
Grading Scale
GRADING SCALE:
Weekly Blog Entries: 10%
Writing About the Reading: 10%
Restaurant Review: 20% (DUE SEPT 24)
Tipping Point Essay Final Draft: 30% (ROUGH DRAFT DUE OCT 28) (FINAL DRAFT DUE NOV 4)
In Class Essay: 10%
Peer Revision: 10%
Participation: 10%
Friday, August 12, 2011
WEEK EIGHT: October 31-November 4...WEEK EIGHT BLOG ENTRY
WEEK EIGHT BLOG ENTRY: Why is there evil in the world?
I believe that there is evil in the world to remind us of what is good and pure. We are all aware of what evil is and what entitles into something being evil, but would we really know what evil was if we did not have good? I do not think so. I mean what good would it be if there was only good, it would just be handed to us, we would not have to work for it; what is something worth if it is just handed to you.
You appreciate something way more when you work for it and earn it; in the end that makes you more satisfied than anything. In the end our decisions strengthen us and teach us right from wrong. Evil teaches us to be grateful for what we have and who we are. As much as one might hate evil, I think we should thank it for showing us what is wrong and leading us to prevail for good and become a better person!
I think there is evil in the world because it is just part of human nature. People can be good. People can be evil. Or they can be some combination of the two. The evil in the world gives many of us a much greater respect for the good out there. In some ways it helps give perspective on what it means to be good. Ultimately, I think the decision to be good or evil relies on the individual. It just take knowledge of both sides of the coin for the decision to have significant meaning.
Kyle- I definitely agree with you in that evil is in the world because it’s just part of human nature. I think that evil along with suffering is inevitable because life is an experience that does not come with a filter. People have the choice to do good or bad, and unfortunately there are many individuals out there that will make bad choices. Examples of what I am referring to as bad choices that are evil in this world are things like murder, stealing, committing adultery, and abuse, just to name a few.
I also think that evil and suffering is inevitable because of all the natural catastrophes that happen all around the world. We see many innocent people die as the result of natural catastrophes like we saw in the disaster caused by hurricane Katrina or the earthquake in Haiti. Seeing things like this happening around the world should make us very grateful for the things we have and grateful that we haven’t had to face a situation like those who were affected.
Ana Garcia- I agree with you that it is human nature to have the desire to work hard for things in order for us to value the accomplishments we accomplish. Most importantly, I agree that if we did not know what evil meant, we would never understand what good is. Great points!!!
Kyle Bennett- Yes, it is up to the individual to decide whether he or she will be good or evil. Honestly, the individual is responsible for his or her actions, good or bad.
Brenda- I agree with you that evil is inevitable. As you mentioned, the catastrophes that happen around the world are a good example of explaining that evil is inevitable.
As many of you have mentioned, evil is part of human nature, and it is inevitable. I think that being evil causes pleasure to some people. Therefore, individuals try to satisfy their pleasure by making evil decisions even though those decisions will cause harm to other individuals, themselves, communities, or even their families. I do not believe that evil is good. However, without knowing the significance of evil, as human, we would not appreciate the good in the world or even be able to recognize the good in life. My fiancé always tells me, “How would you appreciate sunny days if it weren’t for thundery storms?” His saying puts a lot of things in perspective, such as this one. Overall, evil exists because some individuals enjoy being evil. It seems strange that people want to be evil on purpose, but life happens. It is simply part of human nature.
Agreeing with what Kyle says from the beginning, evil spurs from human nature. I believe that is it in human nature to survive. People will do almost anything to survive. This world has become plush with conveniences and this allows people to let their guard down. It has become easy for society to recieve what it needs and the fight for survival is not as apparent as in the past. If people were stripped of their comforts and put into nature, their first instinct would be to fight if something would threaten their well being. I believe evil stems from people who fear they have something to lose and they are fighting to survive. Whether it be a mental struggle or an actual day to day struggle to get by, people will fight to survive and I believe that is where the line between good and evil gets blurred.
Why is there evil in the world? I agree with Tysanne in that evil is part of human nature. Evil is everywhere! I think that if we didn’t have evil we would not appreciate the good in life. I think that evil for some people is a way of gratification, what they look forward to in a days’ time. While as for others, evil is something that brings harm, and is hurtful to an individual. Everyone feels differently about good and evil, but I think that evil is in all of us even when we don’t intend to be evil. I think that the line between good and evil has become blurry to many individuals because in order to survive in today’s society, sometimes we just have to be evil. People have come to a place in life where being evil is the only way to survive. As our society becomes harder and more competitive to survive in we will see more evil because everyone is fighting for themselves. I have always been told “you have to take the bad with the good” and honestly I think that that saying sums up why there is evil in the world. I think life would be unappreciated if we didn’t know what it was like to have evil surround us. Stephanie Nodal
Brenda, I think you make a very interesting point about evil and the natural catastrophes. Natural disaster is out of our control! We cannot sit here and take all the evil away that can harm many people, we can only hope that one will survive the evil that comes there way. Hurricane Katrina and the earthquake in Haiti were very horrific disasters that no one could do anything about. As a factor of where you are in the world and how you perceive things, one learns how to manage and understand that you have to take the good with the bad. That was a great example of evil and how it affects many lives in society. Stephanie Nodal
I agree with many of you and believe that there is evil in the world because it is part of human nature, but I also think that there has to be some sort of evil in the world to make it go round. People have to learn what is good and evil and they may make some bad choices before they even realize that it was evil. Without evil in the world, we wouldn't now what was good. The evil in the world is what teaches people what is good. Without evil the world would be lacking many things including jobs. Evil may not be a good thing, but it is a helpful tool in peoples lives.
Kyle, Your post is great! I think you are right about there are good people and there are bad people. The trick is how to decide which type of person you want to be. I think you are absolutely right about being knowledgeable of both side to have the decision mean something significant. Stephanie Nodal
I agree with many of the posts that evil is a part of human nature. There are people who are good and people who are evil. These people can straddle the line from time to time but I also believe that we are all capable of being evil. We choose to be good because of what we have learned in life and because many of us know what the difference between good and evil is. Still there are those select few who choose to be evil and may even be destined to be evil. Look at Hitler, the man was pure evil because of his actions that resulted in the loss of millions of lives. I also believe that you must have evil if you are to have good in this world. It is almost like yin and yang, you can't have one without the other.
Kyle Iam totally agree with you and impressed from your thinking that Evilin this world is present because it is human nature,people can be good and bad. Evil and goodness is part of human natureand two sides of coin, it depends upon on individual which part of coin he wants to use.One benefit of evil is ,that it teaches us to respect good things and respect and value good.When a person saw evil then he realizes value of good.Evil and goodness is two sides of coin,but a good person always chooses right and good side.some sort of evil is sometimes good to incite or encourage for good butevil in real meaning is really bad.iN "Shri Bagdvadh Gita"The holy spritual book of Hindus, Lord krishna says that Lord gave birth to human being with good intention and human being adopted evil behaviour also.Lord can show people but indulging in evil is part of human nature and a person does bad according to his nature ,Lord can show him path but going on evil path is human nature and human being has to pay for evil/bad nature later on as theory of KARMA. so I think , evil and goodness is always present in world but to act according one side of coin is totally human nature.....I am sorry if somebody is not agree with me.. but these are my views according to my beleif........veena kumari
The concepts of good and evil cross the boundaries of finite scientific intelligence into a realm that can include spiritual beliefs, world views, family values, psychology, philosophy, and even sociology. There are infinite discussions and theories on good and evil. Our uniqueness as human beings is that we possess the cognitive processes to construct our views on these concepts. Some are influenced by their culture and their family, others form their beliefs after they become adults. For me, my convictions were built over my childhood and have continued into adulthood as I have gained more knowledge and understanding. As Veena wrote, I also have a strong belief in where good and evil come from. Jesus Christ said in the Bible, "There is none good but God." God is good and is the source of goodness. The story is told of creation and how Adam and Eve were created in the beginning as complete 3 part human beings with body, soul, and spirit. Their bodies were formed from the dust of the ground, God created in them a spirit that was His form and image, and then He breathed the breath of life into them and "man became a living soul." Further, the story is told of an earlier event in the book of Isaiah, where Lucifier, one of God's archangels tried to rise up against God and take God's place. So God threw Lucifer out of heaven along with a 1/3 of the angels and was figuratively made to crawl upon his belly on the ground as a serpent. Lucifer is called by many names including the devil, satan, that old bird, the father of lies, the enemy, the deceiver, the serpent, the god of this world, and the evil one. Thus, this is where evil came from. When Adam and Eve were deceived by the serpent in the garden their connection with God was lost through their created spirits and they had to leave the garden and begin to work as just body and soul beings, now two part. They had a choice and they choice to believe the serpent rather than to believe what God said. They began then to have children and pass on their disobedient nature to all humankind. Many of you wrote about the evil nature that humans are born with, and this is why. There is, of course, more to the story and the availability to regain spirit individually by what we choose to believe regarding God. But, it is a freewill decision. Thus, God is the source of all Goodness, and evil is present in this world because of the one called the evil one.
I realize that no one has to agree with my personal belief system, and that is exactly right. We all have our freedom to choose what we would like to believe. I have the utmost respect for all belief choices. This is a very simple explanation of my own convictions and perhaps will add a positive, interesting point of view to our discussion on why there is evil in this world.
It is hard to say for sure why there is evil in our world. My explanation on this is somewhat of an unrealistic way of thinking about people and what goes through our minds. With that being said, I think evil is just an unfortunate state that some people are in. In my Opinion, I think people are generally good; it’s just the evil ones have been through horrible things more than others. I do believe in evil spirits but I don’t think they can have so much control over you that they make you do things unwillingly. Nor do I believe that we can be born evil, so to me, the only difference between good and evil in people are environments and experiences.
I think that this is a pretty difficult question to answer, since the question never defined what “evil” is. Evil can be defined many different ways depending on who you ask. If you asked a very religious person what were their thoughts on abortion, they would likely say that it is evil, whereas a pro-choice person would argue that not giving a woman the right to choose is evil. A vegan could say that humans killing animals for food is evil, even though most of the world’s population eats meat. In this world, we have Muslim extremists who think that Americans and Jews are evil and that killing them is a form of justice. Some people even consider something as tame as rock as evil.
It also begs the question, what is good? Many would say that religion is good. But, throughout history, religions have been responsible for many atrocious acts such as the destruction of foreign cultures and the slaughter of many.
In all of those examples, each person perceived evil to be many different things. So, what evil is exactly is really in the eye of the beholder, and I think that’s why “evil” exists. When we have the free will and the freedom to develop differing opinions and lifestyles that are so extreme from one another, we can perceive the ideas and people that are radically different from us as evil. And that’s why evil will continue to exist. As long as we have the freedom to form different beliefs and different opinions based on self-interest, or even our group’s interest, we will always have some form of evil. If we all agreed about everything, and we lived our lives exactly the same way, what would be considered evil?
I think that there is evil in the world because some people's brains are not wired to always think what to do what is moral. There is too much temptation in the world for everyone to avoid doing bad things. In some cases, people might make a "rational" decision that will cause something evil to happen. People are always going to be backwards in their logic. When Hitler rose to power, he thought what he was doing was the right thing to do. But in everyone else's eyes, he was commiting acts that were evil. It is too hard to live our lives making the right choice at every opportunity. There are always going to be times where we are tempted to commit an evil act and there will be times when we act on that temptation. It is in human nature to think this way. That's why I think evil exists.
Wow, there are so many interesting points of view for this weeks post. I really appreciated what each of us perceives as evil and good also. This subject is one that I think can only be expressed as a form of belief because we all have the choice to design our own value for evil and good. One can say religion is evil, or people are evil, or weather is evil, or cutting down trees is evil, or even killing animals for food is evil. If we are tempted to evil, then what tempts us to commit evil? It's a discussion that prompts many more questions in order for us to be able to discern the conceptual definition of evil. As Matthew pointed out, we all have our right to choose, and yet it is also true that one person's judgment of what is evil may not be thought of as evil by another. Just because a person is considered "religious" doesn't lump them in with anti-abortion sentiments, it's a personal choice to decide what you believe in. Religious thoughts are systems of belief. Religion did not commit the atrocious acts of the Spanish Inquisition, and there were unspeakable acts of cruelty, murder, and evil. But these acts were all committed by people. These people had a choice. It is also true that there are some acts judged as evil by a broad spectrum of different kinds of people, all with different beliefs and value systems. I really appreciated what Veena had to say about Lord Krisna because it expresses a belief and a value system that recognizes a moralistic standard which conceives evil and sets methods of behavior to avoid it. Also, it takes a very strong character to be able to stand for what you believe no matter what others may decide they have the right to judge against you for. It was very courageous and impressive.
Evil keeps the world in check. I agree with everyone else that good and evil are part of human nature. It depends on the person and how they perceive good and evil. But, I think that everyone who is a decent human being that have some morals can differentiate the good from the evil. It is sad when evil things happen and evil people do bad things. I do believe that good can come from evil. It can build character, teach patience, and help one another. If someone has been through a tragedy, and another person is experiencing that same kind of evil, the person who has been through that can help them the them out and be there for that person. I also believe that people have been brought up in an evil world or way of life, and that is the only way they know. So they see it and keep on acting out and really don't know any other way. Maybe something evil has happened to them and the only way they can deal with it, is by acting out in an evil way. There will always be evil in the world, it is just part of life, but we can do our part and not add to that evil.
I suppose "evil" has always been here, or at least since the time of man. Why it is here, I really do not know. I do believe though, that people who do evil acts have physiological issues. They may have grown up in a rough home or possibly born with mental issues. When I hear hate crimes or abuse stories on the news, the people who commit them usually have had a tough past. In some cases the criminal just looks off, like they are mentally unstable. Either way these people should be kept off the streets or in a facility were they can not commit evil acts. Evil will, and probably always will exist, how we choose to deal with it, is what matters. If only we had more funding for prisons and counseling centers, maybe then we could aid in eliminating the evil in our society. Until then we must be careful and protect ourselves from such things. As citizens we must bring awareness to the community of such evil acts and educate our youth. By starting with our children we can take in consideration the effects of what are actions do to a small child. I feel like solving the problem at the root will help minimize the evil of tomorrow. Olivia
Like many of you I agree that evil is a part of nature and cannot really prevent it it from occurring in our world. I also think that somehow deep down the the characteristics of jealousy and envious has something to do with it. Like some classmates have said, people commit evil acts such as crimes to get to what they want from seeing what others have. Also, some people are just evil due to personal issues they've gone through and are just sometimes blinded of their actions. It doesn't mean this is okay for them to be evil, but for some people their childhood and things like that can have an affect on them. Overall, evil is everywhere and unfortunetly cannot be prevented. -Christina manriquez
Olivia, I agree with your post. Your examples are good, mental issues can be a big part of evil. Many people grow up in bad homes and sometimes come some come out evil and are blinded from there past. -Christina manriquez
There are so many good points that my fellow peers have made about what evil is and why it exists in the world. I very much agree with Kyle's point that it is up to the individual. I don't believe that people are born evil, nor do I believe that people are born good.I think that there is always a choice to be made within the two, and who we choose to be. I think that differentiating the two, good vs. evil, is a daily struggle for everyone. There is so much temptation in the world that it can be difficult to stay on a perfect path towards being good. I feel that evil is a form of temptation that is meant to throw you off your path. I agree that evil exists to remind us of what is good in the world.
Evil has been around since mankind and will always be around because we as humans make our own decisions. When everyone has a choice to do what they want, some people will make bad decisions and end up hurting other people. Some individuals do evil acts because they want to and others just make bad decisions, but they all end up hurting society. Evil allows us to know what is good and what is bad. Evil acts give us an opportunity to respect good acts and it gives us a benchmark. I believe that how individuals grow up and how they are taught good and evil makes a huge impact on whether that individual will go out and do evil or good deeds. When someone is rise around evil acts and no one tells them this is a bad thing, they tend to do those acts later in their life.
Also, there could be evil in the world because of perception. What I or my cultural see as an evil act another cultural or individual might see that act as a norm in there society. For example, I’m a business major and I always read about how other cultural accepts brides in business negotiations and that is seen as immoral in the United States. That is an evil act to us, but in different places around the world that’s a norm. So, I think perception has a great impact on whether something is evil or good.
I was reading one of the other posts on the blog and one individual stated that “evil keeps the world in check.” I believe that the world keeps evil in check. If evil keeps the world in check, then this would be a crazy place to live. I believe that there would be way more evil acts in the world. I believe that world keeps evil in check because when we see something is wrong or evil, we tell that person or country that this act is wrong and you cannot do it anymore. Evil is something that will never go away and society has to teach and also reprimand individuals that do evil acts. It’s a continuous problem that we as individuals have to keep ahead on.
There is evil in the world for many reasons. Life is about choices and each choice leads you down a path where eventually another choice must be made. And unfortunately, there are those who choose a troubled, corrupt, and immoral road. Why? Maybe they grew up with no rules, no sense of values. Maybe they simply don’t care about the consequences to their actions. Maybe they have no religious conviction and with no belief system, there is no sense of morality in your life. I think for some people it is instinctive, rather than bad luck, that can cause them to make the choices they do. For the criminally minded, their evil behavior becomes habitual and they become lifelong offenders. In the end, it does seem that evil tendencies are human nature to some, while others (most) absolutely avoid any choice that could lead them down a dark road. It doesn’t mean that we don’t make mistakes, but it does mean that are remorseful, we try to correct our mistakes, and we learn from them. I think if there is one commonality among those who try to live a righteous life – it is their religion and their faith in God that keeps them grounded.
I agree with what Ross said. No one is born evil nor good, and that it is up to the individuals to make decisions. Those decisions can be influenced by a myriad of factors.
Why is there evil in the world? This is the question men and women have tried to answer throughout the ages. I personally believe evil exists because God has given people free will. The fact people have a free will allows people to think and act on evil thoughts. Whether these thoughts are about sex, violence, or any other horrible act, this is the reason why we have evil in the world. So as long as there are people in the world, there will, unfortunately, be evil for all of us to deal with.
The following and preceding comments were made by Jim Adams Laura, I completely agree with your beliefs evil comes from what happened with Lucifer and Adam and Eve. You made a great point.
Laura – Great posts – both are very well written. I have to say, when we started this semester, I went through all the weekly questions and came up with one-liners for each of them. I just tried to catch my initial thoughts as I read each question. My first thought on this question of evil was of Adam and Eve. Your thoughts were perfect and couldn’t have been said better.
Nealson – Your thoughts on “the world keeping evil in check” rather than the other way around are very accurate. You made some great points in turning that one around!
Ross Hoffmann I agree that it’s up to the individual to make their own choices. No way is born good or evil, they just make decisions in their life every day. I also like that you said that evil is a temptation trying to throw you off your path, great way to explain evil.
I agree with Theresa, and she makes a great point. A lot of the things that we consider evil may often come from how we are raised. People who aren't raised with values might often lack those values as they grow into adults. It's very easy to teach a child what is wrong and what isn't. But it's difficult to teach an adult that things they've been doing/believing their entire lives is actually wrong.
WEEK EIGHT BLOG ENTRY: Why is there evil in the world? Ana Garcia, I completely agree with what you said here. I am a firm believer in this not only because I am religious person but because of some of the points you make. Evil teaches us to be grateful for what we have and who we are. As much as one might hate evil, I think we should thank it for showing us what is wrong and leading us to prevail for good and become a better person! I believe that there is evil in the world to remind us of what is good and pure. To explain why is there evil in the world is beyond me; I can only attempt to say what I believe is evil. The reason I say that is because there are several explanations from several different people that have attempted to answer this question. People with PHD’s, pastors, society and people but everyone has their own opinion. I believe that there evil in this world because it is apart of human nature. I do believe that we have the power to control the evil within us and around us. However, there will always be evil in this world. As Ana said already, “Evil teaches us to be grateful for what we have and who we are. As much as one might hate evil, I think we should thank it for showing us what is wrong and leading us to prevail for good and become a better person.” I completely agree with her. When I see so much disparity, hate, and bad energy, I think of how much we actually contribute to it because in a sense it is are responsibility and we as human beings can control it to some extent. I feel that all as humans in this world so do their best to put out positive energy and help those around us that are in need of help. Unfortunately, there are so many people that could use this help but I don’t see many people caring because they are so into themselves that they forget about everyone else.
This is definitely a hard one for me to answer. However, I suppose there are many possibilities for why there is evil in the world. From a religious standpoint, one might say that it is God's way of testing his children before he allows them to enter heaven. He gave each and every one of us the gift of free will, meaning we can chose to live a life of good, or a life of evil. The choice we make affects our future and whether or not we will be allowed to enter the gates of heaven. From another perspective, evil is here simply because it is inevitable and in order for the world to work and make progress there has to be both good and evil. It's nice to think about a world where evil did not exist, but it's also a thought that will never come true, which is very sad.
I think there is evil in the world because it teaches everyone life lessons. I don't think good can exist without evil. Its all about the choices each one of us makes. We can chose to make the right choices or the wrong, but its up to us and only us. Evil has been here since the beginning of time and the only person that really know why there is evil is God, or other higher powers you may believe in. There is a reason for everything in this world and i dont think there is evil just because. There has to be some sort of lesson behind it all. -Haley Garmon
Everyone has made very good points on why there is evil in the world. I think many of us agree that evil is apart of human nature. I agree with the people very much so that aid nobody is born evil nor good. Very true. its all about choices. -Haley Garmon
First off, I want to give my definition of evil. I think evil is or connected to any wrongdoing a person purposely does to hurt someone else in any way, shape, or form. Evil could also involve things like bad ghosts and demons. With that said, I think there’s evil in the world to balance things out. I agree with others when they say it is a way for people to know right from wrong. Evil allows us to have boundaries in which to make sure we don’t cross. I see it as a way to keep societies “in check,” for a lack of a better word. I also wonder, without evil how would we know and value the good in people? Being a good person would go unnoticed and it would not need to be sought out for. There is evil in the world so that we learn who we are and make mistakes that we will later learn from. I do not think our society would have as much knowledge about life if we did not have evil. Even though we do not want evil in this world, it is needed to a certain extent. Evil has contributed to people becoming better people and learning lessons that otherwise would not have been learned. It is hard to say we need evil in the world, but when it comes down to it evil plays an important role in our society.
I believe that there is evil in the world because it our human nature. We observe acts of unfairness and evilness all around us. I do not mean that observing evil acts make us evil, but it teaches us what evil is. If life was rainbows and unicorns all the time, no one would be evil because they would not know what evilness looks like. In psychology, this question comes up quite a bit. Psychologists express their reasons of why someone acts the way they do by, Nature or by Nurture (how they were raised). Not everyone is nurtured poorly and raised evil; however, having to observe evil throughout society allows individuals to store these acts involuntarily in the brain.
Haley- I have to agree with you that there are reasons behind everything in life. Those reasons teach us something in every situation. We learn from both evil and good; however, it would be nice to not have evilness in this world. I want rainbows, sunshine, and unicorns all the time.
I believe that there is evil in the world to remind us of what is good and pure. We are all aware of what evil is and what entitles into something being evil, but would we really know what evil was if we did not have good?
ReplyDeleteI do not think so. I mean what good would it be if there was only good, it would just be handed to us, we would not have to work for it; what is something worth if it is just handed to you.
You appreciate something way more when you work for it and earn it; in the end that makes you more satisfied than anything. In the end our decisions strengthen us and teach us right from wrong. Evil teaches us to be grateful for what we have and who we are. As much as one might hate evil, I think we should thank it for showing us what is wrong and leading us to prevail for good and become a better person!
Ana Garcia
I think there is evil in the world because it is just part of human nature. People can be good. People can be evil. Or they can be some combination of the two. The evil in the world gives many of us a much greater respect for the good out there. In some ways it helps give perspective on what it means to be good. Ultimately, I think the decision to be good or evil relies on the individual. It just take knowledge of both sides of the coin for the decision to have significant meaning.
ReplyDeleteKyle Bennett
I agree with you Ana that when we see something evil, it allows us to appreciate the good things out there even more.
ReplyDelete-Kyle Bennett
Kyle,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the comment. I like how you said that evil is part of human nature. Its as if one cannot help, but to be evil at times!
Ana Garcia
Kyle-
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you in that evil is in the world because it’s just part of human nature.
I think that evil along with suffering is inevitable because life is an experience that does not come with a filter. People have the choice to do good or bad, and unfortunately there are many individuals out there that will make bad choices. Examples of what I am referring to as bad choices that are evil in this world are things like murder, stealing, committing adultery, and abuse, just to name a few.
Brenda Castro
I also think that evil and suffering is inevitable because of all the natural catastrophes that happen all around the world. We see many innocent people die as the result of natural catastrophes like we saw in the disaster caused by hurricane Katrina or the earthquake in Haiti. Seeing things like this happening around the world should make us very grateful for the things we have and grateful that we haven’t had to face a situation like those who were affected.
ReplyDeleteBrenda Castro
Ana Garcia-
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that it is human nature to have the desire to work hard for things in order for us to value the accomplishments we accomplish. Most importantly, I agree that if we did not know what evil meant, we would never understand what good is. Great points!!!
Kyle Bennett-
Yes, it is up to the individual to decide whether he or she will be good or evil. Honestly, the individual is responsible for his or her actions, good or bad.
Brenda-
I agree with you that evil is inevitable. As you mentioned, the catastrophes that happen around the world are a good example of explaining that evil is inevitable.
Dacia Zamora
Why is there evil in the world?
ReplyDeleteAs many of you have mentioned, evil is part of human nature, and it is inevitable. I think that being evil causes pleasure to some people. Therefore, individuals try to satisfy their pleasure by making evil decisions even though those decisions will cause harm to other individuals, themselves, communities, or even their families. I do not believe that evil is good. However, without knowing the significance of evil, as human, we would not appreciate the good in the world or even be able to recognize the good in life. My fiancé always tells me, “How would you appreciate sunny days if it weren’t for thundery storms?” His saying puts a lot of things in perspective, such as this one. Overall, evil exists because some individuals enjoy being evil. It seems strange that people want to be evil on purpose, but life happens. It is simply part of human nature.
Dacia Zamora
Agreeing with what Kyle says from the beginning, evil spurs from human nature. I believe that is it in human nature to survive. People will do almost anything to survive. This world has become plush with conveniences and this allows people to let their guard down. It has become easy for society to recieve what it needs and the fight for survival is not as apparent as in the past. If people were stripped of their comforts and put into nature, their first instinct would be to fight if something would threaten their well being. I believe evil stems from people who fear they have something to lose and they are fighting to survive. Whether it be a mental struggle or an actual day to day struggle to get by, people will fight to survive and I believe that is where the line between good and evil gets blurred.
ReplyDeleteTysanne Cullum
Why is there evil in the world?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Tysanne in that evil is part of human nature. Evil is everywhere! I think that if we didn’t have evil we would not appreciate the good in life. I think that evil for some people is a way of gratification, what they look forward to in a days’ time. While as for others, evil is something that brings harm, and is hurtful to an individual. Everyone feels differently about good and evil, but I think that evil is in all of us even when we don’t intend to be evil. I think that the line between good and evil has become blurry to many individuals because in order to survive in today’s society, sometimes we just have to be evil. People have come to a place in life where being evil is the only way to survive. As our society becomes harder and more competitive to survive in we will see more evil because everyone is fighting for themselves. I have always been told “you have to take the bad with the good” and honestly I think that that saying sums up why there is evil in the world. I think life would be unappreciated if we didn’t know what it was like to have evil surround us.
Stephanie Nodal
Brenda,
ReplyDeleteI think you make a very interesting point about evil and the natural catastrophes. Natural disaster is out of our control! We cannot sit here and take all the evil away that can harm many people, we can only hope that one will survive the evil that comes there way. Hurricane Katrina and the earthquake in Haiti were very horrific disasters that no one could do anything about. As a factor of where you are in the world and how you perceive things, one learns how to manage and understand that you have to take the good with the bad. That was a great example of evil and how it affects many lives in society.
Stephanie Nodal
I agree with many of you and believe that there is evil in the world because it is part of human nature, but I also think that there has to be some sort of evil in the world to make it go round. People have to learn what is good and evil and they may make some bad choices before they even realize that it was evil. Without evil in the world, we wouldn't now what was good. The evil in the world is what teaches people what is good. Without evil the world would be lacking many things including jobs. Evil may not be a good thing, but it is a helpful tool in peoples lives.
ReplyDeleteLacey Patterson
Kyle,
ReplyDeleteYour post is great! I think you are right about there are good people and there are bad people. The trick is how to decide which type of person you want to be. I think you are absolutely right about being knowledgeable of both side to have the decision mean something significant.
Stephanie Nodal
I agree with many of the posts that evil is a part of human nature. There are people who are good and people who are evil. These people can straddle the line from time to time but I also believe that we are all capable of being evil. We choose to be good because of what we have learned in life and because many of us know what the difference between good and evil is. Still there are those select few who choose to be evil and may even be destined to be evil. Look at Hitler, the man was pure evil because of his actions that resulted in the loss of millions of lives. I also believe that you must have evil if you are to have good in this world. It is almost like yin and yang, you can't have one without the other.
ReplyDeleteAgustin Garcia
Kyle
ReplyDeleteIam totally agree with you and impressed from your thinking that Evilin this world is present because it is human nature,people can be good and bad.
Evil and goodness is part of human natureand two sides of coin, it depends upon on individual which part of coin he wants to use.One benefit of evil is ,that it teaches us to respect good things and respect and value good.When a person saw evil then he realizes value of good.Evil and goodness is two sides of coin,but a good person always chooses right and good side.some sort of evil is sometimes good to incite or encourage for good butevil in real meaning is really bad.iN "Shri Bagdvadh Gita"The holy spritual book of Hindus, Lord krishna says that Lord gave birth to human being with good intention and human being adopted evil behaviour also.Lord can show people but indulging in evil is part of human nature and a person does bad according to his nature ,Lord can show him path but going on evil path is human nature and human being has to pay for evil/bad nature later on as theory of KARMA. so I think , evil and goodness is always present in world but to act according one side of coin is totally human nature.....I am sorry if somebody is not agree with me.. but these are my views according to my beleif........veena kumari
correction of sentence please"LORD will show a good path but going to evil path is human nature".......veena kumari
ReplyDeleteThe concepts of good and evil cross the boundaries of finite scientific intelligence into a realm that can include spiritual beliefs, world views, family values, psychology, philosophy, and even sociology. There are infinite discussions and theories on good and evil. Our uniqueness as human beings is that we possess the cognitive processes to construct our views on these concepts. Some are influenced by their culture and their family, others form their beliefs after they become adults. For me, my convictions were built over my childhood and have continued into adulthood as I have gained more knowledge and understanding. As Veena wrote, I also have a strong belief in where good and evil come from. Jesus Christ said in the Bible, "There is none good but God." God is good and is the source of goodness. The story is told of creation and how Adam and Eve were created in the beginning as complete 3 part human beings with body, soul, and spirit. Their bodies were formed from the dust of the ground, God created in them a spirit that was His form and image, and then He breathed the breath of life into them and "man became a living soul." Further, the story is told of an earlier event in the book of Isaiah, where Lucifier, one of God's archangels tried to rise up against God and take God's place. So God threw Lucifer out of heaven along with a 1/3 of the angels and was figuratively made to crawl upon his belly on the ground as a serpent. Lucifer is called by many names including the devil, satan, that old bird, the father of lies, the enemy, the deceiver, the serpent, the god of this world, and the evil one. Thus, this is where evil came from. When Adam and Eve were deceived by the serpent in the garden their connection with God was lost through their created spirits and they had to leave the garden and begin to work as just body and soul beings, now two part. They had a choice and they choice to believe the serpent rather than to believe what God said. They began then to have children and pass on their disobedient nature to all humankind. Many of you wrote about the evil nature that humans are born with, and this is why. There is, of course, more to the story and the availability to regain spirit individually by what we choose to believe regarding God. But, it is a freewill decision. Thus, God is the source of all Goodness, and evil is present in this world because of the one called the evil one.
ReplyDeleteI realize that no one has to agree with my personal belief system, and that is exactly right. We all have our freedom to choose what we would like to believe. I have the utmost respect for all belief choices. This is a very simple explanation of my own convictions and perhaps will add a positive, interesting point of view to our discussion on why there is evil in this world.
Laura Harris
It is hard to say for sure why there is evil in our world. My explanation on this is somewhat of an unrealistic way of thinking about people and what goes through our minds. With that being said, I think evil is just an unfortunate state that some people are in. In my Opinion, I think people are generally good; it’s just the evil ones have been through horrible things more than others. I do believe in evil spirits but I don’t think they can have so much control over you that they make you do things unwillingly. Nor do I believe that we can be born evil, so to me, the only difference between good and evil in people are environments and experiences.
ReplyDeleteLindsey McGuire
I think that this is a pretty difficult question to answer, since the question never defined what “evil” is. Evil can be defined many different ways depending on who you ask. If you asked a very religious person what were their thoughts on abortion, they would likely say that it is evil, whereas a pro-choice person would argue that not giving a woman the right to choose is evil. A vegan could say that humans killing animals for food is evil, even though most of the world’s population eats meat. In this world, we have Muslim extremists who think that Americans and Jews are evil and that killing them is a form of justice. Some people even consider something as tame as rock as evil.
ReplyDeleteIt also begs the question, what is good? Many would say that religion is good. But, throughout history, religions have been responsible for many atrocious acts such as the destruction of foreign cultures and the slaughter of many.
In all of those examples, each person perceived evil to be many different things. So, what evil is exactly is really in the eye of the beholder, and I think that’s why “evil” exists. When we have the free will and the freedom to develop differing opinions and lifestyles that are so extreme from one another, we can perceive the ideas and people that are radically different from us as evil. And that’s why evil will continue to exist. As long as we have the freedom to form different beliefs and different opinions based on self-interest, or even our group’s interest, we will always have some form of evil. If we all agreed about everything, and we lived our lives exactly the same way, what would be considered evil?
-Matthew Jeffries
I think that there is evil in the world because some people's brains are not wired to always think what to do what is moral. There is too much temptation in the world for everyone to avoid doing bad things. In some cases, people might make a "rational" decision that will cause something evil to happen. People are always going to be backwards in their logic. When Hitler rose to power, he thought what he was doing was the right thing to do. But in everyone else's eyes, he was commiting acts that were evil.
ReplyDeleteIt is too hard to live our lives making the right choice at every opportunity. There are always going to be times where we are tempted to commit an evil act and there will be times when we act on that temptation. It is in human nature to think this way. That's why I think evil exists.
Daniel Betancourt
Wow, there are so many interesting points of view for this weeks post. I really appreciated what each of us perceives as evil and good also. This subject is one that I think can only be expressed as a form of belief because we all have the choice to design our own value for evil and good. One can say religion is evil, or people are evil, or weather is evil, or cutting down trees is evil, or even killing animals for food is evil. If we are tempted to evil, then what tempts us to commit evil? It's a discussion that prompts many more questions in order for us to be able to discern the conceptual definition of evil. As Matthew pointed out, we all have our right to choose, and yet it is also true that one person's judgment of what is evil may not be thought of as evil by another. Just because a person is considered "religious" doesn't lump them in with anti-abortion sentiments, it's a personal choice to decide what you believe in. Religious thoughts are systems of belief. Religion did not commit the atrocious acts of the Spanish Inquisition, and there were unspeakable acts of cruelty, murder, and evil. But these acts were all committed by people. These people had a choice. It is also true that there are some acts judged as evil by a broad spectrum of different kinds of people, all with different beliefs and value systems. I really appreciated what Veena had to say about Lord Krisna because it expresses a belief and a value system that recognizes a moralistic standard which conceives evil and sets methods of behavior to avoid it. Also, it takes a very strong character to be able to stand for what you believe no matter what others may decide they have the right to judge against you for. It was very courageous and impressive.
ReplyDeleteLaura Harris
Anna,
ReplyDeleteGood point. We can appreciate good when we see evil!
Ryan Barker
Evil keeps the world in check. I agree with everyone else that good and evil are part of human nature. It depends on the person and how they perceive good and evil. But, I think that everyone who is a decent human being that have some morals can differentiate the good from the evil. It is sad when evil things happen and evil people do bad things. I do believe that good can come from evil. It can build character, teach patience, and help one another. If someone has been through a tragedy, and another person is experiencing that same kind of evil, the person who has been through that can help them the them out and be there for that person.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that people have been brought up in an evil world or way of life, and that is the only way they know. So they see it and keep on acting out and really don't know any other way. Maybe something evil has happened to them and the only way they can deal with it, is by acting out in an evil way. There will always be evil in the world, it is just part of life, but we can do our part and not add to that evil.
Ryan Barker
I suppose "evil" has always been here, or at least since the time of man. Why it is here, I really do not know. I do believe though, that people who do evil acts have physiological issues. They may have grown up in a rough home or possibly born with mental issues. When I hear hate crimes or abuse stories on the news, the people who commit them usually have had a tough past. In some cases the criminal just looks off, like they are mentally unstable. Either way these people should be kept off the streets or in a facility were they can not commit evil acts. Evil will, and probably always will exist, how we choose to deal with it, is what matters.
ReplyDeleteIf only we had more funding for prisons and counseling centers, maybe then we could aid in eliminating the evil in our society. Until then we must be careful and protect ourselves from such things. As citizens we must bring awareness to the community of such evil acts and educate our youth. By starting with our children we can take in consideration the effects of what are actions do to a small child. I feel like solving the problem at the root will help minimize the evil of tomorrow.
Olivia
Lindsey-
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, the environment a person is in can contribute to the evil they feel. I do not believe a person is born evil either.
Olivia
Like many of you I agree that evil is a part of nature and cannot really prevent it it from occurring in our world. I also think that somehow deep down the the characteristics of jealousy and envious has something to do with it. Like some classmates have said, people commit evil acts such as crimes to get to what they want from seeing what others have.
ReplyDeleteAlso, some people are just evil due to personal issues they've gone through and are just sometimes blinded of their actions. It doesn't mean this is okay for them to be evil, but for some people their childhood and things like that can have an affect on them.
Overall, evil is everywhere and unfortunetly cannot be prevented.
-Christina manriquez
Olivia,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your post. Your examples are good, mental issues can be a big part of evil. Many people grow up in bad homes and sometimes come some come out evil and are blinded from there past.
-Christina manriquez
There are so many good points that my fellow peers have made about what evil is and why it exists in the world. I very much agree with Kyle's point that it is up to the individual. I don't believe that people are born evil, nor do I believe that people are born good.I think that there is always a choice to be made within the two, and who we choose to be. I think that differentiating the two, good vs. evil, is a daily struggle for everyone. There is so much temptation in the world that it can be difficult to stay on a perfect path towards being good. I feel that evil is a form of temptation that is meant to throw you off your path.
ReplyDeleteI agree that evil exists to remind us of what is good in the world.
Ross Hoffmann
Daniel-
ReplyDeleteI agree that there is a lot of temptation out there and it can be difficult to make the right choice all the time!
Ross Hoffmann
Evil has been around since mankind and will always be around because we as humans make our own decisions. When everyone has a choice to do what they want, some people will make bad decisions and end up hurting other people. Some individuals do evil acts because they want to and others just make bad decisions, but they all end up hurting society. Evil allows us to know what is good and what is bad. Evil acts give us an opportunity to respect good acts and it gives us a benchmark. I believe that how individuals grow up and how they are taught good and evil makes a huge impact on whether that individual will go out and do evil or good deeds. When someone is rise around evil acts and no one tells them this is a bad thing, they tend to do those acts later in their life.
ReplyDeleteAlso, there could be evil in the world because of perception. What I or my cultural see as an evil act another cultural or individual might see that act as a norm in there society. For example, I’m a business major and I always read about how other cultural accepts brides in business negotiations and that is seen as immoral in the United States. That is an evil act to us, but in different places around the world that’s a norm. So, I think perception has a great impact on whether something is evil or good.
I was reading one of the other posts on the blog and one individual stated that “evil keeps the world in check.” I believe that the world keeps evil in check. If evil keeps the world in check, then this would be a crazy place to live. I believe that there would be way more evil acts in the world. I believe that world keeps evil in check because when we see something is wrong or evil, we tell that person or country that this act is wrong and you cannot do it anymore. Evil is something that will never go away and society has to teach and also reprimand individuals that do evil acts. It’s a continuous problem that we as individuals have to keep ahead on.
Nealson Hanner
Why is there evil in the world?
ReplyDeleteThere is evil in the world for many reasons. Life is about choices and each choice leads you down a path where eventually another choice must be made. And unfortunately, there are those who choose a troubled, corrupt, and immoral road. Why? Maybe they grew up with no rules, no sense of values. Maybe they simply don’t care about the consequences to their actions. Maybe they have no religious conviction and with no belief system, there is no sense of morality in your life. I think for some people it is instinctive, rather than bad luck, that can cause them to make the choices they do. For the criminally minded, their evil behavior becomes habitual and they become lifelong offenders. In the end, it does seem that evil tendencies are human nature to some, while others (most) absolutely avoid any choice that could lead them down a dark road. It doesn’t mean that we don’t make mistakes, but it does mean that are remorseful, we try to correct our mistakes, and we learn from them. I think if there is one commonality among those who try to live a righteous life – it is their religion and their faith in God that keeps them grounded.
Theresa F.
I agree with what Ross said. No one is born evil nor good, and that it is up to the individuals to make decisions. Those decisions can be influenced by a myriad of factors.
ReplyDelete-Matthew Jeffries
Why is there evil in the world?
ReplyDeleteThis is the question men and women have tried to answer throughout the ages. I personally believe evil exists because God has given people free will. The fact people have a free will allows people to think and act on evil thoughts. Whether these thoughts are about sex, violence, or any other horrible act, this is the reason why we have evil in the world. So as long as there are people in the world, there will, unfortunately, be evil for all of us to deal with.
The following and preceding comments were made by Jim Adams
ReplyDeleteLaura,
I completely agree with your beliefs evil comes from what happened with Lucifer and Adam and Eve. You made a great point.
Laura – Great posts – both are very well written. I have to say, when we started this semester, I went through all the weekly questions and came up with one-liners for each of them. I just tried to catch my initial thoughts as I read each question. My first thought on this question of evil was of Adam and Eve. Your thoughts were perfect and couldn’t have been said better.
ReplyDeleteNealson – Your thoughts on “the world keeping evil in check” rather than the other way around are very accurate. You made some great points in turning that one around!
Theresa F.
Ross Hoffmann
ReplyDeleteI agree that it’s up to the individual to make their own choices. No way is born good or evil, they just make decisions in their life every day. I also like that you said that evil is a temptation trying to throw you off your path, great way to explain evil.
Nealson Hanner
I agree with Theresa, and she makes a great point. A lot of the things that we consider evil may often come from how we are raised. People who aren't raised with values might often lack those values as they grow into adults. It's very easy to teach a child what is wrong and what isn't. But it's difficult to teach an adult that things they've been doing/believing their entire lives is actually wrong.
ReplyDelete-Matthew Jeffries.
WEEK EIGHT BLOG ENTRY: Why is there evil in the world?
ReplyDeleteAna Garcia,
I completely agree with what you said here. I am a firm believer in this not only because I am religious person but because of some of the points you make. Evil teaches us to be grateful for what we have and who we are. As much as one might hate evil, I think we should thank it for showing us what is wrong and leading us to prevail for good and become a better person! I believe that there is evil in the world to remind us of what is good and pure.
To explain why is there evil in the world is beyond me; I can only attempt to say what I believe is evil. The reason I say that is because there are several explanations from several different people that have attempted to answer this question. People with PHD’s, pastors, society and people but everyone has their own opinion. I believe that there evil in this world because it is apart of human nature. I do believe that we have the power to control the evil within us and around us. However, there will always be evil in this world. As Ana said already, “Evil teaches us to be grateful for what we have and who we are. As much as one might hate evil, I think we should thank it for showing us what is wrong and leading us to prevail for good and become a better person.” I completely agree with her. When I see so much disparity, hate, and bad energy, I think of how much we actually contribute to it because in a sense it is are responsibility and we as human beings can control it to some extent. I feel that all as humans in this world so do their best to put out positive energy and help those around us that are in need of help. Unfortunately, there are so many people that could use this help but I don’t see many people caring because they are so into themselves that they forget about everyone else.
Helen Rosario
This is definitely a hard one for me to answer. However, I suppose there are many possibilities for why there is evil in the world. From a religious standpoint, one might say that it is God's way of testing his children before he allows them to enter heaven. He gave each and every one of us the gift of free will, meaning we can chose to live a life of good, or a life of evil. The choice we make affects our future and whether or not we will be allowed to enter the gates of heaven. From another perspective, evil is here simply because it is inevitable and in order for the world to work and make progress there has to be both good and evil. It's nice to think about a world where evil did not exist, but it's also a thought that will never come true, which is very sad.
ReplyDeleteAshley Cockrell
I think there is evil in the world because it teaches everyone life lessons. I don't think good can exist without evil. Its all about the choices each one of us makes. We can chose to make the right choices or the wrong, but its up to us and only us. Evil has been here since the beginning of time and the only person that really know why there is evil is God, or other higher powers you may believe in. There is a reason for everything in this world and i dont think there is evil just because. There has to be some sort of lesson behind it all.
ReplyDelete-Haley Garmon
Everyone has made very good points on why there is evil in the world. I think many of us agree that evil is apart of human nature. I agree with the people very much so that aid nobody is born evil nor good. Very true. its all about choices.
ReplyDelete-Haley Garmon
First off, I want to give my definition of evil. I think evil is or connected to any wrongdoing a person purposely does to hurt someone else in any way, shape, or form. Evil could also involve things like bad ghosts and demons. With that said, I think there’s evil in the world to balance things out. I agree with others when they say it is a way for people to know right from wrong. Evil allows us to have boundaries in which to make sure we don’t cross. I see it as a way to keep societies “in check,” for a lack of a better word. I also wonder, without evil how would we know and value the good in people? Being a good person would go unnoticed and it would not need to be sought out for. There is evil in the world so that we learn who we are and make mistakes that we will later learn from. I do not think our society would have as much knowledge about life if we did not have evil. Even though we do not want evil in this world, it is needed to a certain extent. Evil has contributed to people becoming better people and learning lessons that otherwise would not have been learned. It is hard to say we need evil in the world, but when it comes down to it evil plays an important role in our society.
ReplyDelete-Liz Sanchez
Haley- i agree that evil is here for a purpose and it could be that it is here to teach us all important lessons that guide us through life.
ReplyDelete-Liz
I believe that there is evil in the world because it our human nature. We observe acts of unfairness and evilness all around us. I do not mean that observing evil acts make us evil, but it teaches us what evil is. If life was rainbows and unicorns all the time, no one would be evil because they would not know what evilness looks like. In psychology, this question comes up quite a bit. Psychologists express their reasons of why someone acts the way they do by, Nature or by Nurture (how they were raised). Not everyone is nurtured poorly and raised evil; however, having to observe evil throughout society allows individuals to store these acts involuntarily in the brain.
ReplyDeletekryston honea
Haley-
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with you that there are reasons behind everything in life. Those reasons teach us something in every situation. We learn from both evil and good; however, it would be nice to not have evilness in this world. I want rainbows, sunshine, and unicorns all the time.
Kryston Honea