Why do abrahamic religions think the cosmos and humans are governed by good and evil?

[Xanikk999]

I wonder this because good and evil are a recent thing in the history of the universe. In fact good and evil are a creation of man kind. So how can that be a big deal in gods design if he created the universe to begin with? Animals arent concered with good or evil and they kill other animals all the time.

I dont see the significance of doing good in the whole mess of the universe and why that makes a big deal to god (im agnostic so im saying in general) when the universe is largely chaotic.

It doesnt seem like a issue to me. So why would god be concerned with this rather then just having people be faithful in life?

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Well, the universe is chaotic, of course, but that has nothing to do with good or evil. (Anyone who has played D&D would know that . . .)

Good and evil are, as I understand them, not just in the domain of humans but of all beings possessed of free will. Animals have no free will and thus cannot commit good or evil, so their presence on earth is relatively new. However, good and evil have been part of God's plan from the beginning - and the reason that He wants us to do good is simply that the consequences of good, in the long (ie eternal) run, are of course much better than those of evil.

 

[bhsup]

I wonder this because good and evil are as old as God, Satan, and the universe are. In fact good and evil are directly attributable to God and Satan.

Your post had some mistakes. I fixed them for you.

As far as why God does this or that, thinks this or that, and so forth, I don't feel it is my place to put my creator in the hot seat and demand he explain his actions or thoughts.

 

[TheBladeRoden]

I dunno. God created evil for some reason.

 

[puglover]

Evil springs directly from pride, which is in total conflict with the sense of righteousness that all humans have.

The cosmos is fallen into corruption, and until it is remade, it is the story of one great conflict between the two sides, and good will always be the victor in the end. Thus all of humanity is central in this struggle between darkness (which comes from self) and light (which comes from service).

 

[Smellincoffee]

I think it's just a convenient way of trying to understand the world. The battle for self-preservation is pretty brutal, and sometimes things people do in their individual battle go against the moral codes that we have set to assist in society's self-preservation.

 

[Elrohir]

I dunno. God created evil for some reason.

No, He didn't. He created the potential for evil when He created beings with free will (Angels and humans) but He did not create evil itself. That doesn't make sense, because evil is the antithesis, the opposite of God; that's like saying you used white paint to paint your car black, it just doesn't make sense.

 

[dh_epic]

I think good and evil, even if they do exist, really fails to explain the dynamics of the universe anywhere.

Much more important than good vs evil:

• Competition VS Cooperation
• Nature VS Nurture
• Individual VS Community
• Tradition VS Progress

And in all cases, having too much respect for one and zero respect for the other is probably what leads to evil.

I don't believe there are evil people, mind you. Just evil actions.

(This has officially degenerated into a rant.)

 

[Truronian]

Good and evil, are in my opinion notions used to simplify life. "Good" acts aid the survival of the species, while "evil" acts inhibit it.

No, He didn't. He created the potential for evil when He created beings with free will (Angels and humans) but He did not create evil itself. That doesn't make sense, because evil is the antithesis, the opposite of God; that's like saying you used white paint to paint your car black, it just doesn't make sense.

Why create free-will if it could lead to evil? How even... if God is the epitomy of good, how could he possible create something that leads to evil?

 

[Elrohir]

Why create free-will if it could lead to evil? How even... if God is the epitomy of good, how could he possible create something that leads to evil?

I can't speak for God, but my best answer is that the amount of good, and love that can come out of a humans with free will is greater than what would otherwise exist, because if human beings did not have free will, we could not truly love God, or do good.

A universe, and a race with love, even tained by sin, is better than a universe with neither.

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

Well, with the concept of one god, the idea of evil was conceptualized in order to see salvation in the one all-powerful deity, balancing the idea of good. One cannot understand what good is without evil, just as one wouldn't understand beauty without ugliness. Without the concept of evil, God is merely a creator who neither loves nor despises us.

 

[dh_epic]

If I were an omnipotent AND perfectly good God, I would design it so there was no such thing as free will, and hardwire love towards God, and eliminate all suffering. In fact, I would probably make the universe involve about 6 people who like to share stuff and have good times and live forever with no capacity for boredom.

If I were perfectly good but not omnipotent... or omnipotent but not perfectly good... I'd create a bunch of forces of nature that interact to create the first stars and planets. On these planets would be all kinds of chemicals that interact to form the first life forms. Then these life forms would kill each other in an all out battle for survival, finding balances between predators and prey. Over time, the forces of nature would result in an improved sense of the world, perhaps even developing memory and the power of hypothesis. Then, with its improved intelligence, these life forms would understand that they need to do a little better than merely emulating natural history in order to continue their survival and propogation. They would come up with ways to communicate and control communication, so as to improve their overall survival and efficiency. And they'd hopefully do better than the forces I designed, as God, because I either don't have the power to help them beyond what I've already done, or don't care to.

I'm just speaking hypothetically, of course.

 

[CaptainF]

Good and Evil do exist, but not in the Abrahamic sense.

Its a bit murky.

 

[puglover]

If I were an omnipotent AND perfectly good God, I would design it so there was no such thing as free will, and hardwire love towards God, and eliminate all suffering. In fact, I would probably make the universe involve about 6 people who like to share stuff and have good times and live forever with no capacity for boredom.

Sounds like robots. I'd hate to be one of your creatures.

Why create free-will if it could lead to evil? How even... if God is the epitomy of good, how could he possible create something that leads to evil?

He gave the human race a choice, to love him, or to reject him. Without this choice there can be no love. Then the decision to love God would be like choosing to lay down when you're bound and gagged on the floor.

 

[CaptainF]

Sounds like robots. I'd hate to be one of your creatures.

The point he was making, to my understanding, is that if God really exists, why didn't he do that in the first place?

 

[Truronian]

I can't speak for God, but my best answer is that the amount of good, and love that can come out of a humans with free will is greater than what would otherwise exist, because if human beings did not have free will, we could not truly love God, or do good.

A universe, and a race with love, even tained by sin, is better than a universe with neither.

Surely God, being all powerful, could create more love without having the dodgy evil thing appearing... I feel the concept of an all-powerful good god and evil are paradoxical.

 

[puglover]

The point he was making, to my understanding, is that if God really exists, why didn't he do that in the first place?

Do what? Create us like machines forced to serve his will? If that's what you mean, God would not, nor ever will make us in such a way.

 

[dh_epic]

Sounds like robots. I'd hate to be one of your creatures.

No you wouldn't. I'd design you to love me. And I'd give you everything you ever wanted.

 

[CaptainF]

Do what? Create us like machines forced to serve his will? If that's what you mean, God would not, nor ever will make us in such a way.

How do you know what God would like to do?

 

[Arcadian83]

Good and Evil are by-products of free will. An action is not good if the actor has no choice in the matter.

If God forced everyone to worship them and like it and do good works, the followers would not be good in a moral sense, but instead they would just be. Like angels, which I believe (in concept) are neither good nor evil, but simply messengers of God, who is defined to be good.

I believe that what is 'good' is partly culturally defined, partly inheritted from the instincts of humans as animals, and partly created (or endowed, depending on your views) by/in humans as reason.

There are some actions that are certainly good: integrity, compassion, etc.
There are some actions which are certainly bad: dishonesty/betrayal, slaughter of innocents, etc.