"Evil" a word to be redefined.

[Arawn-ap-Hywel]

The proposition is that evil is term steeped in religious significance and thus unacceptable as a term used to describe someone or something.
To be evil, invokes an exterior unearthly and non-physical force has caused or changed an action.
There are plenty of other words which adequately describe acts of badness without any hint of an alternative responsibility.

Plato, for example, argued that that which we call evil is merely ignorance, and that which we call good is merely that which everyone desires.

Those who can look both logicaly and laterally can find reasons for most heinious occurances without resorting to using this word and thus linking it to absurd supernatural forces beyond natural or human control.


So lets stop using the word and leave it for the theists to enjoy

[phoenix_fire]

Political correctness at its most evil.

[The Bacon Guy]

Semantics. Mostly, when people use the word evil, you can tell from the context what they mean by it.

[phoenix_fire]

Moral ambiguity. When a soldier has people stand as close together as he can to execute them because with any luck he can save bullets, that's evil. When a father rapes his daughters and beats them to keep them from telling, that's evil. When corrupt televangelists or fly by night contractors abscond with little old ladies' life savings, that's evil. Even the non-religious can agree with that.

[Milton Bradley]

Moral ambiguity. When a soldier has people stand as close together as he can to execute them because with any luck he can save bullets, that's evil. When a father rapes his daughters and beats them to keep them from telling, that's evil. When corrupt televangelists or fly by night contractors abscond with little old ladies' life savings, that's evil. Even the non-religious can agree with that.

Well, it's what we call evil, but overall, I suspect the Arawn is correct. Just because we adopt a word into the popular vernacular doesn't automatically make it acceptable to the entire English speaking world. While I agree in principle with our European friend, it is hard to substitute another single word there that carries the same kind of weight in the American vocabulary. I would also agree that evil, minus the implications from where we took the word, still does a better job at getting your point accross than many other word combinations that could be used in it's place. ( Well, that is my opinion anyway.)

[The Bacon Guy]

When a soldier has people stand as close together as he can to execute them because with any luck he can save bullets, that's evil.

Shooting the people may well be evil, it depends on the situation, but making them to stand close together to save bullets is just practical.

[Sonart]

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Moral ambiguity. When a soldier has people stand as close together as he can to execute them because with any luck he can save bullets, that's evil. When a father rapes his daughters and beats them to keep them from telling, that's evil.

It's easy to claim moral clarity when you simply focus on black and white examples, phoenix. Was Hitler evil? Duh. But how about my open denial that God exists? Is that evil? How about physician assisted suicide? Lots of folks would say that's pure evil. I say it's deeply moral. How about abortion? I say in a most cases it's compassionate. How about being gay. Twoanickel would probably say that's evil. I certainly don't.

How about slavery? Evil? The Bible found it perfectly acceptable. Genocide and ethnic cleansing? Again, the Bible says that if God commands it, go for it... perfectly moral. Bush calls Iran evil and Americans cheer, but I daresay most Iranians would say it's WE, with our arrogant global ambitions to economic and political empire, who are evil.

There IS moral ambiguity in the world, phoenix, and simply dismissing it as "political correctness" ignores that reality.

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[phoenix_fire]

Of course there are gray areas, Sonart. We may not agree on what those are, but I will give you that they exist. On the other hand, it is a very dangerous proposition to lose sight of that which is good and to dismiss that which is obviously evil. That is the definition of moral ambiguity. When we allow this to happen, when good is not reinforced in society but evil is (at the least by lack of deterrence), then at best we create an apathetic, self-serving, and cynical society and at worst we open the door for tyrants of the worst kind. Look at Russia. Look at China. Look at Nazi Germany for crying out loud. Let's call a spade a spade, ok?

[ItsDarts]

Arawns objection to the word comes from my equating it with suffering in the "Why can't god stop suffering?" thread. Apparently, evil denotes some "force" being the cause of evil, which he admits he doesn't believe in. For the most part I would agree, however, the english language we use words to add emphasis and/or meaning and there is nothing wrong with using words that mean the same thing. Some might say Hitler was an evil man, while others might say Hitler was a wicked man or Hitler was a bad man, or Hitler was a reprobate man. Any of these words would be acceptable in the common english language and none of them including evil is denoting badness from a force, IMHO.

[Zhavric]

Main Entry: evil
Pronunciation: 'E-v&l, British often and US also 'E-(")vil
Function: adjective
Inflected Form(s): evil·er or evil·ler; evil·est or evil·lest
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English yfel; akin to Old High German ubil evil

1 a : morally reprehensible : SINFUL, WICKED <an evil impulse> b : arising from actual or imputed bad character or conduct <a man of evil reputation>

2 a archaic : INFERIOR b : causing discomfort or repulsion : OFFENSIVE <an evil odor> c : DISAGREEABLE <woke late and in an evil temper>

3 a : causing harm : PERNICIOUS <the evil institution of slavery> b : marked by misfortune : UNLUCKY

Theists will often use the word evil where they mean to use "diabolical" or "infernal"... a supernatural evil. Such hyperbole is rarely accurate or useful.

[Kite]

We are talking about redefining the connotations that the word evil implies, not the literal definition.
I personally think that evil is relative to perspective. Evil is a term used as an adjective to help describe opposing forces in conflicts. Most times the opposing force is the one considered to be evil, but the opposing force varies with the force one is alligned with, and so the force that is evil also changes. The side you are on is usually the side that you deem to be 'good', and the opposing side is the one deemed 'evil'. This also works the other way, where the one on the opposite side thinks that they are good and you are evil.

[Mr. Jaggers]

Contrary to the proverb, it is not for the love of money, but religion that is the root of all evil.