What is the "root of all evil"? What is sin?

[pricillia]

Sin is something that is created in the human mind due to religious influence. Therefore, australeopithecus africanus probably had no need for the concept of sin 1.5 million year ago. Today, we do need a concept of sin but it really does not prevent people from doing bad things anyways. So what is the point?

 

 

probably has the opposite effect

[lonelybird]

Sin is something that is created in the human mind due to religious influence. Therefore, australeopithecus africanus probably had no need for the concept of sin 1.5 million year ago. Today, we do need a concept of sin but it really does not prevent people from doing bad things anyways. So what is the point?

We need guidance of God

[Geishawhelk]

Thanks, Geisha. Now I am intrigued by Buddhism.

 

it got me thinking how the man has surpassed and outsmarted nature (which we all know).

 

Not entirely....had we indeed 'outsmarted' nature, as you say, we'd have beaten the tsunami, put a cork in the volcanoes, and the St. Andreas fault would be corrected. There's still an awful lot she can throw at us and catch us unawares with.... and bear in mind that although we have advanced technologically far faster in the past 250 years than we ever have in the entire history of mankind, we still managed to put a man into space, before figuring it would be a good idea to put wheels on suitcases. Explain me that! Huh? HUH??!?

 

The "Goddess" has created a monster.

Don't apportion blame where none is deserved. "Created" she may have done. But the choice of behaviour is entirely self-imposed.

 

As you said, the man is just an animal like the lion with a killing instinct. But without technology, the instinct wouldn't have been so harmful. Violence would have never acquired global dimensions. Without technology, Hitler would never be able to kill more than several people (if he fought with stones, fire and wood). Technology, including media, and civilization (organized religions), have contributed to mass killing. Nature never planned to create such a maniac who will be able to destroy the whole world - the job that she has been doing for billions of years.

 

Oppenheimer did lament his contribution to the technological age, it's true, but he never invented it as a destructive force with which to do harm. he just saw the potential disaster when others began outlining just what a powerful 'demon' lay within his science.... Everything has balance and counter balance...To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction...Yin, Yang, dark, night, up, down, "Good", "bad".... An awful lot of the technology invented was not invented or discovered with the intital view of doing harm. More often than not, quite the opposite. But there will always be someon who wants to take it and exploit it....

Gunpowder was originally fashioned for fireworks, in China, remember.....** Now wasn't that pretty.....?

 

Boy, I love this thread... I learned so much from you, guys.

 

Hugs back atcha!!

[lonelybird]

Cho obviously felt anger - he felt threatened somehow. But what? What could possibly threaten him? Perhaps it was his ego - sometimes threats to our egos are the greatest threats we can perceive, especially in an individual society in which ego is valued. He felt assaulted, on a daily basis. He felt threatened, on a daily basis. Again, I'm not saying he's right for what he did - he's definitely not. But it goes to show, humans are complex creatures.

Fear can make people do crazy things, can make people justify their motives for bad behaviours. I think evil spirit use fear and human flesh desires to allure people sin.

 

As human being, we all face these moment, let's be honest, when we feel threatened by others, the first thought is "controling them, or threaten them, or some extreme case terminate them", we have this tendency to protect ourselves by evil agaist evil. it is the *nature law*-strong survive:o

 

But God teach us, "step aside, love your enemy, good conquer evil, if talk about punishment, I am the one who can punish people". If a person don't believe in God and God authority, when he faces evil, will he use evil against evil to "protect" himself?

 

We all face the moment between chosing evil and good, and only God's guidance can lead us to good. if you don't believe this, just watch if a person get offended, what is his flesh reaction?

 

Fear come from demonic territory. Evil spirit make people to make up some imagination in their mind, like that Korean student. I guess in his mind he thought other people would hurt him? I guess his flesh controlled whole body of his, not his spirit lead him.

 

Love come from God, love bring light. Perfect love cast out fear.

[Geishawhelk]

We all face the moment between chosing evil and good, and only God's guidance can lead us to good.

I am pretty good at weighing things up, I think, and I have to tell you, much as I admire the courage of your own convictions, God has nothing to do with my choices.

in fact, since I decided to leave the Christian path and follow a different calling, my mental attitudes have improved by mountains.....I am a better person for the path I have chosen now, than I ever was when I abdicated responsibility for my actions to the good guy and the bad guy! to hold someone else responsible for the good or bad I do is just passing the buck.

[boshemia]

I am pretty good at weighing things up, I think, and I have to tell you, much as I admire the courage of your own convictions, God has nothing to do with my choices.

in fact, since I decided to leave the Christian path and follow a different calling, my mental attitudes have improved by mountains.....I am a better person for the path I have chosen now, than I ever was when I abdicated responsibility for my actions to the good guy and the bad guy! to hold someone else responsible for the good or bad I do is just passing the buck.

 

I have to agree with you there. There is an incredible amount of guilt that comes with the church. What I found most difficult was the concept that sin leads to suffering... therefore all of my suffering was my fault. It wasn't all my fault, and I have finally learned to accept that. Other people are responsible for the things they did to me, and I am responsible for the things I did to them. I am also responsible for the things I do to me... no fear of sin hanging over my head, just a responsibility to myself and to others to do no harm, and make ammends when I do.

 

I also found it very difficult to swallow the idea that other people were less than me somehow because they were homosexual, or drug users, or even good people who shared a different faith. I remember watch Matthew Shepherds funeral on television and seeing those signs saying "god hates fags" and thinking... "Oh, God, these people are speaking for me too!"

 

It seriously broke my heart to think that the people who loved Matthew were mourning the loss of their son and having to drive past those awful signs. Weren't we supposed to be the people who were offering them our love and support?

 

I truly believe the greatest sin is causing another person harm.

[boshemia]

This is why we instinctively seek compatibility, which is often the opposite of us - so we can creat babies that are a little bit of everything. If I (an idealist) only multiply with other idealists then all idealists will be extincts very soon, because we're not practical, aggressive and thus able to "fight for food." On the other hand, if the practical people survive (they ARE dominant, they form about 85% of the world population), morale and free spirit will suffer. And that will lead to higher aggressiveness and eventually extinction (which WILL happen if the ratio doesn't change). The planet is already going mad and too pragmatic and violent.

 

That's why we are all so unlucky in love: because our instincts force us to seek the opposite, as She needs variety of genes. But we intimately pay the price, because we end up in relationships where we're compatible strangers. Compatible in Nature's eyes, but not in our own. We are happiest when surrounded with people like ourselves. But that's not good for the global gene pool and humanity overall.

 

I've always thought that the reason opposites attract had other more noble reasons. We seek out those who have qualities that we do not have, and in turn offer them qualities that they do not possess in order to seek a kind of balance. Which is why in the beginning everything seems so perfect, it's only when we seek to change those opposite qualities to mirror our own that problems arise in the relationship.

 

When we try to change the essence of another person we get into a battle of wills, they dig in teir heels and so do we... the battle is on. If we could learn to change the dynamic of our relationships, assess the strengths of each person and find ways to maximize those strengths while at the same time minimizing the weaknesses of each person... life would be much easier.

 

It's just a theory... and as such it has holes, but I truly believe that relationships were meant to work, we just haven't figured out how to get two people to form one family while still maintaining the balances we each brought into it.

[RecordProducer]

we still managed to put a man into space, before figuring it would be a good idea to put wheels on suitcases. Explain me that! Huh? HUH??!?

Because those who financed the space projects don't carry their suitcases!

 

Don't apportion blame where none is deserved. "Created" she may have done. But the choice of behaviour is entirely self-imposed.

Oh, sweetie, don't blame yourself for your sick mind - it's Her fault!

 

It's just a theory... and as such it has holes, but I truly believe that relationships were meant to work, we just haven't figured out how to get two people to form one family while still maintaining the balances we each brought into it.

I am truly flattered that you liked my theory. I think relationships were meant to produce babies. Nature trapped us into something as delusional as love, just to make us pregnant. When the scam succeeds and you've accomplished the mission she trapped you in, She doesn't care that you have to deal with divorce, pain, and all that crap. F*cking bitch!

[will2power]

Sin is mentioned in the bible, but what is your idea of sin? Which sins are the worst? Why?

 

having grown up in a very religious christian background doesn't make me a 'know it all' but I do have an opinion.

 

I look at it this way. There is love and hate. Love is positive and hate is negative. similarly good is positive and bad is negative.

 

That being the case, anything that is negative, the espousing of it in energy, in destructive criticism, in behaviour, in state of mind, etc., is bad, therefore a sin.

 

To turn it around, focus on the neutral and let your clear mind dictate your actions. The acts of kindness and love that you can offer to others, is the opposite of sin and evil.

 

Speech when used to console, constructively help others and to express love, is good. Used to hurt, injure, and to destroy one's self esteem is sin.

 

JMO.