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Fljotsdale · 08-27-2001, 06:10 AM

Hi, AliCat! I have now thought and here is my response:

1) Does every religion include a concept of good and evil? (and is that a requirement for a religion?)

I don’t know. Not to be certain, anyway. I can only offer an opinion based on years of thought, reading, conversation, TV and Radio: I am inclined to think that most, if not all, DO have concepts of bad & good, though these vary in the detail (not in major issues).

2) Is there any sort of concept or definition of good and/or evil that is common to all humanity?

I don’t think a ‘pure’ definition of ‘good & bad’ is possible. At its broadest, ‘good’ is anything that is beneficial, and ‘bad’ is anything that is harmful. But that is too broad to be practical because what is beneficial for the hunter, for example, is harmful to the hunted. So we need to narrow the definition to a personal level, because it is on the personal level that we perceive and act, and our perceptions and actions affect others in our environment.
So, then, on a personal level: selfishness is ‘bad’ (harmful to the individual & others, even though it may seem beneficial at the time - you might gain something), and selfLESSness is ‘good’ (beneficial to the individual & others, even if it seems harmful at the time - you might lose something).

SelfLESSness is the basic ideal of good in all the religions I know anything about, and selfishness the basic root of ‘bad. These concepts are common to all humanity.

My two pennyworth!

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[This message has been edited by Fljotsdale (edited 08-27-2001).]

08-27-2001, 06:10 AM	#5
Fljotsdale Thoth - Egyptian God of Wisdom Join Date: March 12, 2001 Location: Birmingham, West Mid\'s, England Age: 88 Posts: 2,859	Hi, AliCat! I have now thought and here is my response: 1) Does every religion include a concept of good and evil? (and is that a requirement for a religion?) I don’t know. Not to be certain, anyway. I can only offer an opinion based on years of thought, reading, conversation, TV and Radio: I am inclined to think that most, if not all, DO have concepts of bad & good, though these vary in the detail (not in major issues). 2) Is there any sort of concept or definition of good and/or evil that is common to all humanity? I don’t think a ‘pure’ definition of ‘good & bad’ is possible. At its broadest, ‘good’ is anything that is beneficial, and ‘bad’ is anything that is harmful. But that is too broad to be practical because what is beneficial for the hunter, for example, is harmful to the hunted. So we need to narrow the definition to a personal level, because it is on the personal level that we perceive and act, and our perceptions and actions affect others in our environment. So, then, on a personal level: selfishness is ‘bad’ (harmful to the individual & others, even though it may seem beneficial at the time - you might gain something), and selfLESSness is ‘good’ (beneficial to the individual & others, even if it seems harmful at the time - you might lose something). SelfLESSness is the basic ideal of good in all the religions I know anything about, and selfishness the basic root of ‘bad. These concepts are common to all humanity. My two pennyworth! ------------------ [This message has been edited by Fljotsdale (edited 08-27-2001).]