Is Jesus Good? Is Satan Evil?

[Simon_Peter]

Here are some facts:

We as humans are imperfect
We have limited perception
We have limited knowledge

What I don’t know is this:

Is Satan, Evil?
Is Jesus, Good?

I need to understand the meaning of ‘Good’ and ‘Evil’. So when I talk about Good and Evil, I understand what it is. Until I know these two things, I will not know if Jesus is Good, or if Satan is bad.

[onefaith]

There is no such thing as good or evil so your question is impossible to answer.

If that were the case there would be no difference between life or death, love and hate, murder and peace, lies and truth.

Is murder bad?
Is love good?

Do you get sad when someone you love dies?
Are you happy when a child is born?

How can you possibly say there is no such thing as good and evil?

[onefaith]

Here are some facts:

We as humans are imperfect.

There is a difference between a 'fact' in your life and understanding, and 'facts' for others.
I do not agree with this 'fact', I see all a 'perfect' as is. Every moment...

So what you believe is that terrorists are perfect, murderers are perfect, Adolf Hitler was perfect in his belief that all Jews were imperfect to the point that they all deserved to die, rapists are perfect, sex offenders are perfect. You think that every wrong thing that people have done make a person perfect? People are defined by what they do. What people do comes from the overflow of their heart, their soul, and their very being. Humans are not perfect. What we all do proves it.

Can you seriously believe all humans are perfect? No human is perfect.

[Homicidal_Cherry53]

There is no such thing as good or evil so your question is impossible to answer.

If that were the case there would be no difference between life or death, love and hate, murder and peace, lies and truth.

There are inherent differences between those things because they are opposites, in the same way that there is a difference between hot and cold.

Is murder bad?
Is love good?

Not inherently, but they are perceived as such by our society.

Do you get sad when someone you love dies?
Are you happy when a child is born?

I'm sure you, as a Christian, don't believe that you or your emotions have some kind of moral authority. I too believe that my emotions and views on morality do not apply to others, so what I feel about those things is not relevant.

How can you possibly say there is no such thing as good and evil?

Because there truly is no such thing. They are subjective terms, without absolute value.

[onefaith]

To me it sounds like you're trying to dodge what you feel about death and life.

I don't know what you mean by "moral authority". I'm just shocked that a person can actually believe that there is no such thing as good and evil, when there is so much evil in the world. I can kind of understand that you think they're just words with no meaning, if that's what you meant, but I can't see how you don't see a difference in morality between people who murder and people who love. Would you rather be loved by someone or be murdered by someone? Do you truly not think romance is a good thing? Don't you feel happy when you find someone you love? You don't have to answer this, just think about it. There is so much good in the world, and so much evil, and I just don't get how you don't believe in either.

[Beto]

To me it sounds like you're trying to dodge what you feel about death and life.

I don't know what you mean by "moral authority". I'm just shocked that a person can actually believe that there is no such thing as good and evil, when there is so much evil in the world. I can kind of understand that you think they're just words with no meaning, if that's what you meant, but I can't see how you don't see a difference in morality between people who murder and people who love. Would you rather be loved by someone or be murdered by someone? Do you truly not think romance is a good thing? Don't you feel happy when you find someone you love? You don't have to answer this, just think about it. There is so much good in the world, and so much evil, and I just don't get how you don't believe in either.

Notice that other animals routinely engage in killing and stealing. Now, seeing as they do not possess the ability to distinguish "good" from "evil", can you say these attributes exist to them? No, therefore these actions by themselves, or "inherently" as HC put it, are not "good" or "evil", but can only be perceived as such. If perceptions were real, than a Muslim suicide bomber would have a real perception of "good" and "evil" that isn't like yours. Both cannot exist simultaneously, so we must infer neither do. Does that make sense to you?

[Homicidal_Cherry53]

To me it sounds like you're trying to dodge what you feel about death and life.

I wouldn't want to die, and I don't want to take away life either, but I don't see how what I think about life and death is relevant or superior to what another person thinks about life and death.

I don't know what you mean by "moral authority".

I mean a person who has the authority to create an overarching morality that applies to all. We can both agree that neither of us is qualified to do that which makes my view of morality irrelevant to anyone but myself.

I'm just shocked that a person can actually believe that there is no such thing as good and evil, when there is so much evil in the world. I can kind of understand that you think they're just words with no meaning, if that's what you meant, but I can't see how you don't see a difference in morality between people who murder and people who love. Would you rather be loved by someone or be murdered by someone? Do you truly not think romance is a good thing? Don't you feel happy when you find someone you love? You don't have to answer this, just think about it. There is so much good in the world, and so much evil, and I just don't get how you don't believe in either.

I would rather be loved by someone, I think romance is a good thing (albeit highly cultural), and I do find happiness in "love", but that only means that I view love as a good thing and murder as a bad thing. I don't, however entertain the idea that someone else should be measured by my moral standards. There is nothing that makes my, your, or even God's (if he exists) moral view superior to anyone else's.

[Confused]

There is no such thing as good or evil so your question is impossible to answer.

If that were the case there would be no difference between life or death, love and hate, murder and peace, lies and truth.

Sure there is a difference. But there is no concrete way of defining any of those as good or evil.

Is murder bad?

In self defense or defense of someone you love, no. In reasons for selfishness such as robbery, hatred, etc.... , yes.

Is love good?

If you are loved in return, yes. If you get burnt, no. If you are loved by some crazy obsessive fan who is going to kill you for not returning his love, then no.

Do you get sad when someone you love dies?

After watching them suffer for weeks, months, etc.. then no, I am relieved and feel happy for their peace. If they are shot during a car jacking, yes I get sad.

Are you happy when a child is born?

If the child is born prematurely and will suffer for a few weeks before they finally die, then no. If they are born with nothing but a brainstem, then no. If it is a child you have longed for, then yes.

How can you possibly say there is no such thing as good and evil?

I am not so sure they don't exit. I am just sure that I can't think of anything concrete that I would say is always good or always evil. That would include Jesus and Satan.

[onefaith]

Ok I'm pretty sure I understand what you all are saying. And I agree to some extent. Nobody should force their own morals on someone else. So the real issue here then, to keep up the debate, is why it is bad in your opinion that God has set up moral standards that he wants to be kept. I define good as what God says good is, and the same with evil.

[Goat]

Ok I'm pretty sure I understand what you all are saying. And I agree to some extent. Nobody should force their own morals on someone else. So the real issue here then, to keep up the debate, is why it is bad in your opinion that God has set up moral standards that he wants to be kept. I define good as what God says good is, and the same with evil.

How do you know what God says is 'Good'? If the Bible, how do you know that the Bible actually represents what God says is Good?

[Homicidal_Cherry53]

Ok I'm pretty sure I understand what you all are saying. And I agree to some extent. Nobody should force their own morals on someone else. So the real issue here then, to keep up the debate, is why it is bad in your opinion that God has set up moral standards that he wants to be kept. I define good as what God says good is, and the same with evil.

*presumes the existence of God for the purposes of this debate*

Why does God retain the right to dictate absolute morality?