what is the ultimate benefit of overcoming evil with good

Peck considers those he calls evil to be attempting to escape and hide from their own conscience (through self-deception) and views this as being quite distinct from the apparent absence of conscience evident in sociopaths. A theist is a person who believes that the Supreme Being exists or gods exist (monotheism or polytheism). creates global spiritual community, rooted in profound love, which cultivates wonder, imagination, and the courage to act. It is difficult to figure out where an immaterial trait such as "goodness" could reside in the world. Those actions that benefit beings are wholesome and can be considered good, and those that cause harm to beings are unwholesome and can be considered evil. The Heart Sutra tells us that “All phenomena in their own-being are empty.” No thing, including each of us, is inherently anything. As we do good when others hate us, we are not conformed to the pattern of this world; instead, we evidence the transformation that the Holy Spirit is working in us (Rom. By what criteria? It is possible to treat the essential theories of value by the use of a philosophical and academic approach. He holds a Master of Theology degree. In Western civilisation, the basic meanings of κακός and ἀγαθός are "bad, cowardly" and "good, brave, capable", and their absolute sense emerges only around 400 BC, with pre-Socratic philosophy, in particular Democritus. The nature of being good has been given many treatments; one is that the good is based on the natural love, bonding, and affection that begins at the earliest stages of personal development; another is that goodness is a product of knowing truth. This type of view, called perfectionism, has been recently defended in modern form by Thomas Hurka. The price of labour may then be set by supply and demand, by strike action or legislation, or by legal or professional entry-requirements into occupations. A moral system without this axiom seems simply not actionable. 55 Articles, By For permissions, view our Copyright Policy. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Thus, evil does not exist, and is relative to man. Indeed, if we weren't, we could neither discuss that good nor even recognize it. Many have come to the conclusion that without assuming ecosystem continuation as a universal good, with attendant virtues like biodiversity and ecological wisdom it is impossible to justify such operational requirements as sustainability of human activity on Earth. These are:[31], In the originally Persian religion of Zoroastrianism, the world is a battle ground between the god Ahura Mazda (also called Ormazd) and the malignant spirit Angra Mainyu (also called Ahriman). [16], The Baháʼí Faith asserts that evil is non-existent and that it is a concept for the lacking of good, just as cold is the state of no heat, darkness is the state of no light, forgetfulness the lacking of memory, ignorance the lacking of knowledge. If this is so, then what kind of being could validly apply the word "good" to an ecosystem as a whole? Ultimately, the only way to overcome evil is not through force but through love, resisting harmful acts, but with compassion and understanding for the people who commit them, so that the cycle of violence is not perpetuated. Del Testa, David W; Lemoine, Florence; Strickland, John (2003). Website: [http://www.efrankking.com] Blog: http://wwwefrankking.blogspot.com/, Article Source: This lady really got under my skin times without number. It just seems fair that when someone persecutes us without a cause that we would be justified in giving them what they are asking for. [41] The original Judeo-Christian concept of sin is as a process that leads one to miss the mark and not achieve perfection. Quest for Meaning is a program of the Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF). 1. 1317, Delivered at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington Lord’s Day Morning, October 8, 1876. This division of good and evil is of major importance in both the Hindu epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata. She is an active member of the First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco, California, and a member of the editorial board of the CLF's Quest Monthly. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” - Romans 12:21. Misunderstanding God's reality leads to incorrect choices, which are termed evil. 4 Inconvenient Truths about Sodom and Gomorrah in the Bible, A Prayer to Know Your Life Purpose - Your Daily Prayer - October 30, A Prayer for a Thankful Heart - Your Daily Prayer - November 1, 10 Prayers for Hope When You're Tired of the Struggle, This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright © 2020, Crosswalk.com. According to that theology, Michael decapitating Satan is the ultimate triumph of good over evil. Political realists usually justify their perspectives by laying claim to a higher moral duty specific to political leaders, under which the greatest evil is seen to be the failure of the state to protect itself and its citizens. US: Griffin, James. Some theories describe no higher collective value than that of maximizing pleasure for individual(s). [24], The primal duality in Buddhism is between suffering and enlightenment, so the good vs. evil splitting has no direct analogue in it. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” -- Romans 12:21. An annual subscription is just $50. This theory had a wide effect on public affairs, up to and including the present day. I confronted her many times but little came out of our meetings. They delight in making the lives of other people miserable. It has two main varieties: simple, and Epicurean. We will be tempted to love the world and its sinful approach to reality, which is why John tells us not to love the world or the things of the world (1 John 2:15). It’s the thinking behind most acts of violence, actually, when rightly or wrongly someone sees someone else as “evil,” so vile that their existence cannot be tolerated, so they must be driven out or terminated. This correspondence can also be seen reflected in ancient Mesopotamian religion as well in the conflict between Marduk and Tiamat. People tend to believe evil is something external to them, because they project their shadow onto others. [3] However, elements that are commonly associated with evil involve unbalanced behavior involving expediency, selfishness, ignorance, or neglect. For instance, Thomas Aquinas—a proponent of this view—believed he had proven the existence of God, and the right relations that humans ought to have to the divine first cause. There is no concept of absolute evil in Islam, as a fundamental universal principle that is independent from and equal with good in a dualistic sense. During my last pastorate, I had this one church member who was certainly the most difficult congregant I ever had to deal with as a church leader. A common theme of medieval Jewish philosophy is that people who do good deeds will be rewarded in olam haba. It’s just a miserable way to live. Upon reading the inscription, I understood. [citation needed], In Confucianism and Taoism, there is no direct analogue to the way good and evil are opposed, although references to demonic influence is common in Chinese folk religion. It's as if they look to find that button they can push to make you explode and lose it so they can gloat, "mission accomplished." She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Others go farther, declaring that life itself is of intrinsic value. Universalists consider evil independent of culture, and wholly related to acts or intents. Smack dab in the center, dominating the small space, was a very large statue of the Archangel Michael, with brow creased, wings unfurled, sword drawn, standing over the prone and nearly decapitated body of Satan, his horned head hanging over the edge of the platform by a single bronze ligament. Such hope is often translated as "faith", and wisdom itself is largely defined within some religious doctrines as a knowledge and understanding of innate goodness. Matthew 5:38-48, for example, covers many of the same themes that we have been reading about in our study of Paul’s epistle to the Christians in Rome. Often, evil is used to denote profound immorality. He further claims that without holding variants of those covert or overt belief and assumptions, the tendency to resort to violence in most cases is less likely. It is driven by fear and manifests through violence and division. In Afghan belief, angels and saints are beings sent to help us achieve the path towards goodness.[32]. What I really want to say is that some people are just outright evil. Rather, we can be assertive without getting ugly. By contrast, cultural history and other antiques are sometimes seen as of value in and of themselves due to their age. Creatures within that ecosystem and wholly dependent on it, evaluate good relative to what else could be achieved there. We cannot take any action, good or bad, without it affecting both the wider world and ourselves. A counterproposal is to locate values inside people. Maybe you found out somebody lied to you or you didn’t get the raise at work that you deserved, or maybe you were rejected or physically abused. Well, before you execute your master plan of personal revenge to take out the enemy, consider this advice from the Bible: "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21).

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