Good vs Evil

[weinmanr]

Hello,

I am wondering what your views are on evil. It seems like in Christianity they don't believe God created evil. Yet they say that he created everything. One Jew told me, "There is no Devil. There is good God and bad God." What are your thoughts? Do you believe in this chess match between good and evil?

Hello :) Yes, I believe there is a chess game going on. And when we focus on that game and get involved, we miss the overall picture. In my view, it is not God vs Satan, the real "God" is behind, in front of, before, after, outside and inside everything.

[RabbiO]

Originally Posted by weinmanr

One Jew told me, "There is no Devil. There is good God and bad God."

Are you sure he/she was not talking about the yetzer ha-tov and the yetzer ha-ra, the inclination for good and the inclination for bad.

It is true that Judaism does not believe in a devil.

L'shalom,

Peter

[Eliab_ben_B]

Shalom,

I tend to agree with RabbiO .. but perhaps perceive or express it a little differently ..

The good or evil inclination we find within ourselves, and make the choice ..
2 sides of the same coin, one cannot exist without the other ..
So we give in to our base desires over considering others .. and call it evil
or we first consider the community we live amongst, control our base desires
and perhaps conclude it is " good " ...

And yes, personal choice and responsibility, no get out clause with an evil entity to blame it on in Judaism ...

Shalom ... Eliab

[Morpheus]

Originally Posted by Eliab_ben_B

Shalom,

I tend to agree with RabbiO .. but perhaps perceive or express it a little differently ..

The good or evil inclination we find within ourselves, and make the choice ..
2 sides of the same coin, one cannot exist without the other ..
So we give in to our base desires over considering others .. and call it evil
or we first consider the community we live amongst, control our base desires
and perhaps conclude it is " good " ...

And yes, personal choice and responsibility, no get out clause with an evil entity to blame it on in Judaism ...

Shalom ... Eliab

We are told in scripture about a "Fall". After this event and situation, we are to understand that decay, aging, and death came into the world.
And, not just to humanity, but into the world.
This is about "Space/Time", which also Physics tells us, is illusory.
Since the Jewish Physicist Eintein's findings.

The Fall, and consequence thereof, aligns today with what Physics has revealed about the material world, and universe. (Illusory)

In fact, we read about a Fall of both Adam, (humanity), and also about an angelic Fall, apart from Space/time. Both in Old Testament, and in New.

Illusions of space, time ,and Gravity; results of the "fall" in the, "Garden"

Why did the Lord Almighty show favor with Able's offering, and not Cain's, even before the Law and ordinances came through Moses?
Because it is in line with the means the Almighty has used to reconcile a fallen and evil humanity with Himself, namely, the Atonements.

Lev. 17:11 "For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul."

...Who are made clean, redeemed and reconciled with God through the substitutional sacrifice for sins.

[Amilius777]

The Native Americans had a way of dealing with "atonement" in a very personal way. Instead of sacrificing animals, they began "cutting" themselves to let old blood out, to let the old emotions flow out.

I don't understand how an animal's blood washes away someone's "psyche". It is disturbing and awful to watch an animal slaughtered, worse a man as in the Mayan culture.

Blood sacrifices, animal atonements, tribal war- all seem to dominate the cultures of the time during the "Arian Period"- the astrological age starting with Abraham to Moses to the first century Palestine (Jesus).

The people at THAT time had a relationship with the Divine that mirrored their culture and customs and state of consciousness. Today Jewish sects, Christians, and even some Muslim denominations do not sacrifice animals, ask for blood sacrifices, etc- you are meant to repent and undo your own mistakes.

Even if you aren't into metaphysics, or Christianity, - you could see Jesus as a teacher who at least tried raising the peoples' consciousness beyond this old one. His penance and repentance teachings are something else because unlike priests today he didn't say, "Don't do this, or else say five Hail Marys". He said, "DO this, do that" in replace of something bad.

"Do unto others as you would want done unto you". It is a perfect teaching because if you treat others with unkindness, you will receive unkindness. If you treat others with kindness you will receive kindness. It is a perfect straightforward way of living. It is also your own personal journey and mirroring and reflecting the Divine on whatever level you understand; whether good, in between, lost, or evil.

I think it is more blessed to do something good or give during Lent then to give up something.

I think the last thing that gets us to do better are prohibitions and restrictions. Why? Because everyone on some level breaks the rules. It just causes more rule breaking, stress, and using repentance as a crutch.

[Morpheus]

Excuse me for saying so Am, but you are both crass, and rather inconsiderate here. This is the Jewish forum.
That's number one.

Number two is about the long and firm foundation established through the many millenia in the Hebrew scriptures, regarding the sacrifices ordained by God.
Which you feel free to dismiss, and disregard.
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Eliab. -

Shalom,

I tend to agree with RabbiO .. but perhaps perceive or express it a little differently ..

The good or evil inclination we find within ourselves, and make the choice ..
2 sides of the same coin, one cannot exist without the other ..

"There is none good, no not one..."

"We all like sheep have gone astray, everyone to their own path. But the Lord has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all".

Isaiah - Old Testament
Which book is the most comprehensive, in the Dead Sea Scrolls Find. Hidden by the Essenes.

[saturn guy]

Originally Posted by weinmanr

Hello,

I am wondering what your views are on evil. It seems like in Christianity they don't believe God created evil. Yet they say that he created everything. One Jew told me, "There is no Devil. There is good God and bad God." What are your thoughts? Do you believe in this chess match between good and evil?

No. I am neither Jewish nor Christian, but at this point in time, I believe that what we consider as 'evil' is just there as a (theoretical) alternative to what we consider to be 'good.' It is there to make good appear. Without the sour, we cannot appreciate the sweet. That is really true. What is considered good and evil is so relative that I can only think of a few things which I (in my current state) would view as absolute evil........and I am not sure if I will keep this up after millions of reincarnations and millions of years of knowledge gathering.

[The Back Seat]

Because God represents everything (omnipotent). The good and the bad, the positive and negative in life.

[7luminaries]

Evil, no matter how you slice it, is when the highest good of the other is disregarded in concrete expression.
We usually recognise it most clearly when it has been taken to extreme (oriented away from the good, and even away from the neutral).

In expression, evil (like good) is concrete and exists as our word and deed. The intent, as others have mentioned, may or may not be used for evil...or for good. But evil in the concrete sense is about our choices...our concrete words and deeds.

(As we know, there is a difference in intent that is consciously aligned with good or God/One, versus intent that is misaligned or is consciously aligned away from God...but that is a much lengthier topic).

Evil is by definition impersonal, even when occurring between those who have a personal relationship.
It is the very act of disregarding the embodied divinity in another person...
it is the very act of disregarding the mind, body, soul, and heart of the other that allows an evil act (word or deed) to come into being.

Just like politics, good is always personal. Even if it is just personal to you, in the choices you have made.
Good is aligned with the light, and is personal in orientation to others, regardless of the number of ppl involved.
I see them clearly as being one and the same (good = personal and aligned to the light), but some may prefer if I include these as separate aspects.

Evil is always impersonal...because that is, by definition, why it is evil. Even if directly expressed to, for, and upon you.
Impersonal, (and) oriented away from the light. Again, I see them as one and the same (evil = impersonal and aligned away from the light), but some may prefer if I include them as separate aspects.

Peace & blessings,
7L