Page 1 of 1
Evil and Secularists
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2026 6:39 pm
by Gary Childress
How does "evil" relate to secularism? Do secularists have a concept of "evil," and if we do, what is our concept of "evil?" Are secularists able to have a concept of "evil"? Are secularists able to have a sense of "right" and "wrong" that is meaningful? Is "evil" the same as "right" and "wrong"?
Re: Evil and Secularists
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2026 6:47 pm
by Impenitent
spell evil backwards
(it was a great Sabbath album)
-Imp
Re: Evil and Secularists
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2026 7:29 pm
by Lacewing
Gary Childress wrote: ↑Wed Jun 17, 2026 6:39 pm
How does "evil" relate to secularism? Do secularists have a concept of "evil," and if we do, what is our concept of "evil?" Are secularists able to have a concept of "evil"? Are secularists able to have a sense of "right" and "wrong" that is meaningful? Is "evil" the same as "right" and "wrong"?
I don't think the concept of 'evil' means much in regard to secularism. The concepts of right and wrong are meaningful without the idea of evil. For a secularist to refer to evil is probably most likely: 1) just a descriptive word for something/someone horrible -- OR -- 2) to talk about religion on its own terms.
Re: Evil and Secularists
Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2026 6:20 am
by Dubious
Gary Childress wrote: ↑Wed Jun 17, 2026 6:39 pm
How does "evil" relate to secularism? Do secularists have a concept of "evil," and if we do, what is our concept of "evil?" Are secularists able to have a concept of "evil"? Are secularists able to have a sense of "right" and "wrong" that is meaningful? Is "evil" the same as "right" and "wrong"?
That's the kind of stupid, ignorant question a religious fanatic like IC would ask to endorse the concept as authorized by the bible since to secularists that validation doesn't apply being forced to use judgment as opposed to mandate.
Also, evil is not strictly the same as right and wrong. An evil is done with intention, rarely through ignorance even though evil may follow as a side-effect. As well, evil is a historical measure of what cultures and civilizations themselves define as right or wrong within their societies and not least by the age itself. That's long been known! In effect, evil as concept remains relative, of no established agency throughout the ages.