Epistemology is a fascinating study: [it] distinguishes justified belief from opinion.

So let's go back to "evil", again. Is one's concept of evil a justified belief, or just an opinion?

One could postulate that the hoarding of toilet paper, when others are in need, is evil. But is it? In reality? Is it justified to believe hoarding toilet paper is evil? Definitely depends on one's circumstances, doesn't it?

Perhaps one is simply protecting themselves, and their family, from the unknown. How does one decide what is real, unknown, or just plain stupid?

Btw, Mrs. RoundGuy and I are running out of toilet paper. so I've given this a bit of thought.

According to a website that claims to contain facts about toilet paper, between 70 and 75% of the world doesn't use the stuff. Consider yourself privileged that you had the opportunity for most of your life to be one of the special people who experienced the luxury of it.

http://www.toiletpaperhistory.net/to...per-fun-facts/

Aaron, in 56-years of life, I've never considered toilet paper a "privilege" or "luxury".

Times change. Reality changes.

....the Lord giveth [toliet paper] and the Lord taketh away [toliet paper] ...
Book of Job 1:21 Walmart Version

Looking at a week, max. Lord giveth me and Mrs. RoundGuy a sign, like, a Wal-Mart full of toilet paper.

Survival tip: Public bathrooms are a source of quality quarter-ply toilet paper.

RoundSon runs a restaurant that's closed. Might need to sneak a few one-ply.

I recommend a book called "Evil," by Lance Morrow. It is a bunch of essays on evil that each come at it indirectly, which I at first didn't like, but it has a lot good to say. I generally prefer much more just straight definitions instead of rambling subjective discourse.

My take on evil is along these lines: it's kind of a misnomer, with other terms being more useful and descriptive and insightful. If evil doesn't mean "from the devil" or "from a demon" ... exactly what does it mean? See it has a religious basis. If one defines it as "extremely immoral," okay, that is meaningful in reality, very meaningful, but there are still terms that are way more illuminating.

For instance, ultimate example probably: Hitler. To understand and describe his behavior, which is important, the terms "dehumanized" and "destructive" and even "hateful," are much more accurate and meaningful and illuminative than "evil." The man is dehumanized, how did that happen?, he is destructive as hell (opposite of constructive, obv), he is full of hatred and vengeance (opposite of love and caring and empathy). These are very important distinctions being drawn as opposed to labeling it "evil" and stopping there.

I once showed a homicide detective my paper on this. She kept saying the sociopathic murderers were just pure evil. Well, true if evil means "extremely immoral," which it does. But stopping there actually describes nothing about the behavior psychologically. And that matters.

Of course hoarding toilet paper isn't evil and there is a fuzzy line between stocking and hoarding. Still it doesn't rise to "extremely immoral," or my terms destructive, dehumanized, hateful. More like selfish. Not evil. And of course there are gray areas of selfishness. The guy with 17,000 bottles of sanitizer, that's hoarding and immoral and predatory maybe even.

This entire post was pretty good stuff. Thank you.

Yet, you say, "I recommend", "I generally prefer", "My take", "If one defines", "I once showed". And, of course, "Hitler".

Your opinion, period. Why should I accept your opinions as something to justify my belief?

Epistemology. Interesting stuff. But in the end, just mental masturbation.

It's based on research into the human condition. The "evil" thing is the one not based on meaningful reviewed research.

So, basically, you have no clue what you're talking about regarding evil.

Beyond something along the lines of "extremely immoral," it has no clear meaning that I know of other than religious meanings (which always depends on the religion so therefore is no help).

Satan is evil. The Lucifer demons-by-proxy that are possessing people are evil. Some impersonal force of evil in the world? I say no.

As the concept attempts to describe human behavior, coming from a very subjective and ignorant religious place, it understandably fails to understand what is happening in human beings who are dehumanized and hateful. No supernatural force of evil, imo.

I probably misunderstood you in the other thread. Sounded like that religious argument since anyone can be wrong, I can claim anything as right sans evidence.

To the extent that reality doesn't matter in a religion, the religion is evil. To the extent reality is respected, religion can provide a fine moral system and even imbue life with meaning.

These chastisements are sent to us so that we may repent for our sins and grow closer to our Lord.

Below are some quotes from St. Alphonsus Liguori:

"He threatens us with chastisement, says St. Jerome, not that He means to inflict it, but to spare us if we profit by the warning. Thou, O Lord, says St. Augustine, art severe, but then most so when Thou wishest to save us; Thou threatenst, but in so threatening Thou hast no other object than to bring us to repentance. In Ps. 55. The Lord could chastise sinners without warning by a sudden death, which should not leave them time for repentance; but no, He displays His wrath, He brandishes His scourge, in order that He may see them reformed, not punished."

"He says, and tell the sinners if they wish to hear you, that if they cease from their sins, I shall spare them the chastisements which I intended to have inflicted on them. And now, my brethren, mark me. The Lord addresses you in a similar way out of my mouth. If you amend, He will revoke the sentence of punishment. St. Jerome says: "God is wroth, not with us, but with our sins;" and St. John Chrysostom adds, that if we remember our sins God will forget them. He desires that we being humbled should reform, and crave pardon of Him. Because they are humbled I will not destroy them. -----2 Par. 12:7."

Who is St. Alphonsus, and why should I give a sh*t what he says?

Do you give a sh*t what I say -- or fella, craig, Aaron, or neeeel? How about Beau, or weirdo carlo? Maybe Original or Zeno?

Expand your mind, dude.

It probably doesn't mean anything to you but He's a Saint and moral theologian but he's also references St. Augustine, St. Jerome, St. John Chrysostom.

He also references Psalm 55 which has some length so I linked it.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage...&version=RSVCE

and 2 Chronicles 12:7

"7 When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemai′ah: “They have humbled themselves; I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance, and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak."

You are correct. It doesn't mean anything to me.

what would it take for it to mean anything to you?

Interesting question.

St. Alphonsus, St. Augustine, St. Jerome, St. John Chrysostom.

Pretty much just old guys speaking their mind.

What does what I say, or anyone else on this forum, mean to you?

Why would non-swallowers of the religion not care about what so-called "saints" say? Boy, that's a tough one. If someone can get their head out of the religion even just for a second, they would realize, well, the church that sanctioned child-rapists in their midst has declared these certain individuals as saints ... some of those saints themselves are child rapists, the people electing them to sainthood are some of the very ones sanctioning and covering up child rapists, you know, after all, they are impressive "men of god" like that ... and just maybe, just maybe, all this is evil. Or maybe its god behind it all with his mysterious ways. This concludes the thought experiment about the blight on society of medieval "thinking."

Or, you know, boy scouts.

Were you raped as a child?

We're just random people without credibility (that I know of).

I'd listen to Michael Jordan talk about basketball strategy because he's one of the greatest.

The Saints are elected as the most Holy among us because of their orientation towards God and what they have done in their lives etc.

I don't know of any Saints being rapists but most of what you say is valid. They abused their positions and what they did is evil and it needs to be uprooted.

Basketball not equal to religion and philosophy. Do you understand why?