Evil Is As Evil Does

[old_nick]

Aren't time and space just as real as leprechauns, Tooth Fairies and werewolves? They are all mental constructs correct?

Space and time(or more accurately spacetime) are just words for describing the expanding geometry of the universe. So they are as real as the universe and everything in it is.

[Fawzo]

Space and time(or more accurately spacetime) are just words for describing the expanding geometry of the universe. So they are as real as the universe and everything in it is.

If I am not mistaken our eyes only see one billionth of the light spectrum and I'm pretty sure our instruments only measure a small portion of what is left as well. I think all types of energies and things could exist in those other areas of the spectrum that we have no idea of.

Edited May 4, 2012 by Fawzo

[Bro. Hex]

If we really want to question everything, we can go back to Descartes'. "I think, therefore I am."

For the purists -- "Cogito, ergo sum."

This, of course is the truncated, and highly popular version of René Descartes' famous intuitive explication,

often referred to as "Descartes' statement of the cogito".

What is not so widely known is that the "full version" was far less definitive.

It read as follows:

"Cogito, ergo sum.......cogito"

j/k

Edited May 4, 2012 by Hexalpa

[Ex Nihilo]

Lmao hex! You made my night.

[Jonathan H. B. Lobl]

If I am not mistaken our eyes only see one billionth of the light spectrum and I'm pretty sure our instruments only measure a small portion of what is left as well. I think all types of energies and things could exist in those other areas of the spectrum that we have no idea of.

It is a basic problem. We don't know what we don't know.

[Songster]

It is a basic problem. We don't know what we don't know.

That may be true, but it's doesn't stop some from claiming that they do know.

Edited May 5, 2012 by Songster

[Fawzo]

It is a basic problem. We don't know what we don't know.

But what if we do know what we don't know and just aren't aware that we know

[Jonathan H. B. Lobl]

But what if we do know what we don't know and just aren't aware that we know

Since we are manifestations of God -- and don't remember -- that is the case. IMO.

[Ex Nihilo]

Since we are manifestations of God -- and don't remember -- that is the case. IMO.

Kind of like the god who became a pig and forgot he was a god. We just need to wake up and see who we really are!

[Jonathan H. B. Lobl]

Kind of like the god who became a pig and forgot he was a god. We just need to wake up and see who we really are!

Which brings us to "enlightenment."

[Fawzo]

Which brings us to "enlightenment."

AMEN!!!

[Bro. Hex]

Since we are manifestations of God --

and don't remember -- that (this) is the case. IMO.

It is, after all, "all about the remembering"

"Until baptism, they say, Fate is effective,

but after it, the astrologers no longer speak the truth.

It is not baptism alone that makes us free,

but also the recognition*of

who we were,

what have we have become,

into what place have we been cast,

whither are we hastening,

from what we are delivered,

what is birth

what is rebirth"

(Paraphrased from: Excerpta ex Theodoto 78 )

*(rememberance, revelation)

Edited May 6, 2012 by Bro. Hex

[Jonathan H. B. Lobl]

It is, after all, "all about the remembering"

Yes. And why do we get "protective amnesia? Fear -- the opposite of love.

"Until baptism, they say, Fate is effective,

but after it, the astrologers no longer speak the truth.

It is not baptism alone that makes us free,

but also the recognition*of

who we were,

what have we have become,

into what place have we been cast,

whither are we hastening,

from what we are delivered,

what is birth

what is rebirth"

(Paraphrased from: Excerpta ex Theodoto 78 )

*(rememberance, revelation)

Edited May 6, 2012 by Jonathan H. B. Lobl

[Bro. Hex]

"Yes. And why do we get "protective amnesia? Fear -- the opposite of love."

Jon, I had to read your post THREE TIMES before I realized that you had done anything

other than simply reposting my original paraphrase of Excerpta ex Theodoto 78 .

If you are going to INSERT text into someone else's post,

I suggest making it a different color, and maybe BOLD or IN ITALICS...

P.S. I liked your comment....once I finally found it!

[Jonathan H. B. Lobl]

Jon, I had to read your post THREE TIMES before I realized that you had done anything

other than simply reposting my original paraphrase of Excerpta ex Theodoto 78 .

If you are going to INSERT text into someone else's post,

I suggest making it a different color, and maybe BOLD or IN ITALICS...

P.S. I liked your comment....once I finally found it!

I was not quoting you. We each came up with the same thought independent of each other. Perhaps great minds do think alike.

Well," when we are in complete agreement with each other, one of us must be right . "(misquoting Rodger and Ebert)

Edited May 7, 2012 by Jonathan H. B. Lobl

[Bro. Hex]

Well," when we are in complete agreement with each other, one of us must be right . "

(misquoting Rodger and Ebert)

LOL!

Edited May 7, 2012 by Bro. Hex

[simplicitys-brother]

Evil could be defined as doing things that harm the survival potential of the greatest number of dynamics.

When a person has a problem that they do not know the most survival way to solve they have little choice but to do an evil act.

Evil is plainly against the personal code of working toward the most survival for all of the dynamics.

There is no ultimate evil nor goodness, only shades of each. The technology of Ethics shows how to know what is good and what is bad. For example sometimes it is the best possible choice to kill another human being and sometimes it is terrible to shooo a fly away from the baby. The tipping point (between good and bad) would be the overall value to the largest number of dynamics.

[Zequatanil]

The debate of the ages--Evil and Good. Below is the post--Ego versus higher Guidance by Fawzo--to me this would fall under the characteristics of good and evil --ego/evil-higher guidance/good--there are degrees here ofcourse , but this is a general idea about truth as well-- as the author reminds us. To me they are almost the same thing--Universal truth being good/ Deception/lies being evil. From the list below one can go even deeper into levels of evil or good as the list below address the less serious actions but from the list one can extrapolate.

I am not supposing that all of ego`s actions are bad, --but we were given free will from God, thus we have to choose. Sin falls into this area, but is more of a Biblical version --basically it is lack of light of God or of Divine Consciousness, Source or whomever that higher power IS--the I AM Presence.

Ego vs Higher Guidance

(Author Unknown)

The more aware we become, the more intuition develops for us. The more we can access our intuition, the faster we grow and change. The key is to understand the language of intuition. How can you tell if the 'inner voice' is Spirit's, other beings, other people's projections or your own judgmental thoughts? The tips below will help you discriminate and discern the TRUTH.

Read the list over often and get a strong sense of how to discern higher guidance. Expand your inventory of how you sense the higher or lower information that comes into your physical and non-physical senses.

Lower Levels of Information ----------------- Higher Levels of Intuition

(Ego) ------------------------------------------ (Higher Self)

demand obedience or surrender - suggest, advise, you make your own decisions

conflict with one's personal ethics ------- no conflict with personal ethics

create fear, negativity --------------- create love, inspiration, empowerment

are generalities, long winded ----- are relevant, short, intelligent, unique

are conditional ------------------- are unconditional, appropriate, natural

appeal to curiosity, ego ----------------- appeal to goodwill, beauty, unity

from confusing, competing voices ---------- from still, single knowing voice

affirm ultimate authority for itself ----- counsel surrender to higher power

require no personal effort --------------------------- need personal effort

guidance from subconscious -------------------------- guidance from the Soul

emotional desires, glamour ----------------------- higher spiritual guidance

benefit the receiver ------------------------- benefit the good of the whole

fixed interpretations ------------------------ many levels of interpretation

create dependencies --------------------------------- create interdependence

promote separation ----------------------- reflect oneness, wholeness, unity

are self conscious ------------------------------------- are other conscious

affirm mediocrity ------------------------------ promote making a difference

reflect a part of the whole ------------------------------ reflect the whole

are emotional, mental ---------------------------------------- are intuitive

focus on things -------------------------------- focus on essence and values

result in loss of self ---------------------------- result in self discovery

focus on desires, wants -------------------------------- focus on soul needs

address individual --------------------------------------- address community

deal with form ----------------------------------- deal with symbols, truths

concerned with self will ------------------------------- reflect divine will

create victims -------------------------------------- require accountability

are sporadic ----------------------------------------------- are disciplined

create stress ----------------------------------------- create peace of mind

are personal ------------------------------------------------ are impersonal

are restrictive ---------------------------------------------- are expansive

are particular ----------------------------------------------- are universal

are controlling ----------------------------------------------- are allowing

focus on self -------------------------------------- focus on others or Soul

focus on destination -------------------------------------- focus on process

are exclusive ------------------------------------------------ are inclusive

are judging -------------------------------------------------- are accepting

are scattered -------------------------------------------------- are focused

are limited -------------------------------------------------- are unlimited

focus on material --------------------------------------- focus on spiritual

are reactive ------------------------------------------------- are proactive

are concrete -------------------------------------------------- are abstract

focus on past, future ----------------------------------------- focus on NOW

deal with personality ----------------------------------------- concern SOUL

produce inertia -------------------------------------------- generate growth

stuff in ---------------------------------------------------------- draw out

focus on quantity ----------------------------------------- focus on quality

are selfish ------------------------------------------------- are altruistic

are superficial --------------------------------------------------- are deep

create resistance ---------------------------------------------- create flow

focus on lack ------------------------------------------- focus on abundance

are static ----------------------------------------------------- are dynamic

focus on ME ---------------------------------------------- focus on humanity

create illusion ----------------------------------------------- reveal truth

focus on work --------------------------------------------- focus on service

focus on mine ---------------------------------------------- focus on Spirit

use force -------------------------------------------------------- use power

focus on effect --------------------------------------------- focus on cause

take ------------------------------------------------------------------ give

produce fear ----------------------------------------------- experience love

--I would add to this list

conscience--lack of conscience

Personally I don`t believe that there is an outside force that causes us to be evil (devil)--it is separation from God. It is function of ego, the free will. The more evil the more darkness, (evil), or lack of light (God).Those that are perpetrating evil on others are `graceless` if there is such a term. Now--in my view there are multiple layes within the action. As it takes the person who is `doing` and the `person who is the `victim` and their state of being. It maybe--if you believe in re-incarnation be due to karma. perhaps I was a terrible murderer in the past and now aI have to experience what I had inflicted to redeem myself, or if we are talking in a Christian sense--lack of grace due to the blinding by ego, or due to our stubborn wills thinking we know all.

It all boils down to lack of conscience, which is the darkness, is the evil--and the evil is proportional to the degree of darkness. Versus good--which is grace, which is love which is the manifestation light, of God. Enlightenment is the recognition of this within soul by the higher self--which is the very connection to God. All religions really say the same thing--just with a different description.

Just one more thing about sin--One of the sacraments, the second one-- in the RC faith is --Penance , which is confessing and being sorry for our sins. Now to me it always was --recognizing what one has done and ``getting a conscience about it``. To me it never had anything to do about verbalizing it to my priest and receiving absolution. By the realization one gets connected back to God.

namaste--blessings and peace,

S

Edited June 12, 2012 by sarkany

[Songster]

Just one more thing about sin--One of the sacraments, the second one-- in the RC faith is --Penance , which is confessing and being sorry for our sins. Now to me it always was --recognizing what one has done and ``getting a conscience about it``. To me it never had anything to do about verbalizing it to my priest and receiving absolution. By the realization one gets connected back to God.

Sarkany, here, I think you are partially right. Conscience makes one aware of when one has sinned, and verbalizing a Confession of one's sin is an "owning" of one's actions and is an effort to ease the guilt of having sinned. Confession is not Penance. Atonement (at-one-ment) is what erases the Karmic penalty for the sin and allows a reconnection with the Creator.

Edited June 13, 2012 by Songster

[Zequatanil]

True--confession is not a sacrament. .

--it was called the Sacrament of Penance, even some years ago. These days it is called Sacrament of Reconciliation. The sacrament of Extreme Unction--for the dying, was also changed to Anointing of the Sick--which is now the legal term.

blessings--

S