Spirituality and Evil
In most religions, evil is the transgression of rules against other members of your own faith. In this circumstance it is typically the evil of an individual that is being defined. Some individuals have a lesser capacity for empathy and spirituality and therefore only follow rules insofar as they feel obliged to. These individuals often have specific personality disorders and are not the norm in human societies. Most people have a predisposition towards empathy and spirituality and therefore generally follow rules willingly.
Group behavior and group morality is very different. What is evil when carried out within a group is, often, not considered evil when carried out against an outsider, indeed it is sometimes allowed. Many people of religion do now take a wider view of moral responsibility. They recognize that the attack of one group by another is evil. They recognize violence by one group against another is evil, regardless of the faith of the opposing sides.
Evil, when committed by groups, is a partner of good. Good and evil are two sides of the same coin, and they both grow out of spirituality. Spirituality creates a group and allows a person to see themselves as more than just an individual. An intense sense of belonging can lead to the disappearance of individual thought. It can also lead to anyone outside the group being viewed as outside the moral consideration of the group. Spirituality and spiritual experience promote the group interest over individualism to some extent, and in doing so, allow both great self-sacrifice and great evil to flourish, depending on how that spirituality is directed.
‘You are part of this community and the needs of this community override the needs of all others.’
‘You are part of this community and this community is part of a wider community of man’
The two views above promote and direct spirituality and morality towards very different end points.
Group behavior and group morality is very different. What is evil when carried out within a group is, often, not considered evil when carried out against an outsider, indeed it is sometimes allowed. Many people of religion do now take a wider view of moral responsibility. They recognize that the attack of one group by another is evil. They recognize violence by one group against another is evil, regardless of the faith of the opposing sides.
Evil, when committed by groups, is a partner of good. Good and evil are two sides of the same coin, and they both grow out of spirituality. Spirituality creates a group and allows a person to see themselves as more than just an individual. An intense sense of belonging can lead to the disappearance of individual thought. It can also lead to anyone outside the group being viewed as outside the moral consideration of the group. Spirituality and spiritual experience promote the group interest over individualism to some extent, and in doing so, allow both great self-sacrifice and great evil to flourish, depending on how that spirituality is directed.
‘You are part of this community and the needs of this community override the needs of all others.’
‘You are part of this community and this community is part of a wider community of man’
The two views above promote and direct spirituality and morality towards very different end points.
posted by craig fotheringham at 4:16 AM
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