Frank:

<< I have thought about the concept of evil for along time. I don't believe
evil exists, >>

Hooray!!  ;-))  Me neither. I don't see any evidence anywhere in nature or in
the nature of human beings. And it makes no sense to me theoretically.

<< but I see what is called evil as misguided survival behaviors.>>

I like how you think, and you remind me of myself.

But I would not call it misguided survival behaviors, I would call it
misguided confused behaviors. Behaviors such as these are not really at all
pro-survival, but are actually anti-survival, however in his confusion the
evil-doer cannot see this.  For instance, Hitler did not forward either his
own or anyone else's survival, but in his deranged confusion I'll bet it felt
like he was making pro-survival choices. Same thing goes for cult leaders, or
skinheads, or fanatical diet zealots.

<< I believe that our psychological and emotional states come from our
evolutionary  history. Greed for example could be thought of as a misguided effort to
accumulate and store for the winter or drought. >>

Great thinking. What I wonder about is, how did it happen that one person got
twisted enough to go against his nature, and so confused that (s)he started to
see survival as an individual thing instead of seeing it as survival of his
group? How did it happen that (s)he lost sight of the fact that his own
survival in fact depended upon the survival of his group?  How did greed
start?

Once it started, I can understand how it would be "passed down" through the
generations, like some horrible contagious disease. But how did it start?

In my view, greed is the source of all "evil." Any real problem I can possibly
think of, can easily be traced directly to greed. Every health problem I can
possibly think of is directly or indirectly a result of the greed of the
people who own the corporations and all the resources. And somehow there has
been created an illusion of a scarcity of resources, which confuses and scares
us and then we become desperate enough to become selfish and greedy too.

<< Territorial fighting is also found in many species and has survival value
for them.>>

Yes, but it doesn't have survival value for us!! One of the ways we're
different. Territorial fighting is anti-survival for us.

<< I believe for evil to exist there would have to be some kind of negative
God. Some religious people do believe in this. >>

You're good with words. Yes, this is what evil would mean. It doesn't make any
sense to me at all, but I was not raised with any concept of a Satan, or Hell.
I think for people who were raised with those ideas, it might seem as though
there is such a thing as an evil "force" or "intelligence."

<< Personally I believe the whole universe is a totally good entity. However
microscopic examinations of small parts of it might appear to the contrary. >>

Me too, me too! Great way to describe it! And thank you for putting things
into perspective - yes I had forgotten what a teeny tiny microscopic bit of
the universe we are. Just a weency blip in a fraction of a nano-second.

What a thoughtful and intelligent post! Thanks loads. Glad you're on the list!

Love, Liza
[log in to unmask] (Liza May)