Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site cybvax0.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!whuxlm!harpo!decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!cybvax0!mrh From: mrh@cybvax0.UUCP (Mike Huybensz) Newsgroups: net.religion Subject: Re: Why is there evil? Message-ID: <243@cybvax0.UUCP> Date: Tue, 27-Nov-84 10:40:24 EST Article-I.D.: cybvax0.243 Posted: Tue Nov 27 10:40:24 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 29-Nov-84 06:10:41 EST References: <128@ihdev.UUCP> <1096@trwrba.UUCP> <1001@umcp-cs.UUCP> <352@gitpyr.UUCP> <278@pyuxd.UUCP> Reply-To: mrh@cybvax0.UUCP (Mike Huybensz) Organization: Cybermation, Inc., Cambridge, MA Lines: 14 Summary: Rich Rosen and I agree that evil is rooted in subjective impressions of things that make our relative fitness lower than it could be. Theologians may make up abstract categories and "reasons" (such as Satan) for evil, but if you observe ideas of evil that are not theologically inspired, there is an inverse corellation to whatever we could do to improve our fitness. Recently I read "Journey To The West" (the excellent and lengthy translation by Anthony Yu). I recommend it for non-christian ideas of good and evil, as well as a ripping good folk mythology. It took me a while to get over the culture shock, but in combination with other folk tales and anthropological studies, it has confirmed cultural relativism for me once again. -- Mike Huybensz ...decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!cybvax0!mrh