1) A person is essentially, I wouldn’t say evil, but more along the lines of “not good.” He is born out of sin, therefore his start in the world gives him a disadvantage, though only a slight one. It’s not to say he’s neither good nor evil, nor even a mixture of both. He is in the middle, undecided one way or the other when he is born. And until he has the ability to conceive whether what he is doing is right or wrong, it is impossible to say whether he is good or evil. He is not born with a sense of right or wrong, it is taught to him, and learned from those around him. It may be said that environment can contribute to a person’s development and attitude, but it doesn’t give him an excuse to do what is wrong, once he knows what is truly right. We are people, and thus are equipped with the ability to overcome circumstance, and behave in a good manner, and not an evil way. Although, it cannot be expected that someone be able to go against everything they’ve been taught, and do something they think is wrong, but right in someone else’s eyes. Right and wrong are not to be determined by people, for if they are, it is all only a perspective. Every person would have a different point of view, and for every person a different idea of good and evil would be present. The only way something can truly be determined as good or evil is by God.
2) It would be very difficult, if nearly impossible, to determine whether there were any universal, moral, absolutes. The word of the Bible is a good place to start, but not everyone believes in that, so they may have differing standards. And even in the Bible there were exceptions to the law, so it really depends on the circumstance under which the occurrence happens. Most anything has an exception. Murder is wrong, except if it is done unintentionally. Stealing is wrong, except if the object was stolen from the so-called thief in the first place. Everything has an exception in one case or another. It all depends on the situation and what those involved believe in. There is not a simple right or wrong answer. From one perspective, a person may be stealing a wallet. But maybe that wallet was his to begin with. One never knows unless the whole truth is told by all parties involved, and even then, it can be had to determine who is right or wrong. That can go back to the previous question of good or evil. If the people involved don’t tell the truth, it is that much more difficult to find who is actually in the right, and who is the guilty party. In this way, there can be no moral absolutes in the current world we live in.
3) As an individual I determine right and wrong mainly by what I’ve been taught and society’s standards. There are strengths and weaknesses to this type of morality. While abiding by the law and feeling confident about my decisions, there will always be at least one person who disagrees with me on a certain point here or there. Always there’s someone else on the other side of the line. If my moral standard ever came in conflict with society’s laws, I can’t really say what I would do. Again, it all depends on the circumstance of the situation. Maybe in one point I might stand my ground, but if all I see is trouble coming my way, of course I’ll give a little bit. It is only a fool who never bends in the wind, for if a person is not lenient, they will eventually snap and break. A compassionate person receives compassion. I would only hold onto my moral standards as long as I see fit. I think it’s more of a matter of the law getting in the way of my moral standards, than my standards in the way of the law. I hold more highly my own morals than I do the law’s. That may sound egotistical, but many people will say the same thing if the question were posed to them. I try to follow a road that runs where everybody can walk on it. I like to walk the line, but sometimes it’s necessary to step to one side or the other, it is just personal preference which side that is.
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