In life, there are many universal questions that philosophers have struggled to answer for eons. What is the meaning of life? What is evil? Questions like these have long been contested. However, the question addressed in this essay is the latter. In an attempt to answer this question, both the Christian and Hindu religions have “laws.” Those who violate them are considered "evil". they have tried and failed to discover the true nature of evil. It's not something that can simply be defined by a single sentence, it's a complex concept that requires a lot of thought. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made “Why” essay. Shouldn't violent video games be banned'? Get an Original Essay Everyone has a different moral compass and beliefs and this is reflected in the many different opinions on what exactly evil is. For example, to an environmentalist, companies that produce fossil fuels may be described as evil, while to other serial killers such as Ted Bundy they may be described as evil. To gain a better understanding of evil, we must ask ourselves various questions. For many people, the word evil may denote witches and fanatical mad scientists, but are they really evil? How do we determine whether an act is evil or not? If one person kills another in self-defense, is this less evil than premeditated murder? Or if the murder fails, is the former now more evil because of the actual death caused? In my personal opinion, evil is not an entity but a “state” that someone can become. Someone is evil not for overindulging in a slice of cake or two, but for intentionally harming others both mentally and physically, especially if for personal gain they are evil. Likewise to me, even if a murderer fails, he is still evil compared to a person who causes an accidental death, since the intent to harm was present. For me, both the effects and the context of the actions need to be considered and put into perspective. In any other situation, both of these aspects would be taken into consideration. This makes sense, as it is similar reasoning to that used by judges when sentencing criminals. Therefore, this proves the validity of using these methods as they have been used for years with considerable success. This view is similar to that of most of the broader population as evil is often used to describe people such as Richard Ramirez ("The Nightstalker"), a serial killer and devout Satanist. The word definitely applies to him as he never expressed any remorse and even implied that he simply enjoyed killing. To me, this is true evil as opposed to killing in self-defense which is not. In Christianity, the Ten Commandments are used to provide humanity with basic instructions on how to live a pure and godly life. Disobeying these instructions by committing murder or adultery, for example, can be considered an evil act. The seven deadly sins also fall into the category of evil. These vices are lust, greed, pride, anger, envy, sloth and gluttony. Nonetheless, is someone who envies others or commits adultery really evil? In my opinion, even if these things are bad, they are not truly evil. Evil is a word that is often used to describe figures from history such as Adolf Hitler, the leader of the Nazi Party, who was one of the driving forces behind the Holocaust. Surely evil is a valid word that can be used to describe this man, especially considering that he caused the torture and death of thousands of people during the Second World WarWorld. But is this a bad thing, considering the fact that he believed he was helping Germany for the greater good? In the Christian faith, the theory of gradual absolution states that certain actions, regardless of context, are considered “good” or “bad.” For example, one of the ten commandments is “thou shalt not kill.” This means that any death, whether murder or accidental, is considered “bad” from a Christian perspective. Mark, chapter 7, verses 21-23 states that “For it is from within, from the heart of man, that evil thoughts come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance and foolishness. All these evils come from within and contaminate man." This shows that evil is not seen by Christians as an entity in itself but rather as a character trait. The devil (or Satan or Lucifer), a fallen angel, is the personification of evil in Christianity. After his baptism, Jesus was tempted by the devil for 40 days and 40 nights but resisted. Many early Christians believed that both the Roman and Greek gods were demons, thus making them evil. Generally from the church's perspective, practices such as witchcraft or magic were evil because people apparently made a pact with the devil to perform them, thus spreading evil. In the sixteenth century, many people were executed during events such as the Salem witch trials, due to their apparent evil. However, most, if not all, were actually innocent and simply happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. In ancient times, hell was the place where "evil" people and unrepentant sinners were cast and condemned, however in today's modern world, sins can be forgiven thanks to Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. In Genesis God creates the world and proclaims it "good". He created Adam and Eve (man and woman) in his image, therefore also making them "good". In chapter 3, verse 2 of Genesis, God forbids Adam and Eve from eating of the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil", however in verse 4 a serpent convinces Eve to eat the fruit of the tree and both Adam and Eve as a result they are banished from Eden. This serpent represents the devil and the evil that he brings and that contaminates everything. Adam and Eve gained knowledge of good and evil through their actions, bringing evil into the world and future generations. For many people, this is known as original sin. Eve is often credited with the fall of man in Christianity and for a long time in history women were often seen as inferior because of this. Christians believe that this “original sin” is inherited from their ancestors and that they cannot achieve eternal life without the love of God. At the beginning of Genesis, Adam and Eve are naked but it doesn't matter, because they are pure and free from sin . Later, after having sinned and eaten the fruit of the tree, Adam and Eve dress in shame of their nakedness (or sin). Before God banished Adam and Eve, He covered them again in animal skin. This is because, in the Old Testament, animal sacrifices were used to atone for sins. However, as the population of humanity grew, so did the amount of sin. To combat this, God sent Jesus to teach love and forgiveness and ultimately die on the cross to atone for our sins. This is because, as the Bible says, animal sacrifices were not enough to wash away sin. Because of Jesus' death, the atonement of our sins, and the elimination of evil from the world, we can have the promise of the resurrection if we believe. This shows the difficulty of the question since the Ten Commandments allow people to determine whether something is evil or not. If”..