Calling evil evil

I have been in a discussion with someone over the VTech shootings. I have been shocked seeing as I’m debating with an atheist that they are hesitant to call the shootings evil. Any word is being used to describe it that can be used except evil. Of course, I expected this from moral relativism, but it is still fascinating to see.

It makes us realize why we have so much evil here. We just don’t have the guts to call it evil. If we live in a society where good and evil are so blurred that we cannot call evil evil or good good, then why should we be shocked that man who tends to lean towards evil naturally brings about more evil?

We can speak of social conditioning all we want. Call it evil. We can speak of an abnormality in someone. Call it evil. We can speak of this one as being psychologically ill. Call it evil. Yeah. There were multiple factors involved, but let’s get to the bottom line. This action was evil.

In fact, in this situation, most people don’t even know what evil is. Ironically though, many of them do see other things as evil. When Christianity teaches that you ought to avoid sex before marriage, well that’s evil. When political parties want to denounce homosexual marriage, well that’s evil.

After all, in our society today, the worst evil and most likely, the only evil, is intolerance. I am getting set to respond to an editorial tonight where someone wrote a letter to the editor and in answer to someone said “That’s an intolerant argument.” Odd thing isn’t it? He never mentioned if it was true or not but the word intolerant is meant to be a sting to show the falsity right off. Why isn’t this arguer though tolerant of intolerant arguments?

Ultimately then, moral relativists I find don’t like to call other actions evil that clearly are, but when someone invades their turf. It’s evil. You better not speak about my right to an abortion or my viewing pornography on the internet. No. Evil is only a term used to promote their welfare.

In response, the moral objectivist must speak of all evil. I must even speak of my own evil. I am not totally good after all. There is evil in me and if I’m going to argue against what the relativist does, I’d better live by my own doctrine and say, “Yes. I need to repent of the evil in my own life.”

Our benefit is, at least we have the guts, or should, to recognize it.

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