Where does evil come from?

[The_vagabond7]

Good and evil aren't real tangible objective things, they are entirely decided by the cultural zeitgeist of the day. One could say that we "just know" about certain kinds of atrocities, but that unfortunately just is not the case. The bible and the religious in general provide good examples of that. If A dictator tries to commit genocide in order to gain land, or further his culture or legacy it is evil. Unless he is from the bible, in which case he is just and righteous...but only if you're a christian, to a Buddhist there may not be any difference between Joshua and Stalin.

The average non-liberal christian only finds the murder of civilian women and children abhorrent if it is not one of god's servants doing it. When the bible talks about dashing infants against rocks it does not instinctively make all humans think "this is evil". Even on something as fundamental as "it is wrong to smash a baby against a rock" there is contention. Psalm 137 verse 7, 8 and 9 read

O Lord, remember what the Edomites did

on the day the armies of Babylon captured Jerusalem.

“Destroy it!” they yelled.

“Level it to the ground!”

8O Babylon, you will be destroyed.

Happy is the one who pays you back

for what you have done to us.

9Happy is the one who takes your babies

and smashes them against the rocks!

Evil is entirely relative, and is decided by the culture that is doing the labeling. If we cannot even agree that under no circumstance a group of children should be executed, that there is never a justification for the rampant murder of children and infants, then we cannot say that there is objectively a sense of good and evil.

Anyone who is captured will be run through with a sword.  Their little children will be dashed to death right before their eyes.  Their homes will be sacked and their wives raped by the attacking hordes.  For I will stir up the Medes against Babylon, and no amount of silver or gold will buy them off.  The attacking armies will shoot down the young people with arrows.  They will have no mercy on helpless babies and will show no compassion for the children.  (Isaiah 13:15-18 NLT)

If anyone can say with a straight face that the above passage is not evil, then they shouldn't be able to say with a straight face that as human beings we have an objective sense of morality. Shouldn't be able to, but will anyway.