Christians should pray for evil.

Then you are familiar with the basic necessity of defining terms. Terms are to be used in a way that is mutually accepted and understood. Most of the time this means using standard definitions. Using your own custom definition of a word is only acceptable if the other parties in the debate understand it and agree to it.Please feel free to display this skill at any time in any discussion now in progress.

Certainly.Regards
DL

This is the first time I have joined this thread and would like to define evil. I think evil has many faces that we don't term as evil e.g. lies and deceit. Are these evil traits?There appears to be a scale of evil ranging from stealing to adultery, hate and jealousy. If we define evil as everything that is 'not good', why is it we incorporate the lesser evils into daily life as acceptable? For example, I saw an advertisemnet on t.v. where a child was lying to another to steal his 'mac chips' or something. In another, a young woman has her ego bruised and told lies to her friends to save her embarrassment and presented a false image of herself.It is accepted on national T.V and accepted by the viewers as a 'little white lie'. No-one appears to look at the consequences of condoning the lesser evils. For example, If anyone is found to be a liar, will they ever be trusted and have close relationships?Can we find a definition of evil that we can all agree on?

I like to keep it simple.
Evil is anything that we would not desire.
Good is everything that we would desire.
We all have our own bell curve or graph of good and evil.I think that intent is important.If I tell aunt Rose that her ugly dress is not that ugly then this lie may be justified because good is intended, not evil.To kill a human is evil, to kill one who is trying to kill you is evil but less so because of self defense.Circumstances must always be looked at when placing an evil on our personal bell curves.People generally agree on where issues go on the bell curve. It is the harder issues that we generally have opposing views.Gays, abortion ets are gray areas where consensus has yet to be reach by many.To answer your question, no we do not have common ground as yet to all agree on what is good and what is evil. At least not at a universal level.Regards
DL

Isn't this using 'your own custom definition?

It is, and as my last sentence indicates, we all judge the same way.
I have seen nothing as yet to indicate that my system does not work.Happy to look at anything that might contradict my little kiss system.Regards
DL

I do apologise. I did not look at the whole thing. I was already answering you in my head and got carried away. Sorry but thanks, I need to keep a rein on my emotions.I think you are saying there is no common ground because it is a matter of judgment and the circumstances have to be considered. From your definition then, are you saying evil cannot be defined?What is your 'kiss system? Edited by Heinrik, : No reason given.

Yes it can for most things that almost all religions and philosophies agree on. The larger issues. IE, murder , theft etc.Where we tend to disagree is on things like women, gays and some more intricate issues.My kiss system that I apply to my choices is to try to bring the issue to some simpler question. Answer that one and see if the logic applies to the more intricate issue.For instance, with gays and women. I try to imagine enforcing a fundamentalist policy to keep them oppressed and find that it would cost way more to enforce discrimination and denigration than the return. These issues should therefore not be issues where discrimination is used.Rather simple but it works for me.Regards
DL