Dumb Kwestion of the Week #14

Sorry, but I'm more than a little late with this installment of the dumb kwestion thread.

This one you might find not so dumb, and I expect it might spark some interesting conversation (please keep it civil).

Do you think people are basically bad, or basically good? (try to explain your choice)

It depends on which standard you are are basing the question.  According to man's standards people are basically good:  There are more people living free than in prison.  According to God's standards people are basically bad which is why we need a savior.

Not really a dumb question... I know a LOT of good people. But we are all bad as Xid stated above.

Xid wrote:

It depends on which standard you are are basing the question.  According to man's standards people are basically good:  There are more people living free than in prison.  According to God's standards people are basically bad which is why we need a savior.

Oh man, that is basically the exact thing I was going to say! I will elaborate a little more and say that I lean towards people being basically bad (even by man's standard). I believe what keeps many people from committing more evil (even those "little evils") is the fear of being caught and the retribution it will bring.

I think that people are mostly bad but are capable of doing good at times.  You can have a murderer who treated his kids great.  You can have a prostitute that cares for her ailing mother.  In the end, however, the Bible says that men are only continually evil.  I am going to have to go with God Almighty on this one.

Now the question becomes is all of mankind bad or evil?

Quote :

In the end, however, the Bible says that men are only continually evil.  I am going to have to go with God Almighty on this one.

My answer to your question, Through The Dark Radio, has already been stated.

People can be bad and good.

When God comes in the live of a person, it's impossible he stays the same.
After all, if God comes into your life you never will be the same. His love and the working of His Holy Spirit helps you to change. 
The old you is forgiven by the blood of Jesus.

You are a new creation.
A forgiven sinner.

To answer the original question, I believe that people are basically selfish.  Is it bad or good?  That depends.

Through The Dark Radio wrote:

To answer the original question, I believe that people are basically selfish.  Is it bad or good?  That depends.

I could see being selfish as good if you're not willing to share, let's say a ready-to-explode hand grenade or something along that nature.

Xid wrote:

Through The Dark Radio wrote:

To answer the original question, I believe that people are basically selfish.  Is it bad or good?  That depends.

I could see being selfish as good if you're not willing to share, let's say a ready-to-explode hand grenade or something along that nature.

In which case, that's simultaneously altruism…

Driven wrote:

Xid wrote:

Through The Dark Radio wrote:

To answer the original question, I believe that people are basically selfish.  Is it bad or good?  That depends.

I could see being selfish as good if you're not willing to share, let's say a ready-to-explode hand grenade or something along that nature.

In which case, that's simultaneously altruism…

There's a new band name:  Selfish Altruism.

No one is listed with that name on Metal Archives so you're good to go

Through The Dark Radio wrote:

No one is listed with that name on Metal Archives so you're good to go

I'll let somebody else take that one.  They can also have Balsamic Vengeance.

My next band shall be named Geriatric Rectal Explosion.

alldatndensum wrote:

My next band shall be named Geriatric Rectal Explosion.

Name of your first album "Depends"?

Through The Dark Radio wrote:

To answer the original question, I believe that people are basically selfish.  Is it bad or good?  That depends.

I'm with this one.  I think people generally act out of their own self-interest.  Sometimes that leads to good, positive, beneficial behaviors, sometimes not.

I'm going to TOTALLY answer this from a different angle than the endless Facebook answer (Gary looks to the sky and says "Thank you Jesus !!!")

Sidestepping the Born in Sin doctrine, and the sin nature issue (that we already hashed out on FB) - I obviously believe the Biblical view that we are all born sinners and inherit Adam's sin and have "Original Sin"... however, I'm here gonna answer the question at face value and from personal experience. 


Do you think people are basically bad, or basically good?



I think people are basically good. Reason being is, the majority of people in society are not doing bad things against people all the time. Rather, the opposite is true - I find people want to be good (even though we're ALL sinners), they want to be noticed for some good deed or the feeling they have when they help someone. Most people I pass by nod their heads in a "hello" manner. Most people are quick to pick something up for me when I drop something in line at the grocery store - On many occasions people who have lots of items on the conveyer belt notice the person behind them holding one or 2 items and say "you can go ahead of me.."
Sure, these are small things, but I've seen bigger things too: I've seen accidents happen and multiple people pull over and rush to help those in the accident and even direct traffic around them...

I could go on and on, but you get my point. Do these "good" actions make them "saved" in God's plan of salvation ? No way. But that was not your question, and btw that is an entirely different discussion altogether. But do I think people are basically good ? Yes, a large majority of the population wouldn't think twice about helping a person in REAL need (and people who are scam artists like these guys with the cardboard signs asking for money - people STILL pull over and give them money... that's good for the giver, and I hope for the taker's sake, he's not scamming people).

So from a doctrinal perspective: NO
From a observational perspective: YES

^Yep.