Good vs. evil in religions

[cenkiss]

Why do almost all religions have the conflict of evil versus good in their mythology instead of some kind of perspectives?Old multi-god pagan religions have evil gods and good gods,abrahamic ones have satan.Is there any religion that does not have this kind of conflict?

[Shams al-Ma'rifa]

Wow... because in every narrative there is conflict, protagonists and antagonists... It's not just religion, it's how stories work, it's how life works. There is not one single narrative, religious or non-religious, that doesn't contain those key characteristics in the plot, from Shakespeare to Spielberg...

Even in the most boring stories there is inner conflict...

[Fiyenyaa]

If you didn't include evil in the scripture, you wouldn't even be trying to explain the world.
Imagine if the Bible claimed that god was so good because he created this perfect world where everything was good and no evil ever happened - I think anyone who had experienced living for a few years would know that wasn't the case.

[Tankbuster]

There are plenty: original judaism being the one instantly coming to mind.

In original Judaism, there was no cosmic struggle of good versus evil. Instead, as we can see clearly in many books of the Bible, God himself is a lot like the ancient pagan gods like Zeus (he can be capricious, angry, extremely jealous, enraged, disappointed,...) and causes plenty of 'evil' himself. However, there is a 'Satan' in the Old Testament, but it is not God's enemy; instead, he is one of God's angels and his job is to test the faitful by creating adversity in their life.
This is the Satan we see in the book of Job: he is not God's enemy (apparently they hang out a lot), he's actually more like a servant who helps him figure out who will stick to God even through terrible adversity.

This changed when Judaism became more and more influenced by the dualistic theology of Persian religions (Zoroastranism, to name one); they came up with the idea of a semi-eternal battle between the forces of good and those of evil. This concept became very, very popular (perhaps because it allowed for a very easy way to praise God for the good things in your life, and blame someone else for the bad things) and many neighbouring religions (judaism, for instance) were heavily influenced by it.

By the time Christianity arrived, the dualism of good versus evil had been so engrained in judaism that we see it very clearly in Jesus' teachings. And it continued strong throughout the ages and throughout the various splinter movements that Christianity would produce (Islam, Mormonism, etcetera).

Religions that were not influenced by Persian dualism usually do not have this dynamic of good versus evil; for example hinduism, Aboriginal mythology, various pagan mythologies...

[Amorphos]

Wow... because in every narrative there is conflict, protagonists and antagonists... It's not just religion, it's how stories work, it's how life works. There is not one single narrative, religious or non-religious, that doesn't contain those key characteristics in the plot, from Shakespeare to Spielberg...

That ^^

The problem is more that some religions believe 'evil exists' rather than ignorance and determinism. Worse, when it is believed to be inherited.

its seams that religions either have all thing within, or are dualistic and cast some aspects out of their deities.

[basics]

" The problem is more that some religions believe 'evil exists' rather than ignorance and determinism. Worse, when it is believed to be inherited."

Quetzalcoatl,

So that some actually understand what is evil and inherent is a problem that comes from ignorance and determinism? Surely the determinism and ignorance spoken of stems from them that deny what is written. By that I mean what was commanded to be written by Moses as given from God and repeated more than once, the double witness, that people be in no doubt as to where they came from and why.

That evil just happens to be inherent is seen in each child who continually needs to be corrected as they grow up. Funny that is it not? Parents continually having to show what is presumed innocent and therefore unknowledgeable of any evil what is right from that which is wrong. Kids do wrong by nature, had they really been innocent the opposite must surely be the case. Could it really be that the curse is as God says, to be inherent?

[cenkiss]

There are plenty: original judaism being the one instantly coming to mind.

In original Judaism, there was no cosmic struggle of good versus evil. Instead, as we can see clearly in many books of the Bible, God himself is a lot like the ancient pagan gods like Zeus (he can be capricious, angry, extremely jealous, enraged, disappointed,...) and causes plenty of 'evil' himself. However, there is a 'Satan' in the Old Testament, but it is not God's enemy; instead, he is one of God's angels and his job is to test the faitful by creating adversity in their life.
This is the Satan we see in the book of Job: he is not God's enemy (apparently they hang out a lot), he's actually more like a servant who helps him figure out who will stick to God even through terrible adversity.

This changed when Judaism became more and more influenced by the dualistic theology of Persian religions (Zoroastranism, to name one); they came up with the idea of a semi-eternal battle between the forces of good and those of evil. This concept became very, very popular (perhaps because it allowed for a very easy way to praise God for the good things in your life, and blame someone else for the bad things) and many neighbouring religions (judaism, for instance) were heavily influenced by it.

By the time Christianity arrived, the dualism of good versus evil had been so engrained in judaism that we see it very clearly in Jesus' teachings. And it continued strong throughout the ages and throughout the various splinter movements that Christianity would produce (Islam, Mormonism, etcetera).

Religions that were not influenced by Persian dualism usually do not have this dynamic of good versus evil; for example hinduism, Aboriginal mythology, various pagan mythologies...

There are evil vs. good conflicts in religions that were not affected from zoroastranism.There are people that did not even hear zoroastranism in far corners of the world who fought evil gods in their own ways.

I ask this because people blame satan or devils for evil things.Why are these creator gods supposed be good and thoughtful of us?

[Kamonlas007]

Every religion and in common modern life, there will always be good and evil, it is a universal fact

[maerd2003]

speaking of abrahamic religions; in islam its quite different. satan is another angel, who differently has freewill(so that he disrespect humans, and refuse to bow before humans, due to his ego-i guess it has a different meaning, anywAY..). he tries to deceive people(misgiving) and tries to deflect them from good, canalize them to evil. god permits satan to do this(which is another story.) and so on(i am not so sure about the rest, need to searh on it) and in islam besides satan, human(ego) is also a source of evil..

[Elfdude]

Many religions and philosophies don't believe in evil. So yes there are religions where the conflict between good and evil isn't present. Buddhism for example does not believe in the concept of evil at all.

[MaximiIian]

Why do almost all religions have the conflict of evil versus good

Most don't. It's mostly monotheism that has that; or things closely related to it- e.g. Zoroastrianism, Mandaeanism, and Gnosticism.

Old multi-god pagan religions have evil gods and good gods

No, they didn't. There are very few, if any, myths that depict its gods as "evil" gods. Chaotic ones, maybe; tricksters, definitely. But I cannot think of a polytheistic religion that had a designated evil deity; the only examples you could really point to, Set in Egyptian mythology and Loki in Norse mythology, weren't really evil- that's an inaccurate flanderization due to looking at those myths through the lens of the Abrahamic religions that so permeate Western society. Both were much closer to a trickster god.

[Elfdude]

No, they didn't. There are very few, if any, myths that depict its gods as "evil" gods. Chaotic ones, maybe; tricksters, definitely. But I cannot think of a polytheistic religion that had a designated evil deity; the only examples you could really point to, Set in Egyptian mythology and Loki in Norse mythology, weren't really evil- that's an inaccurate flanderization due to looking at those myths through the lens of the Abrahamic religions that so permeate Western society. Both were much closer to a trickster god.

Discord, Laverna, Scabies, Verminus, Febris, Mefitis, Fraus for the Roman gods, although they didn't fight each other in person (they seemed to get along) so much as fight each others dablings in the mortal realm. I guess though it was also understood that all of the gods needed to exist.

Set in egyptian mythology started out as the god of the wind in early egyptian culture but he became increasing identified with the shadow and eventually became the egyptian manifestation of pure evil associated with the serpent god who was previously his enemy. I've always liked how the pagan religions evolved, they evolve along a storyline.

Loki is pretty much the opposite of Baldr and sets into motion the events that destroy gods. Norse mythology is heavily invested in the conflict between good and evil and chaos and order. Loki just seems to embody both chaos and maliciousness (evil). Loki is the product of two giants and in norse mythology giants represent evil. In fact the final conflict between the norse gods and the giants is an epic battle of good vs evil.

[MaximiIian]

The thing with Seth's mythology changing with the times could be put under the "few" I mentioned. It's a rare exception; generally, those religions did not have personifications of evil. And note that Set accrued that association after the cult of Osiris and Horus came to prominence.

And with Norse mythology, what I have read and heard is that Loki was originally more of a mischievousness and trickery. The associations with outright evil (and the accompanying apocalyptic myth of Ragnarok) were foisted onto it later under the influence of Christianity, during that nebulous period where both were competing for dominance in Scandinavia and some cross-over occurred.
Even if that were not true, the case could be made that the dichotomy of order vs. chaos is different than good vs. evil.

[Elfdude]

And with Norse mythology, what I have read and heard is that Loki was originally more of a mischievousness and trickery. The associations with outright evil (and the accompanying apocalyptic myth of Ragnarok) were foisted onto it later under the influence of Christianity, during that nebulous period where both were competing for dominance in Scandinavia and some cross-over occurred.
Even if that were not true, the case could be made that the dichotomy of order vs. chaos is different than good vs. evil.

Unfortunately you're simply wrong in this case. In the original myth loki was the product of giants very definitely evil in norse mythology. The concept of evilness was indeed foisted upon the other Norse gods later on but Loki is quite originally evil.

The fact you don't think most polytheistic religions don't have an evil vs good aspect to them tells a lot of your ignorance on the subject. The fact is quite the opposite.

[MaximiIian]

The fact you don't think most polytheistic religions don't have an evil vs good aspect to them tells a lot of your ignorance on the subject. The fact is quite the opposite.

Not really. It's just a different interpretation of the facts. If I were ignorant (and it's very rude to call me that when I have done no so such thing to you), then I would not know the information. Interpretation is a different matter entirely, and is a whole helluva lot more subjective.
And I admit that my interpretation might be wrong. My view is dependent on separating good/evil and order/chaos, which not everyone does.

There's no reason to be a dick about it.

[Elfdude]

Not really. It's just a different interpretation of the facts. If I were ignorant (and it's very rude to call me that when I have done no so such thing to you), then I would not know the information. Interpretation is a different matter entirely, and is a whole helluva lot more subjective.
And I admit that my interpretation might be wrong. My view is dependent on separating good/evil and order/chaos, which not everyone does.

There's no reason to b a dick about it.

Loki is better described as a chaotic evil god. He's evil for no other reason than he enjoys it. Not all of his actions are inherently malicious but his intent is selfish pleasure. It's not really open for interpretation. It'd be like interpreting Mars to be the god of peace, it's contrary to all evidence on the matter.

I'm not a dick, you choose to interpret my words as insults. If you'd rather me say you're misinformed then choose to believe that but the two are pretty much synonyms. It would do you some good to stop playing the victim so often.

I suppose this is what happens when you ignore the points I made which are explicitly included in norse mythology.

[MaximiIian]

Loki is better described as a chaotic evil god.

I concede that Loki is this, while still maintaining that this isn't exactly common in most polytheistic religions. As I have said before, Norse religion and mythology was atypical.
The notion of evil may be present, but rarely is there a personification of it or a deity-figure controlling it.

but his intent is selfish pleasure.

Which I wouldn't really say is "evil".

If you'd rather me say you're misinformed then choose to believe that but the two are pretty much synonyms.

Irrelevant. One carries a vastly different tone than the other.

It would do you some good to stop playing the victim so often.

I'm not. You're attacking me and insulting me, end of story.

[SigniferOne]

Is there any religion that does not have this kind of conflict?

No, because good and evil are real, and actually exist out there in the world, so all genuine heartfelt religions have to explain that fact.

[gambit]

Religions try to explain the world, good and evil exists prominently in the world.

Seems like a fairly simple equation

[kavino]

Taoism does not have a evil god in its pantheon as far as I know.