"Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good." Romans 12:21

Evil (adj.)- morally wrong or bad; immoral or wicked. Good (adj.)- morally good; virtuous; righteous; pious. How can we define what is good and what is evil? Are there universal indicators behind, within, or consequent upon an action by which one can determine whether it was a good or an evil act? It really depends on who you ask. First off, I do not necessarily believe that man by itself can conclusively define good and evil. I believe an example of complete goodness is my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, thus leaving me with the concurrent statement that Satan is the prime example absolute evil. Don't get me wrong; the prevalent generalities of good and evil do exist. Someone may see something as good while someone else may see it as evil.

The perfect and most appropriate example of this is the attacks of September 11th. Al Qaeda had the idea that what they were doing was for the good of their people in the name of Allah. We, along with almost everyone else, obviously see this as an act of evil while they see this as an act of good. I'm not saying that just because people have different views on what is good and what is evil doesn't mean that there is no good and evil. The fact that there is going to be opinions on what is good and what is evil, and the fact that these opinions are differing, one must find a standard. You have man-made law, which is basically legal and illegal but not necessarily good or evil. You also have moral law, which depends upon a higher authority. Even among some people, moral authority an differ between what is good and evil. In some cases, one authority condones something another would not.

I believe that the Bible thoroughly exemplifies good and evil. It is clearly shown in the very beginning with Adam and Eve. Man's very nature is that of a sinner which is preyed upon by Satan. Humans have an innate sense of what is right and what is wrong; that sense being developed more in some than in others. Outside of that, we only have man's determination of what is right and wrong, also known as legal and illegal which is thrown up for interpretation. That can vary greatly among societies, cultures, and even families.

In conclusion, there is no earthly example of absolute good and evil, but the generalities exist. If one has to depend on definitions of good and evil provided by man, it is difficult to conclude what is definite good and evil. To so conclude, one must have some higher authority. If one believes in said higher authority, then absolute good and absolute evil exists.