good vs. evil

It's the age-old battle: good vs. evil. This classic theme has worked itself into almost every nook and cranny of today's media. We see it in literature from many years ago and we see it in movies released just last week. It's fascinating really; who I am to deem something or someone truly evil or truly good? When I think of "good" I tend to think of Jesus. He offered a perfect sacrifice for us, and he is what most Christians look up to as the epitome of exemplary behavior. In my eyes, having a firm faith in his love and trying our best to live as he did is definitely considered "good." A quote from the Bible says, "Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it." If you always try to do good, goodness will follow.

I believe that the good and the evil we see in our society is rooted in the choices that these specific people make and what influences them and their lives. I feel that human nature is innately good; one cannot just be "born" evil. One may choose to do evil acts which can then corrupt their way of thinking or who they are and what they become. How one is raised, their environment, their culture, or even their beliefs can make them stray from the path of good though, and ultimately mold the mind into something that no longer adheres to what is morally right. These evil acts they commit are what define them as having evil dispositions.

Today specifically, the 10th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, is a significant example of good vs. evil. Terrorism is evil--no one would dare argue with that. The intentions of the terrorists, the killing of thousands of innocent people, were pure evil. I simply do not believe though that those people were born evil people. Everyone possesses both good and evil inside, but it is what we choose to act on that matters. Their warped beliefs and culture are what incited them to act on the evil deep inside of them. There is much more good in our world than evil, and we have to fight to keep it that way. Our society is full of people making the right decision everyday, but it is also full of people making the wrong one. If we continue to do good, hopefully we will be good people.