How do non religious people respond to different types of evil?

Answer 1

OpinionNon religious people come in as many varieties as religious people do, so naturally there are many different answers to your questions.

Personally I believe that evil is a concept which is based on the good of a population. For example: killing a person reduces the chances that that person would have a chance to procreate and thus is counter productive to the survival of our population, so it is considered to be evil". Of course these rules have exceptions. If a person is know to have killed another and is likely to kill again than it is no longer considered evil to kill this person. This can be seen in the system of capital punishment.

Opinion

Speaking as another atheist, I find it always evil to kill another person: but then I come from a country which abolished capital punishment well before I was born, as most Western democracies have. Indeed: my country won't extradite suspects for trial to the USA if there is a possibility of execution: it's a violation of Human Rights, and no European country will do this (by law).

Which leads us to a very interesting fact: the notion of "evil" is very specific to a society.

Would you consider it evil to make two people to fight to the death for your entertainment? If so, then you'll never make a good Roman Citizen: who are you to deny others entertainment?

Do you consider it evil for an adult man to have sexual intercourse with a young boy? If so, you'll never make a good Spartan, as you would fail in your legal obligations to teach the youth about life and lust. If you have reservations about conquest and enslavement through warfare, then you're basically completely evil to the Spartans: a traitor, essentially.

Do you consider it evil to take people from the land of their birth, and transport them thousands of miles (with a high Death Rate on the way) so that they can be worked to death on plantations? If so, you'll never make a good 18th Century European or American.

Do you consider it evil to wipe out an indigenous population because they are annoyingly wanting you to stop stealing their land and killing their wives and children? If so, you will be kicked out of the US Cavalry.

Most of the above examples are derived from the morals of religions. I could offer many more examples. And I consider them all to be evil.

So what do I consider to be evil? Intentionally hurting another person who is not (or cannot) cause you harm themselves.