Do you believe people are basically good?

Question

Do you believe people are basically good?

Answer 1

Ecc 9:3 This [is] an evil among all [things] that are done under the sun, that [there is] one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness [is] in their heart while they live, and after that [they go] to the dead.  

Answer 2

No...they act accordingly with social rules only as far as they think they have to, but otherwise it is they try to get away with whatever they can.

Answer 3

No.

There is good in many people, but it has to be nurtured.

The evil in people comes naturally and needs no nurturing. When pressed to the wall the evil emerges unless the good has been nurtured enough to overcome the evil.

That shows what is in the basic spirit of every human being.

Answer 4

No.

Answer 5

Yes,in the sense that we can find goodness even in worst criminal.

Answer 6

YES, TOTALLY.  I've spent time with some pretty rough, mean people, and when you get to know them, they treat you pretty much the way you treat them, and they aren't much different from really extreme goody-two-shoes types.  Plus, nearly everyone tries to be a good person, and they see themselves as good people doing mostly right, regardless of how their actions may seem to others.

Answer 7

I believe we are basically human.  

Answer 8

What deep waters we must tread to get to this answer.

Paul said, "...when I would do good, evil is present with me"; Romans 7:21.  I think this chpt in Romans pretty well answers your question.

The natural man only knows the things of the natural man; if he is hungry, sleepy, tired, sick, etc.  It is the spiritual influence upon the natural man that causes good or evil to take place.  Ephesians 6:12, says, "...we wrestle not against flesh and blood... but "against spiritual wickedness in high places".  Throughout the OT, a "high place" is deemed a place of worship.  The "high place" of worship is our body, which is the temple of God, and spiritual wickedness can influence us to do evil.  Look at Peter and the wrongs which that same evil influence caused him to do.  It wasn't the flesh & blood man, Peter, but the evil influence.  Look at the man, who was possessed by legion, and the way he behaved while possessed and the completely different man, he became, after the evil was cast out of him.  

Answer 9

Absolutely! That's why most of us feel bad when we hurt others. If we were naturally evil, harming others would feel good. I don't feel good at all when I hurt other people. But one can certainly be taught to ignore their good nature - like when religion teaches us that we are basically evil and deserving of punishment. That justifies our cruel actions, while at the same time condemning them.

Answer 10

I think most of us have the capability of being good, yes.

Answer 11

Jeremiah says that the heart is deceitful above all things and who can know it.  In other words, we are not basically good.  Just look at little children who will beat the other just to have his toy and then look at you with such innocence.

That is why our government was set up the way it is so that no one man is in complete control.  Our founding fathers knew that man could not be trusted with absolute power.

Answer 12

I believe people are basically people.  Good and evil are perspectives; and change depending on things such as cultural upbringing, etc.  For example, would you deem Masai people as evil for sacrificing a goat?

Answer 13

On the context of a natural man , NO.

Answer 14

FOCROFLOL!  (Falling Off Chair, Rolling on Floor, and Laughing Out Loud!)

Yeah... right!

Have you watched the news or spoken to a human being lately?

We all have some good in us, because we are made in God's image, but we all also are fallen beings, defiled by sin.

Apart from Christ, I am the lowest of the low, a filthy, dirty, horrible sinner who deserves to be crucified.  My only hope for salvation is found in Jesus Christ.

Answer 15

no, most people are jerkoffs

Answer 16

Good, is subjective: Be more specific.

Answer 17

born good, maybe. I believe that people can be born with a clean slate and it is the influences of their environment and the people around them that changes that.  

Answer 18

None of us are!

Answer 19

Most of 'em, yes.

Answer 20

Taken individually, I think most people really are basically good.  Considered as a (special interest) group, human beings are mean-spirited, and hurtful.  Whenever people are able to multiply their collective power by forming social/political groups, they almost always abuse individuals who are not a part of their group.

Answer 21

No.  I don't.  I believe what the Bible teaches and that is that man is deceitfully wicked.

Do you think you are a good person?

http://livingwaters.com/good/

Answer 22

That's a VERY interesting question.  What I can say is while God created us and we are in his likeness he made us to be good.  but from what i remember of genesis when adam and eve ate the fruit that messed everything up.   We have temptation and sinful minds while we shouldn't.  There are good sides to people and I'd say that's the holy spirit trying to tell us the right things to do deep down and what we shouldn't do (even though often times we may still do it or may not do the right thing).  We are human and even though we aren't perfect God allows us to still go to heaven through Jesus Christ's death at the cross for our sins.   I don't have a lot more knowledge than that other than a few random points I could pull up over time but that's the best I've got at the moment.  LoL.  Hope this helped buddy.