Is humanity becoming more evil than ever before ?

[TiredOfTheWorld]

Can this be observed and proven objectively ?

 

[onlysaved]

I think America certainly is. Or maybe just evil in different ways that are more visible and as a country we are tolerant of more evil than we used to be.

 

[Hidden In Him]

Can this be observed and proven objectively ?

I was talking to a friend about this just this evening, and if the question is is humanity becoming more evil in general in the last 5-6 decades, I'd say yes. I suppose there are other arenas where this can be proven out as well, but simply going by the changing nature of interaction on Christian forums over the last 25 years, things have gotten objectively worse. If you look even on this forum and go back to really old threads, there was not the same divisiveness as began to take over about 15 years ago. Suddenly things got increasingly nasty. The same could likely be said of things like Facebook, but I will leave that to those who are active on platforms like that.

As for being more evil that ever in human history, no. Not by a long shot yet. The Romans watched people kill one another in the Colosseum as a form of entertainment. The Aztecs had teams of players compete in a game that eventually developed into soccer, only back then the losing team was sacrificed. This is nothing to mention of what the Jewish traditions say was going on before the flood. So no, most evil in history, that would be going too far. We still have a long ways to go before anyone can make that claim.

 

[bramblewild]

I recently finished listening to an audio book of one of Will Durant's history books, The Age of Faith, which deals mostly with Europe from the time after the death of Constantine up to the time of Dante, so roughly 800 years, with some focus also on, for example, the Persian Empire, the rise and spread of Islam, and the Islamic Abbasid Empire and Islam's rule in Spain.

Simply as history, it's fascinating, but one thing is showed very clearly is that people, even and maybe especially the people of Christendom, were very evil. One thing the made Christendom so bad was how the gospel was lost in a church that was teaching superstitions and works. And, yes, such teachings did contribute to the bad societies--people who could have been productive in their societies went into monasteries and convents to try to save themselves, the church became bloated and corrupt and greedy.

If there is one thing that would make me say that today is worse than the past, it would be simply that with the advent of rapid communication and travel, there is a sense in which evil is not so much more widespread but it has a wider network or appeal or can spread its message and influence further and much faster. To put it another way, there's a global aspect to our evils now.

 

[Hidden In Him]

I recently finished listening to an audio book of one of Will Durant's history books, The Age of Faith, which deals mostly with Europe from the time after the death of Constantine up to the time of Dante, so roughly 800 years, with some focus also on, for example, the Persian Empire, the rise and spread of Islam, and the Islamic Abbasid Empire and Islam's rule in Spain.

Simply as history, it's fascinating, but one thing is showed very clearly is that people, even and maybe especially the people of Christendom, were very evil.

Thanks for the post because I misread the OP and thought he was asking if society was becoming more evil in general as of late. But compared to ancient times, you're right. No way are we worse right now. The effects of Christianity still hold sway over modern cultures in the West. The only problem is, that influence is increasingly fading now, and letting the flood waters in.

 

[Christ_empowered]

I’d say the post Christian ethos is causing a strange reversion to pagan ethos, but with secular reasoning. Sick? Disabled? Medically assisted suicide! It’s…progressive apparently. That’s just one example.

Nothing changes under the sun . Same sins, less restraint from lingering Christian morality, and seemingly new reasoning…

 

[TiredOfTheWorld]

I was talking to a friend about this just this evening, and if the question is is humanity becoming more evil in general in the last 5-6 decades, I'd say yes. I suppose there are other arenas where this can be proven out as well, but simply going by the changing nature of interaction on Christian forums over the last 25 years, things have gotten objectively worse. If you look even on this forum and go back to really old threads, there was not the same divisiveness as began to take over about 15 years ago. Suddenly things got increasingly nasty. The same could likely be said of things like Facebook, but I will leave that to those who are active on platforms like that.

As for being more evil that ever in human history, no. Not by a long shot yet. The Romans watched people kill one another in the Colosseum as a form of entertainment. The Aztecs had teams of players compete in a game that eventually developed into soccer, only back then the losing team was sacrificed. This is nothing to mention of what the Jewish traditions say was going on before the flood. So no, most evil in history, that would be going too far. We still have a long ways to go before anyone can make that claim.

Thanks for your well thought out post. I will have to look more into 5 to 6 decades ago to see what people were like back then and 15 to 25 years ago to compare people morally then vs now.

 

[TiredOfTheWorld]

Thanks for the post because I misread the OP and thought he was asking if society was becoming more evil in general as of late. But compared to ancient times, you're right. No way are we worse right now. The effects of Christianity still hold sway over modern cultures in the West. The only problem is, that influence is increasingly fading now, and letting the flood waters in.

What are people starting to gravitate towards more instead of Christianity ?

 

[SailorWriter]

I was talking to a friend about this just this evening, and if the question is is humanity becoming more evil in general in the last 5-6 decades, I'd say yes. I suppose there are other arenas where this can be proven out as well, but simply going by the changing nature of interaction on Christian forums over the last 25 years, things have gotten objectively worse. If you look even on this forum and go back to really old threads, there was not the same divisiveness as began to take over about 15 years ago. Suddenly things got increasingly nasty. The same could likely be said of things like Facebook, but I will leave that to those who are active on platforms like that.

Oh??? Well, the forum is really not that bad in terms of toxicity (especially compared to social media websites). Though I would agree that there are some people who just want to ignite fire, and some unable to talk about controversial topics without exploding into anger.

 

[TiredOfTheWorld]

Oh??? Well, the forum is really not that bad in terms of toxicity (especially compared to social media websites). Though I would agree that there are some people who just want to ignite fire, and some unable to talk about controversial topics without exploding into anger.

Same could be said about every internet Fourm.

 

[Hidden In Him]

What are people starting to gravitate towards more instead of Christianity ?

In a word, Sin.

Oh??? Well, the forum is really not that bad in terms of toxicity (especially compared to social media websites). Though I would agree that there are some people who just want to ignite fire, and some unable to talk about controversial topics without exploding into anger.

Yes, and I have been on some Christian forums where this is much more the case. This forum has traditionally been a bit more strict, and I prefer it that way myself. The trouble is that strife and contentiousness is like click bait, and when you don't allow it they go elsewhere to find what they want. But I still prefer a site where things are more peaceful and friendly. I think that's the example we are supposed to set.

 

[TiredOfTheWorld]

In a word, Sin.


Yes, and I have been on some Christian forums where this is much more the case. This forum has traditionally been a bit more strict, and I prefer it that way myself. The trouble is that strife and contentiousness is like click bait, and when you don't allow it they go elsewhere to find what they want. But I still prefer a site where things are more peaceful and friendly. I think that's the example we are supposed to set.

Roy Ayers Rip is right at this point it's better to just stay off the internet unless you like to torture yourselves I mean there's already enough evil people outside why Expos yourself to more ?

 

[bramblewild]

There may be another aspect that some have touched on that might make things today worse than they have been, the fact that the world is essentially post-Christian. To put the way it's said in John, "Light has come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil". We've reached the point where the gospel has been preached to all the world, and it's being rejected by all the world, and that's to be expected, but now that the world is rejecting the truth, what else can they believe but lies?

 

[for_his_glory]

Jesus already told us this world will wax worse until the day of His return. We will face many trials and tribulations, but to be of good cheer as we are overcomers and no longer of this world as we endure all things until Christ returns on the last day and we who are Christ own will be caught up to meet Him in the air.

Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

2Tim 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2Tim 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2Tim 3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
2Tim 3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
2Tim 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
2Tim 3:6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
2Tim 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

 

[onlysaved]

There may be another aspect that some have touched on that might make things today worse than they have been, the fact that the world is essentially post-Christian. To put the way it's said in John, "Light has come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil". We've reached the point where the gospel has been preached to all the world, and it's being rejected by all the world, and that's to be expected, but now that the world is rejecting the truth, what else can they believe but lies?

All of this makes it harder to live the Christian life. I'd venture to guess that many like me came to Christ with long seated addictions and very little understanding of what is and is not sin.

 

[bramblewild]

All of this makes it harder to live the Christian life. I'd venture to guess that many like me came to Christ with long seated addictions and very little understanding of what is and is not sin.

Maybe, but is it really much different than the converts in the first church, especially the Gentile ones? Most, maybe even almost all, came from cultures that were completely pagan, and engaged in the practices of those pagan cultures. All believers have to be taught, discipled, and that can be very difficult. I guess that when the Bible says our minds have to be renewed, that's not really an exaggeration, because we really do have to think much differently than how we might have thought in the past.

 

[TiredOfTheWorld]

Maybe, but is it really much different than the converts in the first church, especially the Gentile ones? Most, maybe even almost all, came from cultures that were completely pagan, and engaged in the practices of those pagan cultures. All believers have to be taught, discipled, and that can be very difficult. I guess that when the Bible says our minds have to be renewed, that's not really an exaggeration, because we really do have to think much differently than how we might have thought in the past.

Think and feel differently.

 

[evenifigoalone]

I feel like we've pretty much always been up to evil? Like the past is extremely bloody and violent, we are actually fortunate to live in the era we do. I don't feel like this will last much longer though.

 

[onlysaved]

There is probably an ebb and flow to the thing over time. However I guess the important thing is the distance between righteousness and pure evil is the first lie you told as a child.
" yes I brushed my teeth " "no I didn't break the window"
Where we rank the violence of the wild west vs the openness of LGTBQ acceptance on the scale of wickedness is petty irrelevant as neither put you further from God than your first lie..
For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

 

[miamited]

Hi TiredOfTheWorld

Yes, the world is waxing more and more wicked and that's exactly how the Scriptures tell us that it is going to.