[argumentum]

A a fellow atheist, I agree that evil is a real thing, but I still don't see the need to call it "supernatural".

Evil is the opposite of good, so if we agree that actions to promote life, liberty and happiness are good, then actions that promote death, slavery and misery are evil. Simple as that.

So there's plenty of evil in nature.

[jarek-foksa]

Evil and good are not real things, those are abstract, subjective and high level concepts that exist only in our brains. You can easily reprogram a human ("teach" or "brainwash" using the subjective terms) to classify death, slavery and misery as either good or evil.

All that matters in nature is whether something works or does not work, not whether it's good or evil.

[Loque]

Recently I noticed that most people I would consider evil, are actually people doing what they think is right but with the wrong information - as well as people giving into basic animal instincts that as a society we aim to rise above.

Saying that, I have definitely met people with malicious intentions, who are definitely 'evil' (or lacking a severe amount of empathy for their fellow beings). I am not sure people with challenged sexual instincts are these people, however I am sure there are people with a combination of both behavioural traits.

[soylentcola]

I consider a modern, secular definition of "real" evil to be based in the malicious or intentional "taking" of something from someone else for your own gain. That could be stealing for profit or taking life for non-defensive reasons or it could be forcible rape or other coercion that takes away someone's right to control what is done to their person.

Not a complete or concise definition but the general theme I notice when I think about what I personally consider "evil" is the elevation of your own desires over the safety or well-being of others. In a way, evil (for me) is based on what helps humanity/society or hurts it. It's based in our natural instincts for empathy and the ignoring of those "higher" motives in favor of more primitive drives to take, hurt, kill, rape, or enslave.

For me, good versus evil is not so much about religious or Hollywood ideas of light vs. dark or god vs. devil but the more familiar battle between our "animal" side and our "human" side.

[richmarr]

So, lions are evil?