Light v/s Dark

It would seem that light and dark are irrevocably linked together. For those who hide within the light often hide a darkness within. Dark seeks to overtake the world only to be defeated by a coalition of the light. It would seem that there is a tug of war betwixt the two factions. A ying and yang.

Within man lies a complex of the two. A spark of light exists within all. However one must choose to follow that light or yield to the darkness. All that is has been before.

And yet we must ask is there truly good and bad? When a wolf kills a caribou is it good or bad? The death of the caribou is bad yet it gives life to the wolf. It also prevents overpopulation of the caribou and death by starvation. Is this good or bad? Is it simply the way of this world? Is the wolf good or bad?

I bring up these questions so that you may question within yourself things greater than that which I have put to paper. Look beyond the tip of your nose. See that which lies beneath the surface. Most people look into a peaceful water seeing the mountain above yet they do not know that the image they see is exactly opposite of that which really is.

Originally posted by arius

And yet we must ask is there truly good and bad? When a wolf kills a caribou is it good or bad? The death of the caribou is bad yet it gives life to the wolf. It also prevents overpopulation of the caribou and death by starvation. Is this good or bad? Is it simply the way of this world? Is the wolf good or bad?

When you use an example of the life of Nature and the thinning of a populace to maintain another populace it is not really the same as something Man subjects unto his fellow Man. I am talking about the horrific things we all have heard of that are of the bloodlust nature driven by something other than hunger and survival the intent is malovent in many cases and that is what I think is meant by that which is "good or bad"


Otherwise I like your post and it is thought provoking.



[edit on 9-6-2007 by interestedalways]

Well, strictly speaking, darkness is the absence of light. Metaphorically speaking, as you are, evil is the darkness that exists in the absence of God's light.

Now, you may ask "didn't God create the darkness before he created the light?". No. Darkness is simply what is in the absence of light. If we build a fire pit by digging the hole, surrounding it with rocks and filling it with logs, we haven't "created an absence of fire". The fire needs to be purposely introduced.

Evil (or, man's "inhumanity" to man) is the absence of the influence of the proverbial light that God wants to shine through us. A pack of ravenous wolves cannot be evil for killing and devouring an elk because they haven't eaten the fruit of the proverbial "tree of the knowledge of good and evil".

So, accordingly, (and I think this is what you have concluded as well), it seems that light and darkness exist in the hearts of men, but, still, it is the absence of good that leaves only evil. The dark is always there, but the light often is not. The light is the created one and, so, is the one that needs to be sought out and put to use.

the world isn't black and white
it isn't even shades of grey!

look around you and you'll see that everything in this world is in color. stop this false dichotomy between light and dark, it just isn't there

Of course theres Light and dark. As well as color.

But my friend what these fine folks are stating is a actual spirtual way of being. Not a explatnation of actions but a actual protrail of spirtual intentions. You need to be somewhat enlightened to understand that we arent just sacks of flesh but spirtual beings in sacks of flesh.

[edit on 9-6-2007 by Tranceopticalinclined]

Originally posted by madnessinmysoul
the world isn't black and white
it isn't even shades of grey!

look around you and you'll see that everything in this world is in color. stop this false dichotomy between light and dark, it just isn't there

No one's talking about "black and white" but, rather, "darkness and light". Colors are frequencies of light. There's mucho richness in them thar lights!

Originally posted by Tranceopticalinclined
...we arent just sacks of flesh but spirtual beings in sacks of flesh.

[edit on 9-6-2007 by Tranceopticalinclined]

Interesting. I recently heard Alan Osmond say something very similar. Talking about finding inspiration to rise above personal challenges (in his case, MS), he said that we must first know that (probably not verbatim): "...we are not human beings having spiritual experiences, we are spiritual beings haven't human experiences." Knocked me for a loop.

Light and dark, grey and colors...it's all trappings of the mind as soon as human value judgements are attached to them. Attributing people to light and dark is a mind control tool used by cults and all kinds of groups in the world to pit people against each other in a the old "us against them" ideology. Every war, every harmful action, is rooted in seeing the other person/group as evil or dark, whether it's political, religious, or just plain envy - it's how we justify hurting other people in a way that makes us feel justified and self righteous at the same time.

are all your posts going to be about cult mind control? because if they are, you can consider yourself my hilarious new friend.

I think we should stop calling it light and dark and say good or evil. When good is around light shines. People have said and the bible that when see a angel you cannot look upon for there light was too holy. When there is no light, dark comes in and things can be hidden, somethings the devil does alot.

scipture [ you are a light that cannot be hidden, the scripture said something like you are a candle light that cannot be put under a bed or be hidden, but put on a stool for all too see. Good loves the light.

As we got good spirits going out in the world to help God. There are evil spirits to damn many. Evil loves the dark

Nice topic, and nice opening post.

I once heard a saying which I think is perfectly relevant to this... The Brighter the Light, the Deeper the Dark. Would you believe I heard it on Digimon

The actions of animals cannot be defined as 'good' or 'bad'. Animals are intelligent beings, but are creatures ruled by instinct and not intellect. A wolf killing a caribou does so out of need. Whether the need to feed, or the need to hunt. The killing is not malicious, it is not hateful... it is necessary.

A person killing another person is not necessary. We, unlike animals, are ruled by intellect and not instinct. We should be able to rationalise our actions, weigh the consequences (for one's self and the target's family's) and then realise it is a bad thing to do. People who kill other people are 'bad'. They make a conscious choice to kill. They do not need to feed on the corpse, they do not need to fulfil a primal urge. Its just plain evil.

And do not make the mistake of confusing light and dark with good and evil. Dark things have been done with the best of intentions and the best of outcomes. Wars are dark things, but occasionally something good comes out of it.
Light and dark are concepts, whereas good and evil are realities. Concepts do not hurt people... realities do.

[edit on 11/6/07 by JackofBlades]

Light is a physical property, photons etc...that is reality. Darkness is the absence of light...that is a fact. Good and evil are concepts of the human mind, they are subjective and often relative depending on one's point of view - basically, whatever you don't like will get labeled evil and whatever you do like will get labeled good...problem is of course people don't agree and have different likes and dislikes, and terms like good and evil get tossed around to justify wars, crusades, inquisitions, or what have you.

Probably not, Parallelogram...





Always happy to make a friend though...