Absolute Evil Exists

Were the assassinations of Charlie Hebdo et al immoral? Absolutely. Is it immoral to conspire to lure, rape, torture and murder children? Absolutely. My Liberal academic, atheist, cultural relativist friends often mock my advocacy of moral absolute good/evil and tease me for examples. Well, two examples have presented themselves recently. One example is a US Government cybersecurity official who conspired to sexually torture and murder children. The second is the group of French Jihadist who claims their god is the ringleader of assassins that orders the death of anyone who does not worship him.

First, we have the example of one Timothy DeFoggi who conspired with others to rape, torture and kill children to fulfill his fantasies. This is, in my opinion, an example of absolute evil without any logical possibility of justification with or without mental competence factored in. Timothy DeFoggi, 56, formerly of Germantown, Maryland, was convicted on Aug. 26, 2014 of engaging in a child exploitation enterprise, conspiracy to advertise and distribute child pornography and accessing a computer with intent to view child pornography.

"According to evidence presented at trial, DeFoggi registered as a member of the Tor-network-based child pornography website on March 2, 2012. Through the website, DeFoggi accessed child pornography, solicited child pornography from other members, and exchanged private messages with other members in which he expressed an interest in the violent rape and murder of children. DeFoggi suggested meeting one member in person to fulfill their mutual fantasies to violently rape and murder children."

(source Department of Justice: http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-acting-hhs-cyber-security-director-sentenced-25-years-prison-engaging-child )

Using my metric for 'absolute evil' i.e. the inconceivability of any logically possible circumstance where a given action can be permitted, Mr. DeFoggi and his associates committed absolutely evil acts. As such, they are themselves instances of absolutely evil. At the time of his conviction, Mr. DeFoggi was acting director of cybersecurity at the federal Department of Health and Human Services.

Another example happened in Paris recently; the assassination of writers, editors and cartoonists in order to, according to the assassins, redeem the honor of Mohammed. Killing six more police and citizens in their failed escape, a total of 20 people died in the inconceivable act of using religion as a moral shield for slaughtering 'infidels' who insult your religion. These are, again in my opinion, human acts that are, without any qualification, acts of absolute evil.

So, here's my ontological definition. Absolute Evil; any act in a specific instance than which a more evil act cannot be conceived is, by definition, an absolute evil.

The reason why many modern minds have difficulty navigating horrific acts of terrorism, serial murders, sexual torture of children and similar acts of human barbarism is that they can't abide the notion that there are 'absolutes' in the ethical/moral sphere of human conduct. They have been weaned not on using good/evil in the absolute meaning of these terms but rather they have been schooled to use mealy-mouthed dichotomies such as appropriate/inappropriate and acceptable/unacceptable when expressing and making moral judgement if they express them or make them at all. One reason they can't abide absolutes is because of their hostility to religion in general, and their rejection of the necessary rationality of metaphysics, in particular. Often, they conflate the two without even knowing it. Masquerading as Islamists while slaughtering cartoonists and unarmed police officers in the name of Mohammed is not simply 'unacceptable' or 'inappropriate. It's the instance of absolute evil. Conspiring with fellow pedophiles to use your tax-supported computer security job to lure, rape, torture and kill children is not merely 'unacceptable' or 'inappropriate'. It's the instance of absolute evil. These acts are beyond rationalization and are morally wrong everywhere and always regardless of the mental state of their agency, regardless of the culture where they happen, regardless of who agrees or disagrees with their moral standing. These and similar acts constitute the absolute limit of moral ugliness in the human conscience. They are absolutely wrong because they are absolutely repulsive to any human conscience that can conceive of them. That does not make those who commit them sub-human. It makes them absolute evil agents. Misguided understanding of the role of religion is as much at fault as the misguided influence of religion on weak minds. Irrational hostility to religion is the result. This is so because religion requires you to adjust your actions to conform to your religious principles, not the other way round. Atheists do not understand this.
Anathema to any religion is the notion of a 'god' who orders followers to kill non-followers. Anathema to any reasonable moral mind is the notion that one's sexual lust justifies the sexual torture and murder of children.

Unfortunately and ironically, modern thinkers, academics, and politicians blame the whole metaphysical notion of 'absolutes' for all the world's woes. Balderdash, tummy-rot, eyewash! Would it not be palpably absurd to blame Newtonian physics whenever a plane falls from the sky. It's irrational to blame socialism for the atrocities of Hitler. Only a demented Baker would blame Betty Crocker or the principles of thermodynamics for a burnt chocolate cake. Why then do millions blame religion for the absolute evil inflicted on society by those who exploit religion for their evil personal motives or are merely deranged? Tragically, the reason for this modern illogic is both a lack of understanding the role of religion in the life of individuals as well as a lack of an objective epistemology by those trying to know where to affix cause and blame. These unfortunate moderns falsely suppose that when the Pope says; "Who am I to judge." referring to homosexuals, that the same lack of ethical objectivity applies to mass murder in the name of religion.The Pope would be quick, and right to point out otherwise.

Next post will defend the existence of 'Absolute Good'.