Evil Tied to Place

I can't think of scripture exactly, but...no. To say yes is to indicate that evil is something that exists on its own, rather than being something that is done.

I think it's better to say "evil was done here" than to say "this is an evil place."

It also occurs to me to say that if we indicate that we were influenced to do evil because of a place, then we try to absolve ourselves of the responsibility of the evil we've done. If that makes any sense.

But now I'm gonna go look up the scripture, instead of going to bed like I'd planned to do....

 

I have to look that up! If a fig tree or person can be cursed, why not a place? In Matthew 11, it talks about some cities that will be brought down. If he said it, it is so. That tells me evil will continue there no matter who tries to change things.
On a personal note, have you ever walked into a place and felt a heavy sense of evil? I have. It can be scary. I've also felt the opposite, and it is nice. So I personally think that good and evil carry their own strength and can exist outside of humans and be imparted to and from them. Eve was impressed by evil. She was not created with it in her. The earth itself became impressed with evil, no longer following the good laws of nature first given, throwing out thistles and carrying mutations that make life hard for those wanting to reap her benefits. From a curse comes evil...and sometimes not our general definition of evil. Evil can be a fig tree not producing fruit to feed people. A wave leaving it's natural place and causing death and destruction on land. Illness brought down from prior generations and suffered since birth due to behaviors by those prior generations. (for example, think of an addict destroying their own body, then giving birth to children with weakened bodies or minds)

 

The fig tree was cursed and died. It did not remain dead because evil remained after the curse was imposed on it. It remained dead because dead stays dead. Evil is not an entity in and of itself. It is the behavior of one who has it in their heart to do it.

 

WHAT?? Are you trying to tell me that, e.g., Dallas TX wasn't an "evil place" back in November 1963 when "probably a ultra-right-winger" "Supposedly [We ALL know there were shots fired from at least that evil grassy knoll!!] killed JFK???? :smilewinkgrin:

 

Gina, I think you inadvertently supported what I said. By cursing a place, it has evil done to it. Doesn't mean that place is evil itself....

 

Here's the thing, Don and Rev.. We believe in good angels. We believe children have angels. We believe angels have and do visit us and do good.
We also believe in fallen angels, calling them demons and evil spirits. We know they do bad things and influence people to do bad things. We even believe they can inhabit people. Or a herd of swine...
So if those fallen angels exist, where are they? They do not need to inhabit a living thing to survive. Maybe they like to stay in places where they have already impressed their desires on people. They are a type of entity, so it makes sense to me that evil can inhabit places absent a body.

 

I understand that explanation; and maybe I misunderstood your first response. It still sounds to me like we're talking about someone (something?) who does evil in a place, rather than the place itself being evil. Make sense?

 

Yes, that makes sense, and now I get what you were saying. It seems like we have different personal ways of approaching the same concept, but are agreed.

 

An evil place would be a place conducive to evil. Would it be wrong to say Tornado Alley is an evil place, in light of the kids killed in that school not too long ago.

Would a church with its lamp-stand removed be an evil place?

How about "no-mans-land" during world war one?

Is Death Valley an evil place because the environment has killed many a visitor?

How about the American Holocaust? Are the "women's health clinics" evil places or just places where evil is prevalent.

 

Perhaps. By comparison: death is both a personality and a place.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death..." Psalm 23

"And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him." Revelation 6:8

 

Nice! Not death, but the idea you just voiced.