Is man inherently good or evil? By nature, man is inherently evil and that is why man should never be left to his own resources. If there is no single great power awing man, he will always stay in a constant state of war with his fellow man, vying for material resources and power. If man is left to his own resources, and he desires the same thing that another man desires, something that they cannot both enjoy, man can enter into conflict with his fellow man. Moreover, when man ascends to a position of great power; he becomes prone to abusing it; he begins seeking more power than is necessary (Hobbes, 1981).
The Holocaust, which was brought about as a result of the power-hungry endeavors of one man, is perhaps the biggest example from the 20th century that man is inherently evil. Hitler is a prime example of how man can become egotistical, greedy, and self-centered if he rises to power and his left to his own resources. He is also an example of how man can misuse his power to murder his fellow man. In the contemporary world, even though the law serves as a single great power, men often believe that they are on their own resources and may not hesitate from entering in conflict with a fellow man, or even going to the extent of murdering a fellow man to acquire something they desire. One of the most recent examples of such an incident is the brutal murder of a man by three others, during an attempt to steal a car ("Three men jailed,").
Any Christian is likely to believe that man is evil and primarily corrupt. Man has often turned away from God, continues to sin, and today, man needs a new Savior to bridge his separation from Him. In fact, Jesus Christ himself claims that man is evil in Matthew 7:11 ("Matthew 7:11,"). Thus, during the time that man lives, there must be a common power to keep him in awe, because without such a common power he is sure to end up in a condition of conflict with his fellow man.
References
Hobbes, T. (1981). Leviathan. City of Westminster, London: Penguin Books.
Three men jailed for car theft murder. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-152201/Three-men-jailed-car-theft-murder.html
Matthew 7:11. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew 7:11&version=ESV
