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Bronze statue of the Assyro-Babylonian demon king Pazuzu, c. 800–700 BCE, Louvre. A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. [1] Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in folklore, mythology, religion, and literature; these beliefs are reflected in media including comics, fiction, film, television, and video games.
A benevolent dictatorship is a government in which an authoritarian leader exercises absolute political power over the state but is perceived to do so with regard for the benefit of the population as a whole. It stands in contrast to the decidedly malevolent stereotype of a dictator, who focuses on their supporters and their own self-interests.
However, Edwards' theology presumes a God whose vengeance and contempt are directed toward evil and its manifestation in fallen humanity. To Edwards, a deity that ignores moral corruption or shows indifference to evil would be closer to the deity espoused by dystheism, that is, evil, because justice is an extension of love and moral goodness.
Epicurus was not an atheist, although he rejected the idea of a god concerned with human affairs; followers of Epicureanism denied the idea that there was no god. While the conception of a supreme, happy and blessed god was the most popular during his time, Epicurus rejected such a notion, as he considered it too heavy a burden for a god to have to worry about all the problems in the world.
Pointless evil, then, is an evil that does not meet this standard; it is an evil God permitted where there is no outweighing good or greater evil. The existence of such pointless evils would lead to the conclusion there is no benevolent god.
In philosophy, religion, and psychology, "good and evil" is a common dichotomy.In religions with Manichaean and Abrahamic influence, evil is perceived as the dualistic antagonistic opposite of good, in which good should prevail and evil should be defeated.
Hag – a kind of fairy or goddess appearing as wizened elderly woman, neither totally malevolent and sometimes benevolent. Haltija – A spirit, gnome, or elf-like creature in Finnish mythology that guards, helps, or protects something or somebody. Harpy – Female creatures with bird wings.
Moreover, Hutton also notes three other definitions in current usage; to refer to anyone who conducts magical acts, for benevolent or malevolent intent; for practitioners of the modern Pagan religion of Wicca; or as a symbol of women resisting male authority and asserting an independent female authority. [25]