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<blockquote data-quote="WayneLigon" data-source="post: 1276124" data-attributes="member: 3649">However, all the moral codes we've ever come up with don't have a means for detecting if someone is, in fact, Evil. We have to use observable fact, counting on such things as reasonable doubt, the 'reasonable man' idea, witnesses, etc to construct a legal case. And we still get it wrong from time to time, even when it appears to be an 'open and shut' case. &nbsp;On the other hand, it certainly isn't 'good' to just off-handedly kill that person. He has no chance for redemption, no chance to change his course in life, etc. One of the chief tenets of 'good' is 'mercy'. &nbsp;Thus, he 'bears watching'. Let's imagine a trial where the magistrate has a priest or (better) a paladin do the Detect Evil thing as part of establishing a case. If someone did in fact detect as Evil, then it would certainly look bad for them but it doesn't prove they did a particular dead. All the priest can report is 'Sir, this man has a heart as black as the Abyss itself' &nbsp;Now, how does a society deal with a person who is actually detected as being Evil? Surely he will find it difficult to get work once this gets out. He may be spat upon, etc, depending on the attitude of the society.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="WayneLigon, post: 1276124, member: 3649"] However, all the moral codes we've ever come up with don't have a means for detecting if someone is, in fact, Evil. We have to use observable fact, counting on such things as reasonable doubt, the 'reasonable man' idea, witnesses, etc to construct a legal case. And we still get it wrong from time to time, even when it appears to be an 'open and shut' case. On the other hand, it certainly isn't 'good' to just off-handedly kill that person. He has no chance for redemption, no chance to change his course in life, etc. One of the chief tenets of 'good' is 'mercy'. Thus, he 'bears watching'. Let's imagine a trial where the magistrate has a priest or (better) a paladin do the Detect Evil thing as part of establishing a case. If someone did in fact detect as Evil, then it would certainly look bad for them but it doesn't prove they did a particular dead. All the priest can report is 'Sir, this man has a heart as black as the Abyss itself' Now, how does a society deal with a person who is actually detected as being Evil? Surely he will find it difficult to get work once this gets out. He may be spat upon, etc, depending on the attitude of the society. [/QUOTE]

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