# The root of all evil? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 1, 2000, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-root-of-all-evil/24241 "2000-07-01T03:35:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![spluurtaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@spluurtaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spluurtaf)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2000, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-root-of-all-evil/24241/1 "2000-07-01T03:35:34Z")
This may sound dumb, but am I right? Some say people,money,greed are the root of all evil. Since people are people,money is just a concept made by people, and greed is an emotion of people. Therefore the root of all evil is people. Since scientist claim people are 75%water, and water is 66.666666666666% hydrogen. Is it fair to say hydrogen is the root of all evil? ---
**Author:** ![tcburnett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@tcburnett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tcburnett)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2000, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-root-of-all-evil/24241/2 "2000-07-01T03:38:37Z")
No ---
**Author:** ![vandergeld](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e99b99/32.png) [@vandergeld](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vandergeld)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2000, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-root-of-all-evil/24241/3 "2000-07-01T03:41:32Z")
There was no evil before some ape-man thought of it, evil and goodness thus being an arbitrary construct…there is no evil, or goodness for that matter. ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2000, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-root-of-all-evil/24241/4 "2000-07-01T03:43:51Z")
“Good” and “evil” are subjective abstractions, i.e. something is evil if we say it’s evil. So yes, people are the root of all evil. You may be able to convict hydrogen in a roundabout sort of way, but it did not act alone. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7feea3/32.png) [@The\_Ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ryan)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2000, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-root-of-all-evil/24241/5 "2000-07-01T03:48:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > This may sound dumb, but am I right? > Some say people,money,greed are the root of all evil. > Since people are people,money is just a concept made by people, and greed is an emotion of people. Therefore the root of all evil is people. > > Since scientist claim people are 75%water, and water is 66.666666666666% hydrogen. > > Is it fair to say hydrogen is the root of all evil? > \*\* Actually, water is about 8/9 oxygen. You know, oxygen is a very caustic element… BTW, I’ve heard that the saying “money is the root of all evil” is a misquote of a statement in the Bible that “[\i]love of\* money is the root of all evil”. ---
**Author:** ![sly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@sly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sly)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2000, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-root-of-all-evil/24241/6 "2000-07-01T03:49:46Z")
Close. It is said that the “love” of money is the root of all evil. Since love is based upon equal parts trust, respect, honor and reverence, I hereby submit that Norman Schwartzkopf is the root of all evil. ---
**Author:** ![aseymayo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@aseymayo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aseymayo)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2000, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-root-of-all-evil/24241/7 "2000-07-01T03:57:18Z")
> [@](#): > > Therefore the root of all evil is people Soylent Green is people! Therefore Soylent Green is the root of all evil. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2000, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-root-of-all-evil/24241/8 "2000-07-01T04:34:58Z")
You know, **spluurtaf** , you’ve already been pushing the patience of our membership by trying to make entire movie from nothing but the benevolence of our contributors. And now you post _this_? Don’t push your luck, kid. Please take some time to review the forum titles and descriptions before posting your question (hint: we have no forum for stupid questions). More specifically, take some time to ensure you don’t post Gallagheresque stuff like this in GQ again. This thread is closed.