Do babies have the capacity for evil?

At first blush I want to say no. Babies are innocents. Right?

One one hand they are innocent but they are very self centered and only think of them selves. That is not evil though. It is a means of survival. They only have enough ability and strength to get the things they need as a baby as it is, much less be evil too.

On the other hand I have known children that although adopted as infants grew up in loving homes with the other kids and as near adults turned into murderers. Go figure. I think there is a missing genome or something that makes them not care about other humans as the rest of us do.

I don't think that normal babies are evil. Just selfish. Helping the babies get over that is our job as adults and/or parents.

Someone once said something to the effect of, "A newborn child would be a murderer if he weren't so helpless." You don't have to go far to find examples of kids being evil. Whether it's a baby crying for something she wants or a toddler throwing a temper tantrum for not getting the toy he wants, children are born as evil, selfish little demon spawn. Fortunately, with proper raising from their parents, most (or at least "many") children are broken of this, and are instilled with a moral code and become fine, upstanding human beings.

So yes, babies have the capacity of evil, just not the capability.

They have the capacity for sin - not for evil. That comes later. Sin is literally built into the flesh. It is impossible to be human and not sin.

Ecc 7:20 For [there is] not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

1Jo 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make God a liar, and his word is not in us.

The age of reason is around 6 or 7.

Begsus D telos

babies can be selfish but they can not think up evil schemes

a baby definitely is human

Define evil...

Babies are certainly human

Yes they do - although not physically, of course.

A baby is only concerned with itself - until it matures a little and has some social interaction a baby is almost the very definition of a psychopath.

It's a good job they're all cute and cuddly and not big brutes.

...

No.

Being born into original sin does not mean they are evil, in fact infants and young children are innocent because they don't possess the reason to understand sin.

Babies are really selfish, and being selfish is a kind of evil.

Totally. Mostly stealing stuff though, because they don't really have the upper body strength to kill someone.