i really liked the questions you posed.
here's my spin on it, jme. i believe there is a power greater than ourselves that is good not evil. i believe we are inhererently good because we are a part of that power greater than ourselves. i believe it is the natural state we "are". i believe we were given a conscience to help us stay good. there are times that we are tempted by this world of "things". sometimes we give in to our need to take, to covet, to enjoy, even if in the long run we would be happier, more content, if we did not make that selfish choice or evil choice if u will. i believe that because we have free will things entice us sometimes to choose the not as wise choice for us in the long run. sometimes it's because it's easier to give in than to do the next right thing we think or want. our goodness helps us build character and integrity. if we follow these lines good things result for us and also for our fellow man. when we give in to "evil" usually it not only has a negative affect in ourselves but also others. there are some ppl that seem to be totally evil but i do not believe they were born that way. their environment may cause them to skew the truth about themselves. as a result their skewed truths and actions thereafter have a negative impact on others and themselves. they give in to impulsivity and take what they want in spite of harm to others.
you shared your questions about yourself, evil vs. good. all of us stuggle to be good i think. it's not always the easiest path or so we think.
basically we are good ppl, imho. our conscience is there to guide us. i don't think it makes us evil when we are tempted to do things in excess. what i do believe is how we act on these temptations. when we give in to them we are not totally evil. our action may be evil but our inner self is good. we conflict with who we really are when we allow evil to overcome our goodness.
hope i've stayed within the guidlines doc john requested we follow. i tried to do so. hope i have offended no one with my beliefs on this topic.