Big Daddy Dave - 2007-09-09 02:39:20
I got an e-mail from Bill linking me to this blog - thanks boy. Very interesting topic, intrigueing essays on both your parts. My comments for now will be brief and generalized (I'll get into more detail when i have more time). Bill I think you gave short shrift to the most pivotal part of any type of "Law of Morality" which is the social aspect of what is right and wrong. You say there isn't science behind this and it is more instinctive. I have to disagree, there is an entire discipline that studies human interaction on many levels - Sociology. Laws of Morality may be a misnomer as Social Mores guide what is moral and right or wrong in a society. Tim points out one of the best examples of social mores in action with the example of our founding fathers owning slaves. All extremely intelligent if not great men - what they were doing was wrong, but it was socially acceptable at the time. Also, does a pedophile or serial killer really have something inside him/her that instinctively tells them right from wrong? I think not - right from wrong is something acquired or learned through experience. To the topic of religion - I think religion comforts people by providing explanations for what cannot be empirically proven. I believe people crave social interaction ( otherwise why would one of the worst punishments for prisoners be isolation for a week or two?) and I think religion provides a great conduit to further this end. A greater power has not been scientifically proven - does that mean that a greater power does not exist? Beats the hell out of me - i can only go by what I observe. Just a couple of things for you to chew on off the top of my head - i need to find some time for a more detailed response (and probably should printed out thee original comments), so fire away with any comments! Dave
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Terp Fan in Virginia - 2007-09-10 14:14:00
Tim, When Bill sent this out, first reaction was that this is going to be very enlightening and interesting. Having many discussions with Bill and Dave, on this subject, you will see that they will certainly make you think. I look forward to continuous reading. With that said, here are my 2 cents. I was raised Catholic and have since chosen, after a Catholic Education, to believe my own way and I haven't stepped foot in a Catholic Church, since my daughter's baptism 2 years ago. You can say, that in the 20+ years removed from high school, it is clear that thinking back then is MUCH different than the thinking today. Our parents, I am sure, would say the same thing. Our grandparents, the same thing...And so on. Whatever the difference, I think that it all goes back to religion. How many times have you heard or were taught, "Live by the golden rule." "Do Unto others as you would want done to you" I think, that as a parent, I have found that I am doing exactly as my parents did for me growing up. I firmly believe that morality starts with the parents and what ever religion you may or not be practicing, there is a code. For Catholic's, it is the 10 Commandments. This would be the same for Hindu's, Buddist's, Jew's, etc. Even though we may think that we are not the best in practicing religion we live each day, based on how we were raised. How many times have you heard from people discussing criminals behavior, that they weren't raised properly. How many times have your parents said that they didn't want you playing with someone, because they didn't like them. I think that no matter how many books you read or teachings that you follow, ultimately you are going to decide how you are going to interpret that go from there. I think that no matter how many response's you receive from this, you are going to get a different answer each time. I think that is how socially acceptable morality interpretations evolve. Like Dave said, in the Wild West it was common for someone to take the law into their own hands and strike another human being down, because they stole a head of cattle. I think that is where you look at the statement, "An eye for an eye" has changed. Sometimes you would like to execute the statement, but things have evolved. We can all say that things were different 20 years ago and I think 20 years down the road we are going to say the same thing. The things that make us such an interesting country is the ability to think for ourselves and live the best way we know how. But bottom line for me, is that I can only teach my daughter the rights and wrongs and hope that she interprets them as I have interpreted them. Then God help me...No pun intented. This is a great idea and I look forward to other comments
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Dan from Colorado - 2009-10-12 23:05:09
I stumbled upon this discussion linked from http://www.danielpdaniel.blogspot.com/ Do you realize that "Bill's" treatise is plagiarized (paraphrased?) word for word from C.S. Lewis' outstanding book "Mere Christianity"? It's a great book, I recommend it. But please give C.S. Lewis credit for doing the "heavy lifting" in the thinking department. --Dan
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