If it wasn't for the Truth why would anyone be moral?

by logansrun 39 Replies latest jw friends

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  Aztec

  Uh oh! Not this again!

  Oh yeah baybeeeeee! Let's revive the moral absolutes thread! That was the most fun I've had in a long while...LOL!

  ~Aztec
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  Gretchen956

  Actually I don't think the witnesses own this one. I hear it from Christians all the time. They seem to to think their god is the only thing keeping people from total anarchy. It seems more like a fundamentalist type of attitude. I believe fundamentalist non-christians even hold to that theory, if you think about it isn't that what Muslam and Islamic fundamentalists believe as well.

  Gretchen
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  Stacy Smith

  So immorality is sex outside of marriage. Some may agree, when it comes to sexual issues I would say faithfulness is most important so with that in mind this immoral sex fiend would find herself actually moral.

  I consider honesty to be a sign of strong morals. Honest in a relationship, honest in business dealings, honest in daily life. This would be more important to me that when a person had sex when it comes to deciding if someone is moral or not.
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  logansrun

  I act by that maxim that whatever behavior X I perform under conditions Y should be what is proper for all people. That's my version of the categorical imperitive (mixed in with some utilitarianism).

  Bradley
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  gumby

  Okay, is it just me or does anyone else see the absolute shallowness in such a position?

  Well....to be honest....I used to reason the same way when I was a dub. I thought if I was ever disfellowshipped, I would go butt wild and do whatever I wanted since god didn't love me at that time anyway, and I was dead meat if armaggedon came then. Your values don't just fly out the window as I once thought.

  I think much of what we percieve is wrong, is indeed what our culture and society has deemed as wrong.....and we follow suit. Some things however, seem to be inborn in us as right and wrong.I also have wondered if a person truely believed there was no god, then what would prevent them from carrying out their every desire? I don't know the answer to that other than what I said.....an inborn sense of right and wrong in many areas.....though not all. One might not feel it bad to cheat the government once in awhile whereas before they wouldn't..................as a little example

  Gumby
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  freelife

  I think that it is very hard to say what we would do in our lives if it was not for the borg. We can't go back and change our history. If you were born in and had the doctrines mashed into your head you know no different about things. I mean yes as a youth you have the natural desires to do things but i always had a little voice in my head pricking my conscience, this voice in my head stopped me from doing many things. Now i think that i am more ballanced in my life i think i am a more moral person on the inside. My desires in life are to live it to the fullest not cheapen it.

  Freelife
• 

  logansrun

  Stacey,

  I actually agree with you. I do believe that people who brazenly screw everything except the kitchen sink are hurting themselves, but that doesn't necessarily make them immoral.

  B.
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  Aztec

  Gumby,

  Some things however, seem to be inborn in us as right and wrong.I also have wondered if a person truely believed there was no god, then what would prevent them from carrying out their every desire? I don't know the answer to that other than what I said.....an inborn sense of right and wrong in many areas

  What would prevent us from carrying out our every desire? Restraining orders? No, actually, I believe it's as I said before. Humans are inherently selfish. We want what is best for us and to acheive that we restrain ourselves when necessary. I can clarify that more if necessary and someone comes in with the old "what about people who volunteer for charity" response.

  I don't believe in an inherent sense of right and wrong. Guess I'm a slightly nurture over nature person in that regard.

  ~Aztec
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  logansrun

  Aztec,

  No, actually, I believe it's as I said before. Humans are inherently selfish. We want what is best for us and to acheive that we restrain ourselves when necessary.

  How would you explain human sacrifice then? A person who gives their life for another -- is that selfishness? A man runs into a burning building at the risk of his own life to save another -- how could that be selfishness? I believe humans act according to more than just a "pleasure principle" -- that there are deeper urges of justice and righteousness at work in human consciousness.
  
  Bradley
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  logansrun

  Aztec,

  I don't believe in an inherent sense of right and wrong. Guess I'm a slightly nurture over nature person in that regard.

  Given your views earlier I would think you should say you are nature over nurture, actually.

  B.