Moral ethics - how would you decide?

by ozziepost 15 Replies latest jw friends

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  ozziepost

  Tonight on CNN was an interview with an anguished mother visiting Thailand who was unable to find her missing daughter.

  When the tsunami waves hit they became separated and now was frantically searching for news of her. In her heart she knew she had died but wanted (needed) to know of her fate.

  When interviewed she was about to board her flight back to Sweden. We could feel her pained heart as she told her story.

  But now what would you have done? Would you have stayed on or would you have left? What a decision! But I wonder what I would have done.

  What would you have done? Stayed or left?
• 

  Golf

  If I left with my mate, I hope to come back with my mate.
  
  
  
  
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  Abaddon

  Stay and look until I could stop looking.

  I think I would have accepted somone was dead by now, but I would still want to find their body and bring them home... "oh hi girlfriend's parents... no, no idea where her body is" is not a good greeting at the airport...
• 

  LittleToe

  What a tough call.
  I'd like to think that I'd stay, but at what point do you give it up as futile?
  I suspect our breakpoint is individual, and tailored to how we feel in the given circumstances.
  Another time, another set of circumstances, it may have been far longer/shorter...
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  under74

  damn...I don't think I would have been able to leave. No judgment against her or anyone else that would leave. I just don't think I'd be able to leave.
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  funkyderek

  I don't see it as a moral or ethical decision, merely a pragmatic one. She would be unlikely to find her daughter by herself. By staying in the area, she would only be a burden on those providing care and be subject to the same lack of clean water, food and shelter. By returning home, her family can support her and help her grieve. In the unlikely event that her daughter is alive, she will most probably be found by rescue workers. I think it was the right thing to do.
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  ozziepost

  Derek:

  It's not a matter of judging her at all nor asking people to do so for none of us would hope to be in her position but yes, it is a moral one for her, since she feels she's abandoning her daughter to her fate; in such situations pragmatism is in tension with the heart.

  Ozzie
• 

  Brummie

  We had a similar situation with an English mother who held on to her 2 sons but had to make the decision to let go of one as the waves overtook them. She let go of the eldest (about 8 yrs old?) and held on to the youngest, what a situation to be in! Thankfully they all survived and were reunited.

  In all cases we cant pass judgement, in such trauma the human mind acts differently and each may be forgiven for acting irrationaly (I'm not saying anyone is judging).
• 

  blondie

  Brummie, how sad; but it was either save one or none. Perhaps she thought the older one would have a better chance of surviving on his own.

  I don't think the mother had much choice. Funkyderek makes some good points.

  Staying, she would continue to be in danger herself, perhaps interfering with the rescue operations.

  I know how the police and firefighters feel when they are trying to do their jobs. They understand that people want to help save their house, help apprehend the criminal. But they are not trained to do so and can impede their efforts.

  I can see her staying in touch with the relief operations in that area, checking any websites for information.

  Blondie
• 

  Brummie

  Perhaps she thought the older one would have a better chance of surviving on his own.

  That was her reasoning, mothers instinct too, she made the right decision, he survived but the chances of the youngest one surviving would have been very shallow.