who or what are we acountable to for our actions?.
As a US Soldier, you kill a suspected terrorist in a marketplace in Baghdad. Across the street a shopowner straps a bomb to his wife who blows up your fellow soldiers. Do either have a guilty conscience? Are either or both wrong?
In a terrorist's mind (and perhaps also in his society's mind), he is doing "right". A soldier that kills the terrorist is "wrong."
From the soldier's point of view, it's the other way around.
Moral relativity in action.
who or what are we acountable to for our actions?.
Humans have a pretty consistent conscience at least for most obvious rights and wrongs.
Absolutely, because these are obvious moral issues... the ones that are very black and white.
Is there not an inner code written on ones heart? To me there must be a source for this
The source is our brain. Our cognitive ability allows us to understand why the obvious moral issues are obviously right and wrong.
who or what are we acountable to for our actions?.
Even theists/Christians use their own conscience to filter out the good from the bad in the bible.
Yes. But they think/believe/state/imply that their moral code is completely objective and from God -- and how superior it is to the subjective morality of man.
i am shocked i am even writing this.
for about a year or so, i have hid in the darkness peeking at this site and following everyone else's story.
i have learned more than i expected from so many.
Welcome to the board, and thanks for sharing your story! You are among people who definitely understand what you're going through.
who or what are we acountable to for our actions?.
Moral relativism is something that ticks off fundies in particular...
It does seem to. But even among the fundies a universal (objective) moral code does not exist. Which laws presented in the bible are followed? Under what circumstances? Is it ok to stone children? Is slavery ok? Is eating bacon wrong? They don't want to admit this, but their selection of which "objective" morals to follow is in itself a subjective thing.
who or what are we acountable to for our actions?.
I agree! And vice verse!
Yep.
Now pardon me while I speed to the corner liquor store without a seat belt on and rob the joint.
who or what are we acountable to for our actions?.
millions of incarcerated individuals around the globe are temporarily restrained from commiting vile acts against their particular society which suggests to me that my "fear of punishment" concept is recognized by governments ...
Absolutely. They are answering to society for their actions that society has deemed unacceptable.
Humanity will never agree 100% on a single, universal "moral code." That's why I say such a thing does not and has never existed.
who or what are we acountable to for our actions?.
Killing, stealing, and even what we could call pedophilia are legal and commonplace in some cultures.
Where is killing and stealing flat out allowed under any circumstance? I understand that different cultures and societies have different "conditions" where such an act may be justified.
So, if you or I move to Asia, Africa, Scandinavia, or the Middle East might our core values change
So your core values are an exact mirror of the law of the land? Personally I think our personal moral code is a combination of our society/culture and our own personal values.
I may personally view something as wrong even though it is legal.
No matter how you slice it, it’s just a theory!
Uh oh, here we go again!
As an explanatory system, evolution is a theory. That is the highest level of "honor" an explanatory system can reach in the world of science. It's a fact that evolution has happened though. Same with gravity: it's a fact that gravity exists; the gravitational theory is the explanatory system for how it works. Theories will never turn into "facts."
who or what are we acountable to for our actions?.
What keeps me from killing,stealing, and raping is fear of punishment by SOME authority ... am I alone?
Are you serious? Personally I don't do those things because I can understand through my own cognitive abilities that they are wrong.
