What is your moral barrier?

reply to post by windword


Or at least greed is the gateway to evil.

Personally I think hypocrisy is the worst of vices.

reply to post by cassp83


At one level, that thought has validity. Obese people really should be taking care of themselves. And if everyone were to just shut their mouth lest they pass judgement on them, who would help them to come to their senses?

However, mean and deprecatory thoughts are pretty much useless. Unless you're in a situation to give advice to an obese person to change their eating habits (for the sake of their health), it's just obnoxious to just say to a stranger or someone you hardly know "you shouldn't be eating that".

reply to post by dontreally


In my original post, this is what I had to say.

Morality exists to establish communal trust. If your neighbor murders your other neighbor, you can no longer trust them to not murder you or someone you love. And that is the guiding principle.

Now, if you seduce the girl next door, or she seduces you, then we enter the gray areas.

You added in the relationship factor, so in the interest of discussion I responded with this concept

Now, sometimes helping someone out who is in a bad relationship, who needs some validation to get away from a person of questionable character, not so easy.

Those who refuse to act, to stand up for what they feel is morally right, are they acting morally?

Sure, it is about passion, but it is also about being there for someone when they need you. This is the point I was trying to make.

reply to post by dontreally


If you really want to find your moral barriers, look at Eskimo culture, and sharing of wives.

How would you treat them in manner that respects how they think you should treat them and their families.

reply to post by poet1b

How would you treat them in manner that respects how they think you should treat them and their families.

I'm sorry, I don't quite understand what you're saying here.

Since they are outside my culture, and so, outside my understanding, and this seems to be a longstanding tradition of theirs, I wouldn't be able to do anything about, so I wouldn't say anything.

However, I do think monogamy should be the human ideal (oops, sorry for dropping another positive moral judgement). Since, I think to most people, the idea of a 'soul-mate', another person of the opposite sex who you can bind your self with to the point where the two of you feel as one, I think that is what people spiritually strive for.

Unfortunately to your tastes, they involve precepts like 'faithfulness' in body, mind and spirit to the other spouse.

reply to post by dontreally


I believe in respecting what others see as moral or immoral. There are plenty of people out there who don't see sexual relations as wrong or immoral, even when going outside of a committed relationship.

My opinions on straying are fairly sophisticated, not for it, not against it. Depends on the situation.

That I attempted to have a discussion on this issue, as a good point to consider when exploring moral boundaries, lead you make all kinds of crazy accusations about me, suddenly I was a drunkard and a whore monger in favor of adultery. It tells me you are the kind all for stoning prostitutes and adulterers and burning old women who live alone with lots of cats, like all the wackos in the past who felt they had the right to impose their version of morality on others.

My golden rule is, if it harm no one, do what thou will.

Which also means, don't project your beliefs onto others.