Posted on Jun 9, 2019
Because something is legal does that make it right?
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Morals
Ethics
Christianity
Posted 5 y ago
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Not at all. The law is a civil construct. Ethics are a different topic. However, it is hard to argue that doing something illegal is right.
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SFC (Join to see)
"it is hard to argue that doing something illegal is right."
Would exceeding the speed limit to get a family member on the brink of death to the hospital be right or wrong? They have 10 minutes to live and if you speed, you can get to the hospital in 5 minutes. However, if you go the speed limit, you would reach the hospital in 15 minutes and your family member would die. Most would excuse the speeding (as long as nobody else was hurt) due to the severity of the circumstance, possibly even finding a Law Enforcement Officer wrong for following through on a citation.
I see what you are saying, but I think right and wrong can be a shifting target, even in the face of law. The fact that exceptions can be made shows that something illegal can be "right," it just depends on the situation.
Would exceeding the speed limit to get a family member on the brink of death to the hospital be right or wrong? They have 10 minutes to live and if you speed, you can get to the hospital in 5 minutes. However, if you go the speed limit, you would reach the hospital in 15 minutes and your family member would die. Most would excuse the speeding (as long as nobody else was hurt) due to the severity of the circumstance, possibly even finding a Law Enforcement Officer wrong for following through on a citation.
I see what you are saying, but I think right and wrong can be a shifting target, even in the face of law. The fact that exceptions can be made shows that something illegal can be "right," it just depends on the situation.
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1LT (Join to see)
SFC (Join to see)
Great point!
This brings up the discussion of ethics vs morality for me and how we ought to handle moral relativism. It is unethical to break the law, but not always moral. Yet, this is specifically from the Christian standpoint which empahsizes civil obedience in most contexts, but religious obedience in all situations.
So, using your example, my religion informs my ethical obligation to obey the laws of my society. Yet my morality demands that I put certain things above the law, like the safety and well being of others.
Of course, when you get into such theological ground, we're relying heavily on interpretations; for Christians especially, our interpretations of the Bible. And then, the issue is further complicated as we try to establish which context has precedence over the other. Like you mentioned with exceptions to laws, situations matter and often dictate proper application of the law. But then we enter moral relativism, picking and choosing what matters.
As Christians, the church ought to do the hard theological work to work out which ethical matters are more concrete than others and thus make choices on informed and faithful readings of the Scriptures.
Great point!
This brings up the discussion of ethics vs morality for me and how we ought to handle moral relativism. It is unethical to break the law, but not always moral. Yet, this is specifically from the Christian standpoint which empahsizes civil obedience in most contexts, but religious obedience in all situations.
So, using your example, my religion informs my ethical obligation to obey the laws of my society. Yet my morality demands that I put certain things above the law, like the safety and well being of others.
Of course, when you get into such theological ground, we're relying heavily on interpretations; for Christians especially, our interpretations of the Bible. And then, the issue is further complicated as we try to establish which context has precedence over the other. Like you mentioned with exceptions to laws, situations matter and often dictate proper application of the law. But then we enter moral relativism, picking and choosing what matters.
As Christians, the church ought to do the hard theological work to work out which ethical matters are more concrete than others and thus make choices on informed and faithful readings of the Scriptures.
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SFC (Join to see)
SSG Brian Hatcher Sure, some do it because they believe a higher power is directing them to do so, and others because of empathy for their fellow human.
The reason why is irrelevant if it reaches the same result
That point was that something illegal can be morally right, but that it very much depends on the circumstances and the popular reaction to the event.
The reason why is irrelevant if it reaches the same result
That point was that something illegal can be morally right, but that it very much depends on the circumstances and the popular reaction to the event.
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MSgt Michael Smith
What kind of situation????????? It's legal for me to drink my own urine --does that make it right? Either ball up and say what you want to talk about about or stop --you sound like a politician.
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