College Seniors Taught Right and Wrong Is Relative

CNSNEWS.com ^ | 7/08/02 | Lawrence Morahan

[Iwo Jima]

"Is it "wrong" for parents to arrainge the marriage of their children?"

Yes, it is obejctively, verifiably wrong. It is always immoral. I assume that you are speaking of arrangements which force marriage to a particular person upon children, not just a situation in which the parents say "this is the person that we would really like for you to marry and you will get lots of money, goodies, and approval from us if you do."

A coercive marriage is immoral no matter how much the society approves. Cultures which practice coercive marriages are violating human nature and the natural rights that ALL PERSONS are born with. Such a society will not propser, as compared to societies which recognize and observe human nature and reality, and is objectively inferior to other societies. You cannot cheat reality.

"Is it "wrong" for one to modify their body by piercing, tattooing, other forms of modification?

No. What someone does to one's body is not a question of right or wrong, good or evil. It is a question of socially acceptable or unacceptable behavior. Social behaivor can be very important to a society, but it is not tthe same as what is objectively right or wrong.

[buffyt]

That is just what I was thinking. Cultural differences. Murder is always wrong everywhere. But in some countries a woman can't show an ankle. In USA we can wear thong bikinis. In some countries women can sunbathe topless, or nude. That is illegal on most US beaches. I tell my kids, who are 18-21 years old, that there are cultural differences. That can vary from country to country, culture to culture, religion to religion... But murder and some other crimes are always wrong in all cases. Some crimes are black and white!

[buffyt]

The Bible says that this is wrong....
"Is it "wrong" for one to modify their body by piercing, tattooing, other forms of modification? ....but that is a relion matter, not a crime matter.

[Don Myers]

By the time that the kids get to be college seniors, they already have that viewpoint. Who is kidding whom? I would lower that bar a few years to the high school level.

[Don Myers]

"But what is wrong for one culture is not for another."

Sure, it is all relative.

[Phantom Lord]

I stand by my statement.

While it is not acceptable or 'right' for western women to wear plate lips or engage in other body modification it is perfectly normal and expected in other cultures.

This is not to say that the cultures are 'equal'.

[Don Myers]

Well, If I were a Muslim, rape, suicide bombings, and lying might be perfectly acceptable. Since, I am not a Muslim, those things are not acceptable. A Muslim and I are of different cultures. And, our thoughts on this are different. That makes the whole discussion one of relativity, does it not?

[Phantom Lord]

No. As you will note, in my first post I said that murder and rape are ALWAYS wrong. As I have said several times, there are a few universal 'wrongs' and it is a short list.

[Don Myers]

"...As I have said several times, there are a few universal 'wrongs' and it is a short list."

Not to the people in those cultures. And, that is one place where diversification is going wrong, and will ruin the culture of the US.

[Phantom Lord]

Those people may not see it as wrong, but it is wrong.

[Don Myers]

"Those people may not see it as wrong, but it is wrong."

It is wrong to whom? You? It is not wrong to them. That pesky word, relative, comes up again.

[Phantom Lord]

Make up your mind. Is there a universal right and wrong when it comes to certain things or is everything relative?

Some of your neighbors do not see stealing as wrong, but it is wrong no matter what they think.

[Don Myers]

"Make up your mind. Is there a universal right and wrong when it comes to certain things or is everything relative?"

That is the decision that young people, those who can still think, must face. And, if they have no sort of religious background, how are they to decide? The teachings of the Holy Bible provide a foundation from which people can have a moral compass to decide these issues. People who are strictly secular in their thinking are great believers in relative, or moving standards, of right and wrong.

[Don Myers]

BTW, schools do not teach morality. They don't teach standards of behavior. They only teach tolerance of other cultures. And, we have discussed how varying these cultures can be in their concepts of right and wrong. This is why diversity training is so destructive of the concepts of right and wrong in our young kids.

[Phantom Lord]

I don't need the bible to know certain things are wrong.

[stainlessbanner]

Our Diversity programs at work.....sick sick sick

[Iwo Jima]

Most things in life are black and white, right or wrong, good or evil. There are some gray areas (the so-called "lifeboat" scenarios), but they are the rare exceptions not the rule.

My standard of right and wrong has to do with whether or not force or fraud is involved. This is based on the essential nature of human beings and the self-evident truth that all men are created equal, endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights. Man cannot exercise those inalienable rights and live as man ought to and was intended to live if he cannot exercise his free will.

This is why I say that it is moral (although not particularly nice) for parents to attempt everything short of force to make their child marry someone of their choosing. It is immoral to cause the child imprisonment or physical harm if they do not do as they have been told.

I think that any other example that you might suggest for the propoaition that right and wrong is a subjective, relative concept would be analyzed in the same way.

[Don Myers]

"I don't need the bible to know certain things are wrong."

Then, you have your own focal point of right and wrong. My point remains the same. It is all in one's perception of right and wrong. And, that is what relative, i.e. moving, standards are all about. Those standards go from the lowest order of importance to the highest.

[Iwo Jima]

I note that you are Freeping all over the place instead of responding to my post to you. Any particular reason?

I think that if you consider my statements you would be hard pressed to maintain your position that right and wrong is subjective or relative.

[f.Christian]

bttt