Legislating Morality

[Hobbit]

Professor Mike S. Adams at UNC-Wilmington has written a letter to each of his students for the upcoming semester. Mike S. Adams is a small island of conservatism in the middle of an ocean of liberalism and UNC-Wilmington, so he tries to dispel the liberal myths that other professors have passed off as fact (it's appropriate, as he teaches Sociology 101). This semester, he's taking on the myth that you can't legislate morality.

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/MikeSAdams/2006/10/12/legislating_morality

 

[Annie]

Professor Mike S. Adams at UNC-Wilmington has written a letter to each of his students for the upcoming semester. Mike S. Adams is a small island of conservatism in the middle of an ocean of liberalism and UNC-Wilmington, so he tries to dispel the liberal myths that other professors have passed off as fact (it's appropriate, as he teaches Sociology 101). This semester, he's taking on the myth that you can't legislate morality.

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/MikeSAdams/2006/10/12/legislating_morality

That was excellent, Hobbit! Thanks!

 

[ScreamingEagle]

:clap1: Excellent! We need more educators like that!

 

[dmp]

fantastic!

 

[Nienna]

Wonderful to see that there ARE some professors in universities that are able to challenge the status quo.

As a reply to the myth that "you can't legislate morality," I will go so far as to say that you can't NOT legislate morality. This is not to say that I believe we should set up a mandatory state religion. However, the very existence of law and order means that people are trying to punish certain behaviors and reward others. Thus, moral value is assigned to the behavior addressed in each law.

 

[Kagom]

Well written and well thought out.

 

[dmp]

Wonderful to see that there ARE some professors in universities that are able to challenge the status quo.

As a reply to the myth that "you can't legislate morality," I will go so far as to say that you can't NOT legislate morality. This is not to say that I believe we should set up a mandatory state religion. However, the very existence of law and order means that people are trying to punish certain behaviors and reward others. Thus, moral value is assigned to the behavior addressed in each law.

I respectfully disagree. Nobody is force to AGREE with morality. We CAN and DO legislate a degree of morality with most every law. Actions reflect how we FEEL about Morality - not about Morality in and of itself.

 

[Nienna]

I respectfully disagree. Nobody is force to AGREE with morality. We CAN and DO legislate a degree of morality with most every law. Actions reflect how we FEEL about Morality - not about Morality in and of itself.

I guess if we're going to discuss this, we may as well define what morality is. What's your definition?

 

[dmp]

I guess if we're going to discuss this, we may as well define what morality is. What's your definition?

The definition of Morality isn't relevant. What's relevant is how one REACTS to said definition. Actions are forbidden or allowed BECAUSE of morality. It's the ACTIONS which people do or don't do - regardless of if they agree or whatever...

make sense?

 

[5stringJeff]

The definition of Morality isn't relevant. What's relevant is how one REACTS to said definition. Actions are forbidden or allowed BECAUSE of morality. It's the ACTIONS which people do or don't do - regardless of if they agree or whatever...

make sense?

The definition of morality is extremely relevant, especially as it relates to ethics. Do we legislate morality or do we legislate ethics?

 

[Nienna]

The definition of Morality isn't relevant. What's relevant is how one REACTS to said definition. Actions are forbidden or allowed BECAUSE of morality. It's the ACTIONS which people do or don't do - regardless of if they agree or whatever...

make sense?

I see what you're saying. You're saying that (for example), even though abortion is legal, many of us disagree with it. Therefore, the law doesn't dictate an individual's moral view about abortion. A law can't FORCE someone to believe something. Right?

Okay, I agree with that, but still contend that there are moral values or judgments inherent in every law, regardless of whether or not an individual agrees with it.

An individual can choose whether or not to comply with the law. Using the abortion example: I would never choose to have an abortion, unless my life was in danger and my baby was going to die anyway. However, I still have to live in a country where others are allowed to abort their babies. The moral judgment inherent in the abortion code is that the life of an unborn baby is not as important as a mother's personal freedom, even though that is contrary to my moral code.

 

[dmp]

The definition of morality is extremely relevant, especially as it relates to ethics. Do we legislate morality or do we legislate ethics?

No it's not. The morality is what's important. We legislate based on Morality. That counters the argument that 'morality' should not drive legislation or whatever.

 

[Nienna]

The definition of morality is extremely relevant, especially as it relates to ethics. Do we legislate morality or do we legislate ethics?

Good point, Jeff. "Morality" relates more to an individual's belief system, whereas "ethics" carries the connotation of the belief system of a group or corporate body. So morality could be at odds with ethics.

I was using the word "morality" to indicate an unspecified belief system.

 

[Bonnie]

Professor Mike S. Adams at UNC-Wilmington has written a letter to each of his students for the upcoming semester. Mike S. Adams is a small island of conservatism in the middle of an ocean of liberalism and UNC-Wilmington, so he tries to dispel the liberal myths that other professors have passed off as fact (it's appropriate, as he teaches Sociology 101). This semester, he's taking on the myth that you can't legislate morality.

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/MikeSAdams/2006/10/12/legislating_morality

Great piece Hobbit.....

 

[Bonnie]

Good point, Jeff. "Morality" relates more to an individual's belief system, whereas "ethics" carries the connotation of the belief system of a group or corporate body. So morality could be at odds with ethics.

I was using the word "morality" to indicate an unspecified belief system.

There is a fine line here between morality and ethics as Darin pointed out in essence, ethics comes from a moral foundation, though many don't wish to recognize that, because the concept of morality has religious overtones. Honestly government should at most set a foundation for ethics and decency in which people as a civilized society can from there aspire to something better, but at the very least not behave below the bar IE committing crime or harm to another.

Problem is every time government lowers the bar.. society gets farther and farther away from that decency.

 

[Bullypulpit]

What many fail to question, however, is the basis of those morals and ethics. Are they rooted in religious doctrine...? Or do they have the consequences to this life, in this world as their foundation...? The celestial or the terrestrial?

 

[musicman]

What many fail to question, however, is the basis of those morals and ethics. Are they rooted in religious doctrine...? Or do they have the consequences to this life, in this world as their foundation...? The celestial or the terrestrial?

Are the two - necessarily - mutually exclusive? As a Christian, I believe that God hates sin because He loves us, and He knows that sin hurts us. It takes us further away from Him. It is the sure path to misery in THIS life - to say nothing of the hereafter.

 

[Nienna]

What many fail to question, however, is the basis of those morals and ethics. Are they rooted in religious doctrine...? Or do they have the consequences to this life, in this world as their foundation...? The celestial or the terrestrial?

This is the great fear that many liberals have. What they can't understand is that no one can FORCE them to accept religious beliefs. Just because morals or ethics overlap religious convictions doesn't mean that they are being FORCED on the population. If they would set aside their fear of mind control, they might find that religious morals are HELPFUL, whether or not the liberals, personally, accept a relationship with God.

 

[dilloduck]

There is a fine line here between morality and ethics as Darin pointed out in essence, ethics comes from a moral foundation, though many don't wish to recognize that, because the concept of morality has religious overtones. Honestly government should at most set a foundation for ethics and decency in which people as a civilized society can from there aspire to something better, but at the very least not behave below the bar IE committing crime or harm to another.

Problem is every time government lowers the bar.. society gets farther and farther away from that decency.

I think legislating morality is a great idea--only problem is that people without a conscience don't think morality applies to them.

 

[ScreamingEagle]

I think legislating morality is a great idea--only problem is that people without a conscience don't think morality applies to them.

But we can say "Git yerself some "morals" boy...or go to jail!" :bat: