The Moral Instinct:

[JBeukema]

http://www.usmessageboard.com/scien...n-humans-and-non-human-speci.html#post1289110

 

[DamnYankee]

You are driving down the road in your car on a wild, stormy night,
when you pass by a bus stop and you see three people waiting for the
bus:


1.. An old lady who looks as if she is about to die.


2.. An old friend who once saved your life.


3.. The perfect partner you have been dreaming about.


Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing that there
could only be one passenger in your car? Think before you continue
reading.


This is a moral/ethical dilemma that was once actually used as part
of a job application. You could pick up the old lady, because she is
going to die, and thus you should save her first. Or you could take
the old friend because he once saved your life, and this would be
the perfect chance to pay him back. However, you may never be able
to find your perfect mate again.






YOU WON'T BELIEVE THIS....................




The candidate who was hired (out of 200 applicants) had no trouble
coming up with his answer. He simply answered: 'I would give the car
keys to my old friend and let him take the lady to the hospital. I
would stay behind and wait for the bus with the partner of my dreams.'


Sometimes, we gain more if we are able to give up our stubborn
thought limitations.


Never forget to 'Think Outside of the Box.'






HOWEVER...., The correct answer is to run the old lady over and put
her out of her misery because Obama's health care won't pay for her, have sex with the perfect partner on the hood
of the car, then drive off with the old friend for a few beers.


God, I just love happy endings!

 

[Phoenix]

 

[Ceasaro]

The correct answer is to drive by them all, only losers take the bus.

 

[Coloradomtnman]

You are driving down the road in your car on a wild, stormy night,
when you pass by a bus stop and you see three people waiting for the
bus:..............

Man, that's fucked up. And hilarious!

 

[sidneyworld]

"The Bridge Keeper

Posted on September 13th, 2007 in Sacrifice, love by Chris
There was once a bridge which spanned a large river. During most of the day the bridge sat with its length running up and down the river paralleled with the banks, allowing ships to pass thru freely on both sides of the bridge. But at certain times each day, a train would come along and the bridge would be turned sideways across the river, allowing a train to cross it.

A switchman sat in a small shack on one side of the river where he operated the controls to turn the bridge and lock it into place as the train crossed. One evening as the switchman was waiting for the last train of the day to come, he looked off into the distance thru the dimming twilight and caught sight of the trainlights. He stepped to the control and waited until the train was within a prescribed distance when he was to turn the bridge. He turned the bridge into position, but, to his horror, he found the locking control did not work. If the bridge was not securely in position it would wobble back and forth at the ends when the train came onto it, causing the train to jump the track and go crashing into the river. This would be a passenger train with many people aboard. He left the bridge turned across the river, and hurried across the bridge to the other side of the river where there was a lever switch he could hold to operate the lock manually. He would have to hold the lever back firmly as the train crossed. He could hear the rumble of the train now, and he took hold of the lever and leaned backward to apply his weight to it, locking the bridge. He kept applying the pressure to keep the mechanism locked. Many lives depended on this man’s strength.

Then, coming across the bridge from the direction of his control shack, he heard a sound that made his blood run cold. “Daddy, where are you?” His four-year-old son was crossing the bridge to look for him. His first impulse was to cry out to the child, “Run! Run!” But the train was too close; the tiny legs would never make it across the bridge in time. The man almost left his lever to run and snatch up his son and carry him to safety. But he realized that he could not get back to the lever. Either the people on the train or his little son must die. He took a moment to make his decision.

The train sped safely and swiftly on its way, and no one aboard was even aware of the tiny broken body thrown mercilessly into the river by the onrushing train. Nor were they aware of the pitiful figure of the sobbing man, still clinging tightly to the locking lever long after the train had passed. They did not see him walking home more slowly than he had ever walked: to tell his wife how their son had brutally died.

Now if you comprehend the emotions which went this man’s heart, you can begin to understand the feelings of our Father in Heaven when He sacrificed His Son to bridge the gap between us and eternal life. Can there be any wonder that He caused the earth to tremble and the skies to darken when His Son died? How does He feel when we speed along thru life without giving a thought to what was done for us thru Jesus Christ?

Inspirational Christian Stories and Poems Blog » The Bridge Keeper

Even without the connection to God or Jesus, what would you have done? Sacrifice those people on the train to save your son or sacrifice your son?

Anne Marie

 

[Coloradomtnman]

Even without the connection to God or Jesus, what would you have done? Sacrifice those people on the train to save your son or sacrifice your son?

There are two things I'd like to address about your post, Anne.

#1. I don't know what I would do in that situation, since I haven't yet had any children. But, my first reaction, speculating of course, is: screw the people on the train - I don't know them and the planet's overpopulated anyway. I know that sounds selfish, and there is no doubt that it is, but that's how I feel about it.

#2. The analogy is inaccurate when compared to God sacrificing his Son. This is why I say that:
a. Jesus is God and vice versa. There is no risk for God since He can't die and He can't go to Hell or even remain in Purgatory.
b. Jesus knew he was going to die, and that he would be resurrected. He was only dead 3 days, which is a helluva lot shorter a time than for the rest of his Father's life or the rest of any father's life were his son to die.
c. There was no chance Jesus wasn't going to Heaven to be received as a VIP. He went straight to Heaven, no red tape at all. Its almost as if God didn't sacrifice His son at all and really only called him home.

Now, I know Jesus was tortured, whipped, beaten, and nailed to a crucifix, and I know that isn't a pleasant way to spend that last few hours of your life, but knowing and I mean KNOWING that without a doubt you'll be resurrected to join your Father in paradise far beyond anything anyone has experienced on this planet in the history of the Universe, in just a few days sure makes it easier. John McCain went through worse, not knowing if he'd be killed (and uncertainty can be very tortuous, being subjected to torture for years, being locked up, barely fed, allowed no contact with his family or friends, and this went on for YEARS not just a few hours followed by a few days of reprieve before going to Paradise as Jesus did, to be received with the greatest honors that anyone allowed into Heaven has ever received.

I'm sorry, but that seems a little weak. Millions of human beings have suffered worse and died far worse and horrible deaths than Jesus, and many of those people lived shitty lives and/or saw their loved ones murdered or even tortured and raped before they were killed (think natives and Catholic conquistadors or African slaves in the 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries).

Jesus had it good compared to them, and God had it good compared to any parent who has ever lost a child and who would never see that child again (unless you believe in an afterlife, but that could still be decades of estrangement). A sacrifice, yes, but not that much of a sacrifice.

 

[DamnYankee]

Now see, JB? I got your thread going for you again.

 

[caela]

Even without the connection to God or Jesus, what would you have done? Sacrifice those people on the train to save your son or sacrifice your son?

Anne Marie

It's an interesting scenario. When you sit and think about it it is a hard decision but the simple fact is that when I play it through in my mind, I am already running across that bridge the second I hear my daughter's voice. I would not willingly sacrifice my daughter for anyone. If there were time I might try and break the lock so that it would stay locked and the people on the train would live as well, but my first priority would be my child.

 

[sidneyworld]

Even without the connection to God or Jesus, what would you have done? Sacrifice those people on the train to save your son or sacrifice your son?

There are two things I'd like to address about your post, Anne.

#1. I don't know what I would do in that situation, since I haven't yet had any children. But, my first reaction, speculating of course, is: screw the people on the train - I don't know them and the planet's overpopulated anyway. I know that sounds selfish, and there is no doubt that it is, but that's how I feel about it.

#2. The analogy is inaccurate when compared to God sacrificing his Son. This is why I say that:
a. Jesus is God and vice versa. There is no risk for God since He can't die and He can't go to Hell or even remain in Purgatory.
b. Jesus knew he was going to die, and that he would be resurrected. He was only dead 3 days, which is a helluva lot shorter a time than for the rest of his Father's life or the rest of any father's life were his son to die.
c. There was no chance Jesus wasn't going to Heaven to be received as a VIP. He went straight to Heaven, no red tape at all. Its almost as if God didn't sacrifice His son at all and really only called him home.

Now, I know Jesus was tortured, whipped, beaten, and nailed to a crucifix, and I know that isn't a pleasant way to spend that last few hours of your life, but knowing and I mean KNOWING that without a doubt you'll be resurrected to join your Father in paradise far beyond anything anyone has experienced on this planet in the history of the Universe, in just a few days sure makes it easier. John McCain went through worse, not knowing if he'd be killed (and uncertainty can be very tortuous, being subjected to torture for years, being locked up, barely fed, allowed no contact with his family or friends, and this went on for YEARS not just a few hours followed by a few days of reprieve before going to Paradise as Jesus did, to be received with the greatest honors that anyone allowed into Heaven has ever received.

I'm sorry, but that seems a little weak. Millions of human beings have suffered worse and died far worse and horrible deaths than Jesus, and many of those people lived shitty lives and/or saw their loved ones murdered or even tortured and raped before they were killed (think natives and Catholic conquistadors or African slaves in the 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries).

Jesus had it good compared to them, and God had it good compared to any parent who has ever lost a child and who would never see that child again (unless you believe in an afterlife, but that could still be decades of estrangement). A sacrifice, yes, but not that much of a sacrifice.

Hi Colorado,

Okay, where should I begin here?

Moral integrity is not exclusive to the practice of religion, the worship of God or the cannons of any established church. JB's thread deals with Moral Integrity not necessarily God or religion. But there is a universal continuity in doing the right thing. How we acknowledge that is a reflection of our upbringing and our greater perspective of life and humanity.

As parents our ultimate responsibility is to act in the best interest of our children. That young son should not have been walking on the railroad track but he was so comes the ultimate sacrifice in a split second decision.

That son's father did the right thing overall because he had complete control over the faith of both parties. To have saved his son instead of an unknown amount of passengers would have been selfish after all was said and done, although the initial issue with that faulty switch was not his fault. But no-one could be held to such a standard as we are human beings and our love for our children usually transcends such courage and ultimate sacrifice.

Anne Marie

 

[amrchaos]

"The Bridge Keeper

Posted on September 13th, 2007 in Sacrifice, love by Chris
There was once a bridge which spanned a large river. During most of the day the bridge sat with its length running up and down the river paralleled with the banks, allowing ships to pass thru freely on both sides of the bridge. But at certain times each day, a train would come along and the bridge would be turned sideways across the river, allowing a train to cross it.

A switchman sat in a small shack on one side of the river where he operated the controls to turn the bridge and lock it into place as the train crossed. One evening as the switchman was waiting for the last train of the day to come, he looked off into the distance thru the dimming twilight and caught sight of the trainlights. He stepped to the control and waited until the train was within a prescribed distance when he was to turn the bridge. He turned the bridge into position, but, to his horror, he found the locking control did not work. If the bridge was not securely in position it would wobble back and forth at the ends when the train came onto it, causing the train to jump the track and go crashing into the river. This would be a passenger train with many people aboard. He left the bridge turned across the river, and hurried across the bridge to the other side of the river where there was a lever switch he could hold to operate the lock manually. He would have to hold the lever back firmly as the train crossed. He could hear the rumble of the train now, and he took hold of the lever and leaned backward to apply his weight to it, locking the bridge. He kept applying the pressure to keep the mechanism locked. Many lives depended on this man’s strength.

Then, coming across the bridge from the direction of his control shack, he heard a sound that made his blood run cold. “Daddy, where are you?” His four-year-old son was crossing the bridge to look for him. His first impulse was to cry out to the child, “Run! Run!” But the train was too close; the tiny legs would never make it across the bridge in time. The man almost left his lever to run and snatch up his son and carry him to safety. But he realized that he could not get back to the lever. Either the people on the train or his little son must die. He took a moment to make his decision.

The train sped safely and swiftly on its way, and no one aboard was even aware of the tiny broken body thrown mercilessly into the river by the onrushing train. Nor were they aware of the pitiful figure of the sobbing man, still clinging tightly to the locking lever long after the train had passed. They did not see him walking home more slowly than he had ever walked: to tell his wife how their son had brutally died.

Now if you comprehend the emotions which went this man’s heart, you can begin to understand the feelings of our Father in Heaven when He sacrificed His Son to bridge the gap between us and eternal life. Can there be any wonder that He caused the earth to tremble and the skies to darken when His Son died? How does He feel when we speed along thru life without giving a thought to what was done for us thru Jesus Christ?

Inspirational Christian Stories and Poems Blog » The Bridge Keeper

Even without the connection to God or Jesus, what would you have done? Sacrifice those people on the train to save your son or sacrifice your son?

Anne Marie

Let see--a humanists would have saved the people on the train.
A hedonists would have saved his son--no gods needed.