My #1 Moral Issue

Jul 13, 2005 10:29

It seems to me that morality has been dumbed down to a few political issues in recent years while, in the meantime, the most important part of it has been lost: It's all about how you treat other people ( Read more... )

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axver July 14 2005, 00:37:07 UTC
I agree completely. I've noticed an alarming tendency for people to assert the moral high ground in an issue and then claim that their immoral behaviour towards those who disagree is actually in love. I have read on multiple occasions people who say, in all serious and convinced of their own highly moral status, that telling homosexuals that they are going to "burn for all eternity" is a loving act.

I would also say that being confident of your own morality is immoral in and of itself, as it is egotistical and arrogant.

It seems, though, that society gets a perverse kind of pleasure out of watching this kind of behaviour. Why else would certain TV shows and sensational/tabloid media outlets do so well?

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sirrealistic July 14 2005, 03:45:47 UTC
Yes, I agree - there is something wrong with feeling too confident of the rightness of one's own views. Unfortunately, I think a lot of people are only listening to people who think like them. It can be stressful to listen to disagreeing viewpoints. Which may be the reason why that type of show is so popular. Seeing the other side mocked is very comforting and makes them feel superior to others.

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axver July 14 2005, 07:03:07 UTC
'It can be stressful to listen to disagreeing viewpoints.'

Beyond stressful. There's a reason why I no longer participate in much political/religious discussion on forums outside of LiveJournal. I'm comfortable here because people (at least those I've surrounded myself with) can communicate with decency, clarity, and courtesy. Elsewhere, debates were brutal and vicious, especially on religious matters. Would you believe that on one orthodox Christian forum, I was widely condemned as a heretic for adhering to the doctrine of amillennialism despite the fact that until the last hundred years, it has been the dominant doctrine in the church relating to the study of the course of human history and the Apocalypse?

'Unfortunately, I think a lot of people are only listening to people who think like them.'People like to be patted on the back and told they're right. They also like to hear about how "stupid" and "uninformed" the other side is. I think people from all corners of the political spectrum are guilty of this ( ... )

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sirrealistic July 15 2005, 11:18:54 UTC
There's a reason why I no longer participate in much political/religious discussion on forums outside of LiveJournal.

I can't tell you how many times I've heard this from other people and is the true for me as well. It's sad really. Political/religious discussions shouldn't be left only for the shouters and the screamers.

People like to be patted on the back and told they're right. They also like to hear about how "stupid" and "uninformed" the other side is. I think people from all corners of the political spectrum are guilty of this.

I think there is a place for this. It's okay to discuss things with like-minded people where you don't continually defend yourself or be re-explaining your assumptions. But it shouldn't be the only opinions one listens to. And don't assume people are stupid or uniformed just because they disagree with you.

No-one wants to hear that what they are doing is wrong or that something they believe to be wrong is right (regardless of the reality).

Very true. Nobody does, even ourselves. You're rarely going ( ... )

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axver July 16 2005, 02:32:53 UTC
'Political/religious discussions shouldn't be left only for the shouters and the screamers.'

Definitely not. I think part of the problem is the anonymity of an online forum. LiveJournal's much different, in that it's your own personal journal, and it thus has a greater measure of personal accountability. People are less likely to behave offensively here, or if two people do come to metaphoric blows, they can simply defriend each other and move on, whereas such a scenario is simply impossible on a forum short of banning either or both members.

'It's okay to discuss things with like-minded people where you don't continually defend yourself or be re-explaining your assumptions. But it shouldn't be the only opinions one listens to. And don't assume people are stupid or uniformed just because they disagree with you.'Exactly. It can be very beneficial to sit down with people who share your opinions/beliefs, especially when they provide new perspectives or additional insight. I just hate to sit down with a group of people only to hear ( ... )

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