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Path: utzoo!watmath!djhawley
From: djhawley@watmath.UUCP (David John Hawley)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: Catching up
Message-ID: <6304@watmath.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 14-Dec-83 18:30:08 EST
Article-I.D.: watmath.6304
Posted: Wed Dec 14 18:30:08 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 15-Dec-83 02:41:15 EST
References: <678@qubix.UUCP>, <6384@unc.UUCP>
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 32

I've been puzzling over the issue of legislated morality vs "freedom"
with respect to what it would be like to be on the "losing side".
Recently another way of looking at this problem has suggested itself.

Assuming we know can classify a controversy into terms of right/wrong,
should we refrain from imposing our morality because we are afraid that
we could wind up under someone else's legislated morality ? Isn't this
moral cowardice ? The downside of legislated morality has already been
well represented, so I won't discuss it.

    To change the subject somewhat, a comment on how governments
give laws on a utilitarian basis: doesn't morality "work" ?
If immorality affects the moral climate of
our society, it will surely affect our actions towards each other.
Why shouldn't it be legislated ? It seems that there is a hidden
presupposition behind the arguments to the contrary; namely that
morality is relative, and undecidable. I think the real issue on
legislating morality vs traffic laws (a straw man if I ever saw one)
is that of degree not a difference in kind.

*Loving your neighbour* can be applied to legislation as well,
along with teachings on respect for others, significance of human
decisions and freedoms, etc.

By the way, not only religions sacrifice victims. What about the
sacrifice of the poor to economics, the technologically obsolete
to the imperative of high-tech progress, young people to national
prestige, or the unborn to freedom without responsibility ?

     From the flaming fingers of
        David Hawley