Results 31 to 40 of 80
Thread: The laws of men
Threaded View
-
02-12-2008, 11:33 AM #1
The laws of men
I've been thinking about this for some time, and thought I'd share it.
I don't know the answers either...
1) Is it morally wrong to disobey the laws of men?
The laws of men change all the time. This makes that what once was lawful may now be considered unlawful, and vice versa.
For example, it used to be perfectly fine to beat and rape your wife, while that is now illegal (at least in most western countries.)
If we can assume that there are unchanging ideals or right and wrong, then this means that every man has to make out for himself which laws he obeys, and which not, so breaking the law is not automatically a-moral.
If there are NO unchanging ideals of right and wrong (or in another way: if right and wrong are dicated by law), then why the hell would we care about them. Do what you want without regard for right and wrong, OR simply changes the laws to allow what you want, and then do it without regard for those who you are doing it unto.
2) Does disobediance have an affect on your afterlife?
With the previous issue in mind, does adherence to the laws of men influence your religious 'scoreboard' for the afterlife / reincarnation / karma ...?
For example take paying taxes. Everyone is well aware that tax laws are a maze, ambiguous as hell, and designed by lawyers for lawyers.
If you fill in your tax form with what you judge is just, as opposed to what the spaggethi of rules and regulations dictates, does that make you a thief? According to the law: yes. Morally speaking it depends. If the laws were designed to rip you off, then denying them is morally right.
And vice versa: if a tax or toll is just, and you go hunting for loopholes to avoid paying it, does that make you a thief? According to the laws: no, but according to the standard of right and wrong: Yes'
3) If morals are dictated by religion, then which is the right one?
If the laws of morality take precedence over the laws of men, and morals are prescribed by religion, then which religion is the right one?
Virtually all of the major religions are mutually exclusive, and have vastly different definitions of what is right and wrong, and have very different penalties.
following the tenets of one belief automatically means you break the laws of a lot of other religions, no matter what you believe in. So how do you know that you are believing in the right one?Til shade is gone, til water is gone, Into the shadow with teeth bared, screaming defiance with the last breath.
To spit in Sightblinder’s eye on the Last Day