Aug 31

Take the “Will I impose my Morality” quiz.

  • 3 mins to read

You don’t have to read too many news stories to get the idea that morality questions abound.  It used to be the case that “wrong was wrong even if everyone was doing it; and, right was right even if no one was doing it.”  That’s all changed, apparently.

And it’s not until the last few years that “intolerance” was even something bad.  But isn’t that a moral judgment in itself?

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But there is no shortage of opportunities for us to express our moral outrage.  Whether it’s Ryan Lochte lying about whether he was robbed or America’s current favorite villain – Anthony Wiener sending photos of his, ahem, undercarriage across the internet.  And why is it more morally outrageous that he did so while his young son lay sleeping next to him?

To find out where you fall, I suggest you take the “Will I impose my Morality on Someone Else” quiz.

Here goes.

  1. It is morally wrong for Anthony Weiner to send pictures of himself because:
    1. He’s married;
    2. His child was in the picture;
    3. It’s just creepy;
    4. It’s objectively immoral for several reasons.
    5. It’s not right for me, but I can’t say it’s wrong for him.
  2. In 50 words or less, explain your basis for believing it to be immoral.
  3. The individual formerly known as Bruce Jenner should:
    1. Be called Caitlyn because self-identifying as a woman takes precedent over the fact that he has outdoor plumbing; or,
    2. Be called Bruce because he’s just a dude in a dress.
  4. Ryan Lochte was morally wrong for what he did in Rio because:
    1. Vandalism is objectively immoral;
    2. Lying is objectively immoral;
    3. Both a. and b.
    4. Neither a. nor b.
    5. He’s a jock.  Who cares?
  5. Hillary Clinton was morally wrong in lying to the American Public about her emails/private server because:
    1. Lying is objectively immoral;
    2. Compromising lives and national security is morally wrong.
    3. Both a. and b.
    4. Neither a. nor b.
    5. She’s a Clinton.  Who cares?

The point is, morality is the only thing that can be enforced.  The only question that remains is whose?  You can not cite any law, anywhere, at any time in history that is not a reflection of a moral order.

The reason that there are laws against murder is, well, because “Thou shalt not kill.”  Ditto for stealing.  But the second that we adopt any moral code that is not transcendent – that is, not bigger than ourselves – is the very same second that we have become lawless.

So when we hear some politician utter some tripe about being “personally opposed to ___________, but I don’t want to impose my morality on anyone else” know that that person (politician or otherwise) is duplicitous, cowardly, and lawless.

By the way, Bruce Jenner is just a dude in a dress.