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Personal Morals & Values
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| No | 34% | 317 votes | Total: 930 votes | |
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Add to FavoritesAre you obligated to be moral?
By what parameters and whose standards? Ethics is something that is taught to society as a whole on what outcome of any given situation would be the right thing to do. Morals however are a very personal issue of what an individual constitutes as right or wrong. Are we morally obligated? To ourselves no we can do and inflict whatever on our selves for the most part. Being morally responsible does come into play though when it involves others.Morals and standards are usually set by upbringing and experience. The fight between good and evil, right and wrong have been going on since the beginning of time.I think every one fights morals and ethics USUALLY trying to do what would be considered the right thing.
If anything morals have declined with the rise of technology. I am thinking back on a Madonna video right now. It had people in an uproar because it involved a priest and hinting at the fact that she was having sex with him. I remember it being turned off in my house every time it came on. Now though I think people are becoming overexposed to sex,violence,drug use, prostitution. I defend rap wholeheartedly but for some young people it is a way of life described in what some would call questionable lyrics.(I would rather a video with Madonna that depicted a sexual act with a priest, than what is really taking place behind closed doors with priests and the Catholic church!Talk about loose morals!)
Morals seem to reshape and redefine themselves to go along with the changes of society. What is morally accepted now ,10 years back we would of never thought it would be such common place.The more need for experimentation of personal freedom that is giving way to a me based society is sure to send the morality gods reeling. Parents teach your children because it is absolutely scary to get a sense of the morals of the next generation that is to take over. If you cannot teach and instill good moral values, then place them around someone who will.
The best way to teach morals is to lend yourself and your lifestyle as an example. Teaching on what is morally acceptable can be taught early. Morals is the big thing what happened to the simple principle of manners. Please and thank you have taken a backseat to "No gimme I want it now!"Morals kind of go hand in hand with empathy and apathy. If your child is not exhibiting or exuding either of these qualities...Well then you have got some work to do now then don't you?
Learn more about this author, Alexus Mckeon.
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Yes
I think a person is obligated to be moral, but we are divided about what constitutes as moral behavior. My views on morality would contrast with the views of someone who believes that a person needs to believe in a higher power to be moral. While I believe in God, I also believe atheists are capable of leading moral lives. People too often use simplistic logic to try and understand a complex world. Sure it would be a simpler world if all atheists were bad, and all religious people were good but that just isn't the case. Throughout history both believers and non-believers alike have engaged in selfless acts of charity and in senseless acts of violence.
Other folks view loyalty to country as a moral value. Some seem to think this means blind loyalty to the government no matter how questionable its actions. Given the atrocities that have occurred over the years as a result of this narrow-minded way of thinking, I cannot see how blind obedience to government can be considered a moral value. Furthermore I don't see why geography should be used as a measuring stick to decide the importance of a human life. No one has any power over where they are born, so shouldn't the life of a person in Nepal be cherished just as much as the person from Florida. The idea that the people who inhabit your country are more important than the lives of people living in other parts of the world seems illogical and narcissistic. It is just another roadblock standing in the way of those who are trying to create a more humane, tolerant world. Now don't misunderstand me I am grateful to live in a prosperous country that champions freedom of speech and freedom of religion - I just don't see how it is moral to value the lives of those living your own country as opposed to the then the lives of poor farmer living in Haiti. The fact that I am not a peasant in Guatemala or living under severe oppression in Myanmar is merely a matter of dumb luck.
I do think protecting certain American ideals like freedom of speech and freedom of religion can legitimately be seen as a moral values. But this is totally different than blindly accepting everything my government tells me. Freedom of religion and freedom of speech are values I personally believe in and that I hope my government will continue to respect. If my government chooses to abandon these ideals, I believe non-violent resistance would be the best response.
I realize that human beings will not always agree on issues concerning morality. But I think we could at least agree that there are some principles that we should all adhere to no matter what race we are, no matter what religion we practice and no matter what culture we grew up in. These principles are honesty and selflessness.
We should all be honest with our fellow human beings no matter what our religious affiliation is or what lifestyle we practice. There are of course some circumstances where people should be allowed to lielike lying to a repressive government about the whereabouts of a peaceful dissenterbut in most cases honesty should be practiced universally.
Selfless ness is one of the greatest qualities a human being can have. To give up your time and energy to help improve the lives of others is one of the most commendable acts a person can participate in. It can also have a lenitive effect on the person performing the selfless act. In a world where the media and many economists champion a lifestyle that stresses fierce competition for the almighty dollar, it is easy to forget how good it feels to go out of you way to help someone else. Too often we are deceived into thinking that the only thing important in life is making as much money as possible. This often leads businesses to advocate cutthroat policies that increase a company's profits at the expense of workers, consumers, and the environment. A universal movement encouraging self-imposed selflessness would be healthy for a world that sometimes becomes too obsessed with wealth and power.
Learn more about this author, Andy Heintz.
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