Moral Absolutes

What is by far my biggest beef with any sort of religion is the concept of moral absolutes. Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal for example.

What I find sickening (I apologize, I rarely use this word but I think it's appropriate) is when people adhere to the concept of moral absolutes. It's silly, because it only takes a casual look at the world we live in to know this isn't the case.

I'm going to go through a few of the Ten Commanments and show situations that are good, neutral (neither good nor evil) and evil.


Thou Shalt Not Kill:

Good: A man sits in a room with 12 preschoolers. He is armed with a knife and has killed two children already. You as the sniper shoot and kill the man to save the rest of the children.

Neutral: A loved family member is dying from cancer. He/She is sitting in extreme pain and asks you to remove them from life support. You do so.

Evil: You kill a man just for the fun of it. Taking the cash in his wallet you go and buy a new pair of sneakers.


Thou Shalt Not Steal:

Good: A friend of yours says he's going to get "really messed" on drugs tonight and he has had a history of ODing. You steal the drugs and flush them down the toilet to prevent him from killing himself and/or going to jail.

Neutral: You lend a co-worker $20 bucks and he has said that he has paid you back. You are absolutely certain that he has not because you haven't had any cash in your wallet since you've lent him the money. He drops a $20 on the floor from his pocket and you take it.

Evil: You steal a marble rye from an old lady to help your friend prove to his girlfriend's parents that he did indeed "bring something" to the dinner he attended last week.


Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery:

Good: You and your wife/husband want to explore swinging to expand your love life. You love and trust each other and go through with the event. You're both happier from the experience.

Neutral: You are getting divorced and the papers are finalized and just being processed through the court. You meet someone and spend the night with him/her.

Evil: You cheat on your wife/husband just for the thrill of it, knowing that it'll destroy them emotionally.



Adultery has never been more attractive...


Why do you think people hold onto the concept of moral absolutes? Do you hold onto this idealogy? If so, why?