For haphazard were we born .....

Originally posted by David C
Nonsense. He's merely demonstrating that morality is ever-changing, and judging the morality of the Dark Ages (derived ENTIRELY from the christian bible, I'll remind you) by today's moral standards. Unenlightened they were, wouldn't you agree? If you don't, I'll have you burnt at the stake, BTW.

He's merely demonstrating that morality is ever-changing...

Then he (and you) has no way of knowing that he is right. If morality is an ever-changing maelstrom of emotional/rational guesswork, the words "right" and "wrong" hold no value other than voicing the fashionable preference of the time. And like fashions, you can't find one superior to the other -- unless it bares more skin.

(derived ENTIRELY from the christian bible, I'll remind you)

Puleeese! Lets see... "love your neighbour as yourself -- unless he's a Saracen, in which case: kill the b@stard!". I've given the one contrary example to prove your universal statement wrong. There are many more where that came from.

Unenlightened they were, wouldn't you agree? If you don't, I'll have you burnt at the stake, BTW.

Careful. You're again straying towards an absolute moral standard.

Originally posted by Bosse de Nage
You don't have to be amoral to make an accurate observation! As for his evident moral outrage, he can justify it for himself.

You don't have to be amoral to make an accurate observation!

It's not getting through; let me try shouting it: YOU NEED AN ABSOLUTE POINT OF REFERENCE TO MAKE AN ACCURATE OBSERVATION!!!

Originally posted by Halitose
[b]You don't have to be amoral to make an accurate observation!

It's not getting through; let me try shouting it: YOU NEED AN ABSOLUTE POINT OF REFERENCE TO MAKE AN ACCURATE OBSERVATION!!![/b]

You're getting frustrated with me--is that accurate?

Originally posted by Bosse de Nage
You're getting frustrated with me--is that accurate?

c:\Aaarrrrrghhh!!!!

Error. Bad command or file name.

c:\BdN_is_the_pimple_on_the_face_of_this_forum.exe

File updated to pockmark.exe

c:\

EDIT: I'm sorry. I'm feeling particularly mischievous today. Take it all with a little levity.

Originally posted by Halitose
c:\Aaarrrrrghhh!!!!

Error. Bad command or file name.

c:\BdN_is_the_pimple_on_the_face_of_this_forum.exe

File updated to pockmark.exe

c:\

EDIT: I'm sorry. I'm feeling particularly mischievous today. Take it all with a little levity.

Your observation is inaccurate. I am but one pimple in a forum scarred with acne.

Originally posted by Bosse de Nage
Your observation is inaccurate. I am but one pimple in a forum scarred with acne.

Halitose - A guy with too much bark than bite: bambi on testosterone... 😉

Originally posted by Halitose
Halitose - A guy with too much bark than bite: bambi on testosterone... 😉

Getting back to this, your sound-bark--

YOU NEED AN ABSOLUTE POINT OF REFERENCE TO MAKE AN ACCURATE OBSERVATION--

as far as I know, it is impossible to have an absolute point of reference because of the observer effect.

Originally posted by Bosse de Nage
Getting back to this, your sound-bark--

YOU NEED AN ABSOLUTE POINT OF REFERENCE TO MAKE AN ACCURATE OBSERVATION--

as far as I know, it is impossible to have an absolute point of reference because of the observer effect.

Einstein's Theory of Relativity relates to physics, not ethics.

Originally posted by Halitose
Einstein's Theory of Relativity relates to physics, not ethics.

Run me through your ethical decision-making process. Could you give me a real-life example of a situation where you had to make a (preferably difficult) moral choice?

Originally posted by Halitose
Einstein's Theory of Relativity relates to physics, not ethics.

It occurs to me that you're quite happy to talk about the ethical ramifications of Darwin's theory, but Einstein's doesn't count. Interesting. Be that as it may--I hold that a person's relative position in space and time does indeed affect their moral choices, given that their unique position in the continuum implies a unique moral choice for every given situation. In other words, your choices are never identical. Now you can apply a general rule to a particular situation, but you have to take the particular circumstances of each case into account.

Perhaps this is neither here nor there. How does a conscience operate?

Originally posted by Halitose
Einstein's Theory of Relativity relates to physics, not ethics.

And Darwin's relates to speciation, not ethics.

Come on Ivanhoe, you can't have lost interest already.