Love and Common Sense vs. Rule and Religious Tradition

[The Middle]

I have a question concerning an issue that I'm sure comes up in many different religions:

How do you make moral decisions? Let's say that a situation comes up in which there are several different possible courses of action: Course A is what feels like the loving thing to do and which seems to make sense. But course B represents the rule according to the sacred text and the religious tradition. What do you do?

 

[Quagmire]

I think this comes down to a choice between following the letter of the law and the spirit of the law, and IMO, the spirit is always more important.

In fact I would say that a big part of Jesus' ministry and message, as well as Paul's, was meant to stress the spirit over the letter; "the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" for instance.

Without the spirit, the Law is dead.

 

[Oberon]

I have a question concerning an issue that I'm sure comes up in many different religions:

How do you make moral decisions? Let's say that a situation comes up in which there are several different possible courses of action: Course A is what feels like the loving thing to do and which seems to make sense. But course B represents the rule according to the sacred text and the religious tradition. What do you do?

Personal morality is based on cultural norms and familial upbringing, which are themselves based on religious texts/beliefs (either directly or indirectly). "The loving thing to do" would not be deemed "moral" by many, many cultures, unless it related to "my tribe/clan/family/nation." To many cultures throughout history, the way to deal with "outsiders" was to kill or enslave them. This is the "norm." Only a few moral systems have allowed a status of "human" for outsiders.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

How do you make moral decisions? Let's say that a situation comes up in which there are several different possible courses of action: Course A is what feels like the loving thing to do and which seems to make sense. But course B represents the rule according to the sacred text and the religious tradition. What do you do?

Hmm, I guess it depends on which decision allows me to be more judgmental and gives me a greater sense of smug self-righteousness.

 

[MSizer]

There are many factors for which one makes a moral decision. One of them that nobody seems acknowledge is the lymbic system (the "reptilian brain" it's often called). It's the part of our brain beneath the cerebral cortex. It contains most of what we share with other animal's brains. Therefore, it is essentially the part of the brain which controls your emotions and some autonomic functions too (although many of those are handled by the brain stem and spinal cord). When a person's lymbic system is stimulated by magnetic pulses, s/he often "changes his/her mind" about his or her moral opinions. So, if I ask you whether hurting people should be avoided, you probably would say "yes". Then, if you put a helmet on that sends magnetic pulses into your lymbic system, you're 25% more likely to say "no" (until you take the helmet off again). Tack on your higher congnitive functions (thank you cerebreal cortex) and your cultural upbringing, and voila, a highly complex mix of ingredients which in the end give you your moral sense. It has much less to do with religion or even exposure to moral philosophy than people seem to think. The proof of that is in the cross-cultural experiments by Hauser and Singer, where everybody answers the same way, in the same proportions, despite various cultural and religious backgrounds.

 

[Madhuri]

I have a question concerning an issue that I'm sure comes up in many different religions:

How do you make moral decisions? Let's say that a situation comes up in which there are several different possible courses of action: Course A is what feels like the loving thing to do and which seems to make sense. But course B represents the rule according to the sacred text and the religious tradition. What do you do?

I go with my heart and intelligence. There's a reason that I am spiritual and not religious.

 

[anupj]

when certain situation arises, i weigh both actions in terms of righteousness, and follow that action which is right.
lord krishna has said, you should be aware of your dharma in the given situation, and act according to it. And dharma is higher than any principles, promises, and rules.

here dharma roughly refers to duty.

 

[TheKnight]

I have a question concerning an issue that I'm sure comes up in many different religions:

How do you make moral decisions? Let's say that a situation comes up in which there are several different possible courses of action: Course A is what feels like the loving thing to do and which seems to make sense. But course B represents the rule according to the sacred text and the religious tradition. What do you do?

I doubt there is such a situation, but in that case it would make more sense to follow the rules. Love, believe it or not, is just an emotion. It should have no bearing on making logical decisions. That being said, if it comes down to an emotional argument or a rational one, the rational one wins.

 

[Madhuri]

I doubt there is such a situation, but in that case it would make more sense to follow the rules. Love, believe it or not, is just an emotion. It should have no bearing on making logical decisions. That being said, if it comes down to an emotional argument or a rational one, the rational one wins.

I do not agree that love is an emotion. Love is much, much deeper then that.

 

[TheKnight]

I do not agree that love is an emotion. Love is much, much deeper then that.

I suppose. But I don't think it should take precedence to obedience of the law. There are, of course, plenty of quotes one could show me from my own belief system that contradict such an idea.

 

[Madhuri]

I suppose. But I don't think it should take precedence to obedience of the law. There are, of course, plenty of quotes one could show me from my own belief system that contradict such an idea.

Yeh but we aren't talking about government law, we are talking baout rules and traditions in religion. I guess the question is asking if our feelings in a aprticular situation go against the religious teaching, would you follow your heart or go by the rule that feels very wrong?

 

[TheKnight]

Yeh but we aren't talking about government law, we are talking baout rules and traditions in religion. I guess the question is asking if our feelings in a aprticular situation go against the religious teaching, would you follow your heart or go by the rule that feels very wrong?

The logical option would be to go by the teaching. After all, if we let our feelings get in the way every time we made moral decisions, then our morality would start to become what we like and feel like as opposed to what's right.

 

[AlsoAnima]

When you are forced to choose between doing what is legal, or what is expected, or what is tradition and doings what is right, you should always do what is right.

 

[jennadp1216]

The logical option would be to go by the teaching. After all, if we let our feelings get in the way every time we made moral decisions, then our morality would start to become what we like and feel like as opposed to what's right.

If we didnt let our feelings get in the way then we wouldn't be making a decision, we would be following a rule. We were given free will to make decisions for ourselves, what better way to make a decision for ourselves then to grasp it from our feelings and emotions. But then again, i'm not one for following rules just because I was told that they're supposed to be right.

 

[Evee]

I guess if you don't believe the rules are from a good source, made for your own good, then there isn't much incentive to follow them, is there, Jennadp?
But if you start from the premise that the rules were handed down from G-d, created with our best interests at heart, then it makes a lot of sense to follow them.

Our emotions do get the better of us sometimes and what seems like a great idea can actually be our emotions masking a disaster waiting to happen. If you ever find the law leading you away from what seems to be a loving and harmless path, you need to reconsider your ideas of "loving" and "harmless" and examine the situation you're in. Did you get there following the Law, or have you been off the path for a while?

Fundamentally, I believe that the Torah will always lead me to what's best for me, a way to live in harmony with my true soul. I'm much more fallible.

 

[jennadp1216]

I guess if you don't believe the rules are from a good source, made for your own good, then there isn't much incentive to follow them, is there, Jennadp?

I guess what i'm getting at is who's to say what source is right? If you feel positive that the source you're following the rules from is the correct source, then by all means, follow it.

 

[Herr Heinrich]

I would have to say love and reason should be the driving force in decisions.

 

[Madhuri]

I guess the answer really depends on the situation. But generally speaking, if you feel very strongly about something it's probably worth going aganist social norms or law to do what you believe is right. I know I would.

 

[Evee]

I guess what i'm getting at is who's to say what source is right? If you feel positive that the source you're following the rules from is the correct source, then by all means, follow it.

I agree. It's about finding the rules that are right. But if you've found that set of rules, then I don't see how you could do anything but follow them.

 

[Light On]

Non-denominational I believe it can be formed according to beliefs?? Someone enlighten me.