Sunday, July 03, 2005

Moral Relativism

The problem plaguing the Bush administration and its supporters...Republicans, evangelist Christians, deep social conservatives...is that they are trying to straddle the highway of morality and they've got both feet in the ditch. On the one side, domestically, they're pushing moral absolutes...Texas hangman's justice, the so-called sacredness of life (Terri Schiavo), anti-abortion, anti-gay...there must be more but I can't think of it right now. And on the other side, mostly international, they're sinking in the moral quagmire of war in Iraq, war on terrorism, neglect of Africa, politics of oil, politics of the Middle East, war on the liberties of their own citizens.

These are the same people. It's a disgrace to let Terri Schiavo die, but not such a big deal for millions of Africans to die of AIDs. Gay marriage is an abomination, but bombination of children in Baghdad is OK.

It's impossible to square this circle. What is absolute about morality? Murder is wrong. But state murder is OK? Even the Buddha, in a previous incarnation, killed in order to prevent the death of 500 others. The key was in his knowledge, his motivation, and the acceptance of the consequences. What Republican has that much insight?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I could make a huge list of anti's that Bush is against ranging from health care, stem cell rearch to Cuba. But dear Larry, you have just been added to the list. Even daring to question republican convictions and deep thinking wisdom lands you in the anti catergory. Your posts are now being examined daily by home security,

Safe to say Bush is anti-Larry.

Larry Keiler said...

Lucky I'm only an obscure blogette in Lunchbucket ON.

Help! I've written and I can't get up!