I completely agree.

For example, knowing what I know now, I feel morally obligated to adopt shelter animals where before I would drag home any pet from anywhere - breeders, pet shops, etc.

I cannot judge my prior or current actions in any religious context. And others surely wonder what difference it makes one way or the other. It's not an issue of morality at all to some.


In my head, it's the right thing to do.

And congrats on the kids.

Defining love according to whose comprehension of the word or emotion?
That is truly a dilemma in itself...

The Bible: No man hath greater love for his brother than we gives his life to save him.

Love is simply the emotion of feelings of compassion, understanding, tolerance, and being able to act upon these when someone is in need. We are defined by our emotions but more so by our character. The difference between right and wrong, if stealing is wrong and you know it is, but yet you still act...that is a moral question.

God made the Ten Commandments, man has made over 10,000 laws to keep us from breaking the original 10.
Moral tupitude seems to be based on one's interpretation at any given time:
I'm married I will not cheat on my spouse...but I will go to Hooligan's and watch the strippers. Goes back to the original Ten.

A very controversy subject, but it has to be taught, if not by parents, then by other's that come into one's life...parents pipeling drugs, children see this and think this is the norm. A teacher or other has a chance to explain that this is wrong, legally and religiously...'that which harms to body'.

Is it not the responsibility of us all to keep children safe until they are old enough to make decisions...even if those choices are not always the right ones? Morality is not a religious condition but the acceptance of what society perceives as being right from wrong. Some will say, it is ok to cheat on your spouse, others will say no, that's why you married to have that one person, etc.

How many 15 year old virgins do you know? Why? The concept of what is morally accepted, or abstinence has yet to be taught? To force a religion upon a person I feel is wrong, some do not...yet God gave us the choice way back when Adam and Eve were walking in that garden naked. She made a choice, Adam made a choice...did morality have anything to do with their choices?

Ok, I'm really getting off the soap box now?

Ok...I'll just get off the soapbox...lol

I'm getting back on my soapbox.

This thread is all about morality right?

So exactly what is morality? To me it's about having a conscience. To do the right thing. To never want to be the cause of any mental or physical discomfort to another (whether it be animal, or human).

In my humble opinion, morality cannot exist without empathy. You CAN live without love in your life. Many people never experience this emotion. Many people do not know what love is. No one ever loved them, and they have never loved anyone else.

But it starts with EMPATHY. If a person never learns to feel empathy, that person can never grow into a moral person.

To know right from wrong is one thing, and while some people can't distinguish it, they CAN LEARN the true meaning of right and wrong. They can go to life skills classes, they can be taught "you do not behave in this way, it's considered inappropriate". And then, if that person disregards those teachings, and can't put himself in another person's place, then that person cannot identify with the word EMPATHY, and therefore that person will do whatever he wants in life, and anyone who gets in their way, well, it's just too bad.

Empathy, to me, is the single most important emotion that we can have. It makes us better human beings. It teaches us about others. We can look at our actions and say "will my doing this have any negative impact on another person's life"?

Now sometimes we make mistakes. That is what makes us a human being.

But when we see that mistake, and we apologize and we try our darndest not to do it again, BECAUSE WE LEARNED FROM THAT MISTAKE, (and if that mistake caused sorry and hurt feelings in another person, and we then say to ourselves 'wow, I just hurt that person, I was wrong", well that alone separates the human being from the snake.

Do you see where I'm going with this?

I am seeing less and less of "Wow, I really screwed up, and I hurt that person, let me go over to them and say "I'm so sorry, I really am"

I AM SEEING MORE AND MORE OF "Oh, you're feelings are hurt??, well then you are too sensitive".

A perfect example was something my mother did (when she was in her 60's). To put it mildly, she was NOT he most tactful person in the world. What was on her mind was then on her lips. I never understood this.

One day, (she lived in Florida and my parents were trying to sell their house).

The real estate person bought in a 70 year old couple to look at the house.

What did my mother say to the wife? SIT DOWN FOR THIS ONE!!

My mother blurted out: "why on earth do you want to buy a house at your age, YOU'RE OLD".

The couple immediately walked out, my parents lost a potential sale, and my father wanted to kill my mother.

I said to her (when my father called me and told me what happened). I said "Mom, why did you say this to that lady"?

Her response: "What did I do wrong, I simply told the truth".

When people think like this, they lack the empathy to put themselves in another person's shoes.

When people continue to behave in this fashion, well, the world won't be a better place.

We all need to remember to watch what comes out of our mouths. Even if we think it's the truth, it JUST MIGHT NOT BE MORALLY RIGHT TO SAY SO.

Just my opinion.

I shall also get off MY soapbox.

lol