Ethics

[Milk Sheikh]

This is not about religion. This is about how you'd find out what's the right thing to do at any given moment, how you distinguish right from wrong.

Let's say you're against discrimination in all its forms. Let's also say you abhor violence of any kind.

Now if a homophobe were to get beaten up by a bunch of people, would you defend him because you're against violence? Or, would you be okay with it since it's a bad person getting thrashed?:(

What is right?

[Revolution starts with U]

How is a homosexual a bad person merely because he's a homosexual?

Unless I misunderstood you, in which case I apologize.

And are you asking how do people in general decide right and wrong, or how do atheists decide right and wrong? I ask because I don't see why you had to point out this is not about religion.

[Milk Sheikh]

How is a homosexual a bad person merely because he's a homosexual?

Homophobe, not homosexual.


And are you asking how do people in general decide right and wrong, or how do atheists decide right and wrong? I ask because I don't see why you had to point out this is not about religion.

I mentioned it just to be on the safe side, you know, because some people may associate the two.

[#FF0000]

It kind of depends why the homophobe is being beaten up.

[Revolution starts with U]

Homophobe, not homosexual.



I mentioned it just to be on the safe side, you know, because some people may associate the two.

Apologies, I had just woke up. :lol:

If I see anybody getting jumped by multiple people I'm jumping in on his side, for sure.. even were it Hitler. People can and should be brought before the law, to be judged by their peers honestly, not knee jerk vigilantism.
Nor would I join in if me and a friend were arguing with a homophobe and my friend attacked him. In fact, I'd probably pull my friend off.
If it's just one guy fighting a homophobe, I'd probably let them go at it, until it started getting too dangerous (like one knocked out offering no resistance and the other still beating on him).
I find morals to be situational, but usually wanton violence should not be supported. Violence is great power, and with great power comes great responsiblity :lol:

[ComradeMan]

Apologies, I had just woke up. :lol:

If I see anybody getting jumped by multiple people I'm jumping in on his side, for sure.. even were it Hitler. People can and should be brought before the law, to be judged by their peers honestly, not knee jerk vigilantism.
Nor would I join in if me and a friend were arguing with a homophobe and my friend attacked him. In fact, I'd probably pull my friend off.
If it's just one guy fighting a homophobe, I'd probably let them go at it, until it started getting too dangerous (like one knocked out offering no resistance and the other still beating on him).
I find morals to be situational, but usually wanton violence should not be supported. Violence is great power, and with great power comes great responsiblity :lol:

I'd stick up for anyone I saw being beaten up by a gang- if the fight is fair i.e. one and one, well that's different.

I suppose it depends on the circumstances.

[RGacky3]

"when in doubt, don't be douchy"
"Do on to others as you had have done to you."

These are pretty much natural concepts most people have.

[F9]

This is not about religion. This is about how you'd find out what's the right thing to do at any given moment, how you distinguish right from wrong.

Let's say you're against discrimination in all its forms. Let's also say you abhor violence of any kind.

Now if a homophobe were to get beaten up by a bunch of people, would you defend him because you're against violence? Or, would you be okay with it since it's a bad person getting thrashed?:(

What is right?


No one said ethics is all about religion(did s/he?).
Religion can talk about ethics but ethics is also a big subject way bigger than religion.Religion can be one way for people to distinguish good from bad, ethical from unethical after what their god said.So indeed even in religion pov of ethics you can see what is good and wrong(not all the times and on all situations) and what is the right thing to do.
I have came across a number of "tendency" and ways of making that distinction, i was honestly though not completely satisfied by any of them but i seem to be finding myself to agree in lot parts with a tendency of ethics coming from a religious man(Kant) but he indeed explained ethics with no need to reference to "god" or any "above power".
But question is, you are asking just for this case on what is ethical, or are you after a complete system to help you distinguish good from bad?Cause in either case our answers have to be different.

Now on your case, i have set my own rules on what is ethical and what is not(something that can be found on Kants theory) and for me is wrong kicking someones ass by a lot of people.So I would consider that wrong.I wouldnt sheer a tear about though honestly neither would defend him but from the point i see this, i have to consider it wrong.Now if the guy was getting trashed by 1-2 people he offended, then not only i wont defend him but i actually see it as ok.

Now on your exact point, where i have to agree with both positions as seen any violence wrong and also any discrimination wrong, the actual answer is(clearly not mine) that any violence taken against the homophobe is wrong; and he should be faced against what he said/is with any other measure beside violence.

Ethics is a pretty complex subject but quite interesting(at least for me) there are issues that you may find yourself balancing between one decision that will seem to you both good or bad cause the standards that you said to yourself or the standards that you have adopted from someones else theory can become contradictory and its not as uncommon thing as someone may think.Its quite common actually.

Fuserg9:star:

[Leninade]

This is not about religion. This is about how you'd find out what's the right thing to do at any given moment, how you distinguish right from wrong.

Let's say you're against discrimination in all its forms. Let's also say you abhor violence of any kind.

Now if a homophobe were to get beaten up by a bunch of people, would you defend him because you're against violence? Or, would you be okay with it since it's a bad person getting thrashed?:(

What is right?

I have a hard time watching someone die solely because they're extremely stupid. It's an odd habit, or at least some people say it is. I would remove the people beating up the bigot.

Everyone has some basic value as a human being and there's some hope for everyone. I'm not completely above violence but I like to save it for special occasions - sometimes the idiot bigot will come back with a knife or a gun to get revenge and then you pretty much have to do some immediate and irreparable bodily harm.