Christian Self-censorship of Dirty Words

[brewer]

Re first paragraph: 

Yes, if we consider that something done mentally can be an "action," then I agree that making a conscious decision to fantasize about killing someone is a mental action. But I would also say that making the conscious decision to dehumanize another person is as well. My point is that they both say something about the type of people we are without any sort of outward act. 

I feel like some people criticize Christianity for "thought crime". But if you could read someone's mind, would you also not use that information to make a judgement on the type of people that they are? 

It is also important to differentiate between a thought that pops into your head, and then you choosing to dwell on it. If I see someone who is severely unattractive and the thought "wow, that person is ugly" pops into my head, that alone is not what we would consider immoral. Because you can't help thoughts that pop into your mind. The sin would come when I choose to dwell on it, thus taking the humanity out of the person in my mind and just viewing them as this thing to be scrutinized, perhaps using them to make myself feel better about the way I look. 

...Getting back to the original subject of sexual lust in our minds, dehumanizing someone sexually would work the same way. Thinking "wow she's super sexy" about a woman who just walked into the room isn't a sin. Feeling sexual attraction for her is not a sin. The sin comes when you make the conscious choice to dwell on it. Perhaps undressing her in your mind and fantasizing about having sex with her so that you can get off to it later. You don't know if she wants to be pictured naked or if she wants to be fantasized about having sex with. But you don't care. At that point you have turned her into a sexual object in your mind, using her for your own gratification, even though she is a full human being and there is so much more to her than that.    

Re second paragraph:

Though I do believe  morality is objective, I am not trying to bring that into the discussion. I'm just trying to explain how I believe something can be immoral while still being normal behavior. Or why normal behavior doesn't necessarily make the behavior moral. I'm sure you think it's wrong to yell at someone who has nothing to do with the reason you are upset/stressed. Wouldn't you say that's both normal, though not a moral thing to do? Both at the same time?

Re First: Sorry, can't see sexual fantasy as amoral. Not all fantasy is dehumanizing. If you tell them about the fantasy and how you use it, may be then.  

Re Second: Yelling, while it may not be socially correct and something I may need to apologize for, again not amoral. Just a poor way of communicating. 

So is anything that creates a regret an amoral act/thought?