(January 24, 2015 at 6:17 am)robvalue Wrote: Lek: Would you mind giving your reasons as to why you think the moral teachings you mentioned aren't obvious? I have never taken any interest in Christianity until recently, and I've never even considered adultery and I think I'm very good at seperating people from actions. I've never been divorced either, but I've always known it should be a last resort.I think they're not obvious because of the number of people who actually ignore them. I was browsing an article a day or two ago where the writer was urging people to get out of relationships that were causing them not to be happy. That's okay if you're not married. Many people today don't recognize there to be any real commitment in marriage. When it gets rough they get out. In marriage we initiate a contract in which we commit ourselves to each other for life. It's a legal and moral contract. If we purposely break that contract, it's not just a legal wrongdoing but a moral one as well. If you make a promise to someone and then renege on it, you're being immoral.
"Love your enemies" is even more disregarded. When you love someone, you want the best for them. Who actually desires the best for their enemies? That doesn't mean that you are to let them walk all over you. A guy stole my wallet a few months ago and caused me countless problems by using my credit cards. He's now in jail for that and a bunch of other stuff. He properly belongs in jail, but I'm having a bit of a problem hoping that rather than just be punished, he will actually turn his life around and have a rewarding life.
Anyway, it seems most people look at personal happiness as trumping real morality.
