Wasn’t sure if this should go here or in the philosophy section, but here goes.
Basically, one of the biggest things I’ve had trouble with since leaving Christianity is justifying my actions. Before, when I needed to make an ethical decision, I would rely on the bible to tell me what to do. Or, if that failed, I’d ask someone more educated in the bible than me, and they’d tell me the “best” interpretation.
Now, I’m aware that the bible isn’t any better of an ethical system than anything else humans have come up with - probably worse, in a number of ways, seeing as it allows all kinds of things I would, at least in a gut response, see as atrocities. However, at least from the point of view of the people inside of their religion, they have a rock solid starting point.
I guess I’ve got my “shoulds” mixed up nowadays. I come to an argument on whether or not someone should do something or not do something(abortion, animal rights, lgbtq rights, racism, etc), and it seems like the best I have to contribute is “I personally like/don’t like that idea”. I’m aware that there are a number of different moral systems that aren’t necessarily religious(hedonism, utilitarianism, Kant’s theory, etc.), but I don’t feel at all qualified to just pick one arbitrarily and run with it. Would it ultimately be an emotion-based decision, going with the one that just makes me feel better about myself?
So anyways, for a TL;DR: how do each of you, personally, approach ethics? Do you adopt a certain system, or do you use a more cobbled together way of approaching things? How does one feel justified in applying their belief system to the world, if there’s no divine objectivity backing them up?
Basically, one of the biggest things I’ve had trouble with since leaving Christianity is justifying my actions. Before, when I needed to make an ethical decision, I would rely on the bible to tell me what to do. Or, if that failed, I’d ask someone more educated in the bible than me, and they’d tell me the “best” interpretation.
Now, I’m aware that the bible isn’t any better of an ethical system than anything else humans have come up with - probably worse, in a number of ways, seeing as it allows all kinds of things I would, at least in a gut response, see as atrocities. However, at least from the point of view of the people inside of their religion, they have a rock solid starting point.
I guess I’ve got my “shoulds” mixed up nowadays. I come to an argument on whether or not someone should do something or not do something(abortion, animal rights, lgbtq rights, racism, etc), and it seems like the best I have to contribute is “I personally like/don’t like that idea”. I’m aware that there are a number of different moral systems that aren’t necessarily religious(hedonism, utilitarianism, Kant’s theory, etc.), but I don’t feel at all qualified to just pick one arbitrarily and run with it. Would it ultimately be an emotion-based decision, going with the one that just makes me feel better about myself?
So anyways, for a TL;DR: how do each of you, personally, approach ethics? Do you adopt a certain system, or do you use a more cobbled together way of approaching things? How does one feel justified in applying their belief system to the world, if there’s no divine objectivity backing them up?
