The Glade 4.0

Gallup recently released the results of a poll that probed Americans' opinions on the morality of certain behaviors. How do your own views compare? (I've spoilered the actual poll results, so people can answer before seeing what Gallup found.)

Doctor assisted suicide: Morally Acceptable or Morally Wrong?

Gay or lesbian relations: Morally Acceptable or Morally Wrong?

Abortion: Morally Acceptable or Morally Wrong?

Having a baby outside of marriage: Morally Acceptable or Morally Wrong?

Sex between an unmarried man and woman: Morally Acceptable or Morally Wrong?

Buying and wearing clothing made of animal fur: Morally Acceptable or Morally Wrong?

Medical testing on animals: Morally Acceptable or Morally Wrong?

Gambling: Morally Acceptable or Morally Wrong?

Medical research using stem cells obtained from human embryos: Morally Acceptable or Morally Wrong?

Cloning animals: Morally Acceptable or Morally Wrong?

The death penalty: Morally Acceptable or Morally Wrong?

Divorce: Morally Acceptable or Morally Wrong?

Suicide: Morally Acceptable or Morally Wrong?

Cloning humans: Morally Acceptable or Morally Wrong?

Polygamy, when one husband has more than one wife at the same time: Morally Acceptable or Morally Wrong?

Married men and women having an affair: Morally Acceptable or Morally Wrong?

My answers are:

Doctor assisted suicide: Morally Acceptable (assuming incurable illness)

Gay or lesbian relations: Morally Acceptable

Abortion: Morally Acceptable (prior to brain development; later only for health/safety)

Having a baby outside of marriage: Morally Acceptable

Sex between an unmarried man and woman: Morally Acceptable

Buying and wearing clothing made of animal fur: Morally Wrong (if for fashion and obtained inhumanely)

Medical testing on animals: Morally Acceptable (if necessary for compelling research)

Gambling: Morally Acceptable

Medical research using stem cells obtained from human embryos: Morally Acceptable

Cloning animals: Morally Acceptable

The death penalty: Morally Wrong (assuming imperfect justice system)

Divorce: Morally Acceptable

Suicide: Morally Wrong (assuming depression-related)

Cloning humans: Morally Acceptable (assuming the tech works right)

Polygamy, when one husband has more than one wife at the same time: Morally Acceptable

Married men and women having an affair: Morally Wrong

Does the answer of "its up the individuals involved" equate to a Morally Right vote or a morally wrong vote, since the action might be one I wouldn't support for myself if involved, but don't care if others chose differently? Difference between personal and societal morality?

Doctor assisted suicide: Suicide is an individual choice, and probably better carried out in a controlled environment, such as by a doctor, instead of jumping in front of train, or death by cop, etc.

Gay or lesbian relations: Up to the individuals involved, but the actions of individuals related to this topic are annoying as sin and cause shifts they don't intend.

Abortion: Lack of information and different situations that alter the answer.

Having a baby outside of marriage: Up to the individuals.

Sex between an unmarried man and woman: Up to the individuals.

Buying and wearing clothing made of animal fur: Up to the individuals, but in some cases, there are practicality issues that often get overlooked by the PETA types.

Medical testing on animals: Too wide a spectrum with just that phrasing. There are limits to what I would and would not support.

Gambling: Up to the individual. Its their money.

Medical research using stem cells obtained from human embryos: Again, this is a wide spectrum with limits to what I would support. Besides, recently been reading that embryonic stem cells have a decent chance of actually being cancerous when used as a treatment, where as using stem cells that have already taken on a function do not, and seem to be providing better results in things like regrowth nerve tissue.

Cloning animals: We clone plants... no one cares.

The death penalty: Morally Acceptable

Divorce: Morally Acceptable

Suicide: Morally Acceptable

Cloning humans: I don't know.

Polygamy, when one husband has more than one wife at the same time: Up to the individuals

Married men and women having an affair: Up to the individuals

The published poll doesn't really specify, at least not that I saw. My answers were based on my personal moral sense, though not necessarily what my own choice would be. For instance, I have zero moral objection to homosexual relations, but I'm hetero, so I wouldn't choose to engage in them.

Doctor assisted suicide: Morally wrong. My jury's still out on pulling the plug on life support.

Gay or lesbian relations: Sinful, but none of my (or the law's) business. I don't know how you'd consider that, morally.

Abortion: Morally wrong, though I'm still waffling on rape.

Having a baby outside of marriage: Morally wrong, but less so than aborting.

Sex between an unmarried man and woman: Morally wrong.

Buying and wearing clothing made of animal fur: Morally acceptable.

Medical testing on animals: Morally acceptable, though efforts should be made to be humane.

Gambling: Morally acceptable, not always responsible.

Medical research using stem cells obtained from human embryos: Morally wrong.

Cloning animals: Morally wrong.

The death penalty: Morally acceptable.

Divorce: Complicated. Can be either, depending on the circumstances. I.e., I think it has morally acceptable circumstances, but has broadened beyond them.

Suicide: Morally wrong.

Cloning humans: Morally wrong.

Polygamy, when one husband has more than one wife at the same time: Morally wrong.

Married men and women having an affair: Morally wrong.

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"Aaaah! Emotions are weird!" - Amdee
"... Mirrorshades prevent the forces of normalcy from realizing that one is crazed and possibly dangerous. They are the symbol of the sun-staring visionary, the biker, the rocker, the policeman, and similar outlaws." - Bruce Sterling, preface to Mirrorshades

Doctor assisted suicide: Morally Acceptable

Gay or lesbian relations: Morally Acceptable

Abortion: Morally Acceptable

Having a baby outside of marriage: Morally Acceptable

Sex between an unmarried man and woman: Morally Acceptable

Buying and wearing clothing made of animal fur: Morally Acceptable

Medical testing on animals: Morally Acceptable

Gambling: Morally Acceptable

Medical research using stem cells obtained from human embryos: Morally Acceptable

Cloning animals: Morally Acceptable

The death penalty: Morally Acceptable but practically wrong because of limitations in our legal system

Divorce: Morally Acceptable

Suicide: Morally Acceptable but unfortunate and should attempt to be prevented

Cloning humans: Morally Acceptable

Polygamy, when one husband has more than one wife at the same time: Morally Acceptable

Married men and women having an affair: Morally Wrong from the standpoint of a betrayal of trust.

Great questions, RD. I'm going to decline to go on record with these, though.

Doctor assisted suicide: Wrong
Gay or lesbian relations: Acceptable
Abortion: Wrong
Having a baby outside of marriage: Acceptable
Sex between an unmarried man and woman: Acceptable
Buying and wearing clothing made of animal fur: Wrong
Medical testing on animals: Acceptable (for certain animals that are genetically close enough to humans to mean anything. aka don't just torture monkeys)
Gambling: Acceptable
Medical research using stem cells obtained from human embryos: Wrong (Weird how most felt abortion was wrong but using their stem cells was thumbs up, people are retards)
Cloning animals: Acceptable
The death penalty: Wrong (common theme, taking any life is wrong...)
Divorce: Acceptable
Suicide: Wrong
Cloning humans: Acceptable (cloning humans is fine so long as they are treated as humans)
Polygamy, when one husband has more than one wife at the same time: Wrong
Married men and women having an affair: Wrong

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Doctor assisted suicide: Acceptable
Gay or lesbian relations: Acceptable
Abortion: Acceptable
Having a baby outside of marriage: Acceptable
Sex between an unmarried man and woman: Acceptable
Buying and wearing clothing made of animal fur: Acceptable
Medical testing on animals: Depends if they're cute
Gambling: Acceptable
Stem cells obtained from human embryos: Acceptable
Cloning animals: Acceptable
The death penalty: Acceptable
Divorce: Acceptable
Suicide: Wrong
Cloning humans: Acceptable
Polygamy: Acceptable
Married men and women having an affair: Wrong

Can we do the IQ poll next?

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The Dude abides.

Doctor assisted suicide: Not a black and White issue. It has to be based on the conditions for the patient, etc.

Gay or lesbian relations: Morally Acceptable

Abortion: Not a black and white issue

Having a baby outside of marriage: Morally Acceptable

Sex between an unmarried man and woman: Morally Acceptable over and over and over again.

Buying and wearing clothing made of animal fur: Morally Wrong. If you hunt the animal yourself and have the clothes made... cool. But please use the animal and do not waste it.

Medical testing on animals: Morally Acceptable

Gambling: Morally Acceptable

Medical research using stem cells obtained from human embryos: Morally Acceptable. The embryos are not being harvested just for this... they are being harvested for other purposes too, so no life is wasted.

Cloning animals: Morally Acceptable

The death penalty: Morally Acceptable

Divorce: Not a black and white issue.

Suicide: Morally Wrong

Cloning humans: Not a black and white issue

Polygamy, when one husband has more than one wife at the same time: Morally Acceptable, just not for me.

Married men and women having an affair: Morally Wrong. Open marriage is fine if both partners consent, but an outright affair is wrong.

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Darksiege
Traveller, Calé, Whisperer
Lead me not into temptation; for I know a shortcut

...

That's a funny series of questions and an even funnier series of responses.

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My morals:

Doctor assisted suicide: Morally Acceptable - If a person can choose DNR status, why not let them choose when they are capable and not leave it up to familes who are unable to let go and keep you "alive"

Gay or lesbian relations: Morally Acceptable

Abortion: Morally Acceptable or Morally Wrong? not as a means for birth control, but in certain controlled situations; mom health in danger, birth defects in baby.

Having a baby outside of marriage: Morally Wrong for the majority of the time, but..there are certain situations when a single mom with the right support system is able to handle having a baby and take care of it.

Sex between an unmarried man and woman: Morally Acceptable

Buying and wearing clothing made of animal fur: Morally Wrong - Why do we need to wear animal fun? We have all of the resources to keep warm, it's not needed.

Medical testing on animals: Morally Acceptable in certain situations with tighter controls. Animals should not suffer for stupid projects.

Gambling: Morally Acceptable

Medical research using stem cells obtained from human embryos: Morally Acceptable - Stem cells can be obtained from "products of conception" miscarriages that occur naturally, why shouldn't those be used for research? Along the same lines as Gift of Life, the choice could be made at the time.

Cloning animals: Morally Acceptable - I would love to have a clone of my childhood dog =) Best dog in the world!

The death penalty: Morally Acceptable - Eye for an Eye

Divorce: Morally Acceptable - Well...my answer has since changed.. before I would have said you should do everything in your power to work things out, but sometimes you are not given the options to do this.

Suicide: Morally Wrong

Cloning humans: Morally Acceptable or Morally Wrong -depends on why you would clone...cloning body parts? yes..

Polygamy, when one husband has more than one wife at the same time: Morally Wrong - I don't like to share.

Married men and women having an affair: Morally Wrong - ABSOLUTELY WRONG

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Dream as if you'll live forever...
...Live as if you'll die tomorrow

Vivere Senza Rimpianti

There is a distinction that needs to be drawn between morally acceptable and morally acceptable to legislate.

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Ezekiel 23:19-20 

How does that pertain to this thread?

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"Hysterical children shrieking about right-wing anything need to go sit in the corner and be quiet while the adults are talking."

I think the thread is ultimately meaningless since responses will implicitly assume one of two competing schools of metaphysical thought without entertaining that neither is necessarily absolute or correct.

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Shhhh!

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Moral realism and moral relativism?

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Sail forth! steer for the deep waters only!
Reckless, O soul, exploring, I with thee, and thou with me;
For we are bound where mariner has not yet dared to go,
And we will risk the ship, ourselves and all.

Sometimes Khross, the questions aren't as deep and detailed as you think they are. I don't think anyone believes that these questions are the end all be all answer.

Stathol:

Yes.

Aizle:

I said nothing about the questions. I said something about the answers.

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I can really only speak for myself, but I don't think anyone is answering these as absolutes.

Phrase subordination is apparently difficult. Nothing in this statement indicates that the responses are absolute. It simply states that the binary nature of the questions requires responses either be a statement of Moral Relativism or Moral Realism.

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Doctor assisted suicide: Acceptable
Gay or lesbian relations: Acceptable
Abortion: Wrong
Having a baby outside of marriage: Acceptable
Sex between an unmarried man and woman: Acceptable
Buying and wearing clothing made of animal fur: Acceptable
Medical testing on animals: Acceptable
Gambling: Acceptable
Stem cells obtained from human embryos: Acceptable (so long as not gathered explicitly for this purpose)
Cloning animals: Acceptable
The death penalty: Acceptable
Divorce: Acceptable
Suicide: Acceptable
Cloning humans: Acceptable
Polygamy: Acceptable
Married men and women having an affair: Wrong

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"...but there exists also in the human heart a depraved taste for equality, which impels the weak to attempt to lower the powerful to their own level and reduces men to prefer equality in slavery to inequality with freedom." - De Tocqueville

Doctor assisted suicide: Jury's still out on this one for me, but I'm leaning towards Morally Wrong

Gay or lesbian relations: Morally Wrong, but it's none of my business what you do.

Abortion: This one's far to broad to answer.

Having a baby outside of marriage: Again, this one is pretty broad, but generally Morally Wrong.

Sex between an unmarried man and woman: Morally Wrong, but again it's none of my business.

Buying and wearing clothing made of animal fur: Morally Acceptable

Medical testing on animals: Morally Acceptable, with the caveat that it depends on exactly what kind of testing and it's effects.

Gambling: Depending on situation, Morally Acceptable.

Medical research using stem cells obtained from human embryos: Morally Wrong.

Cloning animals: Morally Acceptable, with certain restrictions.

The death penalty: Morally Acceptable.

Divorce: Morally Acceptable, but for many cases now it's Morally Wrong.

Suicide: Morally Wrong.

Cloning humans: Morally Wrong?

Polygamy, when one husband has more than one wife at the same time: Morally Acceptable as long as all parties want it.

Married men and women having an affair: Morally Wrong

I'm gonna answer this in regards to myself, as what other people does, is mostly none of my business.

Doctor assisted suicide: Morally acceptable

Gay or lesbian relations: Morally acceptable

Abortion: Morally wrong

Having a baby outside of marriage: Morally wrong

Sex between an unmarried man and woman: Morally acceptable

Buying and wearing clothing made of animal fur: Morally Acceptable

Medical testing on animals: Morally Acceptable because testing on people is worse.

Gambling: Morally wrong

Medical research using stem cells obtained from human embryos: Morally acceptable, provided they are disgarded/miscarried, etc

Cloning animals: Morally Acceptable

The death penalty: Morally wrong.

Divorce: Morally wrong, but sometimes it's out of your control

Suicide: Morally Wrong.

Cloning humans: Morally acceptable

Polygamy, when one husband has more than one wife at the same time: Morally wrong

Married men and women having an affair: Morally Wrong