Ethical/Moral code

Stabshauptmann

Ive been thinking alot recently about right and wrong. A friend put me on the spot lately and asked what exactly I did think was wrong and I couldnt.

I've been trying to see how I fit in to what ever ethical yard sticks I could find;

I wouldnt be the best for obeying the laws of the land if they dont suit me, nothing serious - the usual things we all do but dont see as wrong.

From the 10 commandments theres only two that I would really feel bound by, the idea that Id endure eternal damnation for preparing food on the sabbath is a bit out dated.

The 7 deadly sins from Catholic dogma actually contains what I would consider a virtue - Pride.

And Im only vaguly aware that buddhism would encourage me to live a life without desire.

So can I ask you, what guidelines to you follow, and how important are they to you?

Basically I think something balances my life out, I pay the price when I do bad and am rewared when I do good; I just cant put my finger on what counts as either.

stevenmu

My parents are only vaguely catholic and the only real catholic value they would have taught me is the whole 'do unto others as you would have done unto yourself' thing, which is of course very similar to rules/guidelines in other religions too. That's really stuck with me, and when I'm trying to judge if something is right or wrong I think about how it'd make me feel.

It's not a perfect system by any means, one fault being that I often view things much differently to other people. For e.g. I often see people on boards getting hugely offended over the slightest remark, or getting very emotional over jokes about controversial issues (I won't mention any or the thread will just go way off-topic). These are things which wouldn't bother me in the slightest so I'm left kind of unsure are the remarks/jokes 'wrong' or are the people who take offense 'wrong' for getting all worked up over what I see as nothing.

It also falls pretty flat for grey issues or when it comes to choosing the lesser of two evils. A good boards.ie example is the recent discussion on nuclear power, which of course can cause some pretty horrific tragedies. On the other hand if/when the oil runs out and we can no longer produce and distribute as much food and medical supplies, that'll be pretty horrific too, so is nuclear power right or wrong ?

Still, even with it's faults, it's the best system I can think of.

hairyheretic

When I was about 16 or so, I decided that honour would be the guiding force in my life. Probably came of reading too much fantasy at an impressionable age

As an asatruar, I try to live by the 9 noble virtues.

Courage
Truth
Honour
Fidelity (loyalty)
Hospitality
Discipline
Industriousness
Self-Reliance
Perserverence