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The Instigator
SweetBags
Pro (for)
Winning
55 Points
The Contender
Solarman1969
Con (against)
Losing
21 Points

Morality is subjective

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Started: 4/2/2008 Category: Politics
Updated: 7 months ago Status: Voting Period
Viewed: 474 times Debate No: 3491
Debate Rounds (4)
Comments (69)
Votes (24)

 

SweetBags

Pro

Solarman said that morality wasn't subjective (i had brought that up in a critique of a debate he did), so i decided to challenge him to debate it. I'm also making this four rounds so i can waste this one explaining why i chose to debate Solarman on this topic, i hope he accepts.
Solarman1969

Con

First I am going to challenge you on the subjectivity of morality

Here are some subjects (from the 10 commandments)

theft

adultery

murder

gossip

coveting others possessions (envy)

Here are a few others

lying

abortion

subjugation of others

forced conversion to a "faith" or "state"

justification of violence against innocents

gay "marriage"

polysexuality

blurring of the lines between men and women

OVERVIEW

you are very young and have not had the life experience to know the consequences of violating ancient social morays and rules of conduct

Thus this should be educational for you

Moral Relativism, the HALLMARK OF THE DEMOCRATS AND LIBERALS , is slowly but surely destroying the basic building blocks of our society, those being the family and the Judeo-Christian ethics upon which this country was created

Everything is OK - not matter how wrong or evil - it is just anothers point of view

This is WRONG

There is GOOD and EVIL

There is Right and Wrong

these principles are encased in LAWS and SOCIAL MORAYS

they are IMPORTANT to the functioning of a free society

your turn
Debate Round No. 1
SweetBags

Pro

Sorry it took so long to post this, had a few tests I had to study for. Moreover, thank you for accepting, I will enjoy (in the loosest possible meaning of the term) debating this with you.

Firstly, since you have neglected to define morality, here is mine: morality, an individual's personal sense of right and wrong.
So morality is a personal view (and therefore subjective), some of the common threads of which were written into biblical texts over 2000 years ago. not only would the individual person's sense of right and wrong (morality) change in that time, but it would also become nonsensical to live by the "laws" or "rules" of people that lived thousands of years ago (at least in my opinion, of which im sure you disagree. what a subjective way for us to feel about an issue).
However, if you are going to use biblical text, then can you please let us know which translation you are using, is it the King James (KJV), New King James (NKJV), English Standard (ESV), New American Standard NASB), Revised Standard (RSV), New Revised Standard (NRSV), Updated NASB, Amplified Bible, New American Bible, New International (NIV), New English Bible, Good News Bible, Phillips Modern English, Living Bible (LB), New Living Bible (NLT), Jerusalem Bible, Modern Language, Contemporary English (CEV, "The Promise"), Today's English, Worldwide English, "The Message", or are you reading from a Greek or Hebrew version? http://www.swapmeetdave.com...
I assume you are not reading from a Torah (Old Testament, and the basis for Judeo-Christian faith), as you say abortion is immoral, and the Torah allows it up to the third trimester (how oddly subjective, two different faiths based, at least in part, on the Torah disagreeing about right and wrong).

To first rebut some of your examples of "wrong" things,
adultery, while many people dislike it, the people committing it obviously do not believe that it is wrong, so here is an example of two (groups of) people disagreeing about morality, about right and wrong, how subjective of them.
Murder, again people say it is immoral, but what is war but state-sanctioned murder. Seems odd, doesn't it. A random person kills someone, and is a murderer, yet a solder kills several people and is welcomed home a hero. Tad subjective, no? (Note: I'm not bashing our troops, just trying to make a point)
gossip, if this is such an immoral act (as you say), then why do so many people around the world buy tabloids? They are just gossip magazines after all. How subjective of the world.
Gay marriage, while several (mostly right wing Christians) despise gay marriage as a horrible sin, many others disagree, like say, the gays. What a subjective way to feel about a subject.
I could show you why you're other examples of wrong behavior are subjective, but I think Vie made my point.

Don't be an ageist, it's not an argument. It's your own personal feeling that the "young" don't have enough experience. To bad I disagree, how subjective of us.
Your right in the statement "There is GOOD and EVIL" and "There is Right and Wrong" however, because everyone feels differently about what is good (right), and what is evil (wrong), they are both subjective ideals. Take Christianity, it was once part of the Jewish church, but it split off (around 400 ad) because it disagreed (subjectively) with some parts of Judaism. Then in the protestant reformation, it split into two different sects because of some rather large (subjective) disagreements. I could go on, but you get the idea.

Your case is about how morality is what holds society together, however, as I have shown, this morality is entirely subjective. It is not morality (personal views) that holds society together, but the system of laws (societies) that it holds.

thank you
Solarman1969

Con

Here is your premise

"Firstly, since you have neglected to define morality, here is mine: morality, an individual's personal sense of right and wrong."

WRONG , WRONG , WRONG

your PERSONAL views are irrelevant

Morality is plainly and simply, a set of LAWS developed people over MILLENIA, based on both legal and spitirual means

you DO NOT have the right to determine good and evil, they are set in stone

if you start down this dangerous path of thinking , you will quickly find yourself supporting EVIL.

becuase those that are EVIL and promote it use this notion

Then you simply ramble

and then come to this ABSURD conclusion

"you say abortion is immoral, and the Torah allows it up to the third trimester"

Oh please! Cite me the passages from the Old testament (torah) that support in any way this point of view

Now onto the rest of your absurd points

"adultery, while many people dislike it, the people committing it obviously do not believe that it is wrong, so here is an example of two (groups of) people disagreeing about morality, about right and wrong, how subjective of them."

This is NONSENSE

Both adulertous people KNOW they are being wrong, and are guilty

Thousands of murders are committed every year, and hundreds of thousands of lives, espcially those of children, RUNIED by this SELFISH behavior

you dont think it hurts kids for their parents to bitterly divorce?

you dont think that the amount of pain and anguish from broken trust matter?

you dont think the ruined lives and permanent distrust that happen matter?

HOW HEARTLESS and WRONG!

----- your next liberal point -------

"Murder, again people say it is immoral, but what is war but state-sanctioned murder. Seems odd, doesn't it. A random person kills someone, and is a murderer, yet a solder kills several people and is welcomed home a hero. Tad subjective, no? (Note: I'm not bashing our troops, just trying to make a point)"

The ONLY justification your try and make here is the COMPLETELY UNJUJSTIFIBLE

you ARE bashing the troops and calling them the same as the scum who shoots a clerk in cold blood in a 7/11

or the SCUM who bomb innocents in Islamic fashion

or the SCUM like "Mumia Jamal" who murder police officers

YOU NEED TO HAVE YOUR HEAD EXAMINED

----------- your next liberal point____________

"gossip, if this is such an immoral act (as you say), then why do so many people around the world buy tabloids? They are just gossip magazines after all. How subjective of the world."

When you look at the Buddhist codes of conduct, seven out of 11 deal with speech

What we say is incredibly important

Many have died based on LIES and FALSE RUMOURS

FALSE WITNESS is not only a crime but one of the worst possible things

GOSSIP is talking ill about someone NOT in their presence , where they cannot defend themselves

It is a low behavior that I will not tolerate

the fact that when rumours or even events are spread word of mouth, the story changes dramatically

THE TRUTH IS THE MOST IMPORANT THING OF ALL

----------your next liberal point---------------

"Gay marriage, while several (mostly right wing Christians) despise gay marriage as a horrible sin, many others disagree, like say, the gays. What a subjective way to feel about a subject."

You seem to always grasp for this argument

SUBJECTIVE

SUBJECTIVE

Isnt that a little bit weak?

"Don't be an ageist, it's not an argument. It's your own personal feeling that the "young" don't have enough experience. To bad I disagree, how subjective of us."

SUBJECTIVE
SUBJECTIVE
SUBJECTIVE

Im sorry, but most kids are totally stupid and have no idea just how stupid they are

the only thing that truly teaches is LIFE EXPERIENCE

and your opinions are a perfect example- liberal sophistry

finally you get something right

"Your right in the statement "There is GOOD and EVIL" and "There is Right and Wrong" however, because everyone feels differently about what is good (right), and what is evil (wrong), they are both subjective ideals."

SUBJECTIVE
SUBJECTIVE
SUBJECTIVE
SUBJECTIVE
SUBJECTIVE
SUBJECTIVE

you really need a new word

"Take Christianity, it was once part of the Jewish church, but it split off (around 400 ad) because it disagreed (subjectively) with some parts of Judaism. Then in the protestant reformation, it split into two different sects because of some rather large (subjective) disagreements. I could go on, but you get the idea"

So are you arguing that one is good and the other evil?

Your final point shows your complete confusion

"Your case is about how morality is what holds society together, however, as I have shown, this morality is entirely subjective. It is not morality (personal views) that holds society together, but the system of laws (societies) that it holds.

Uhhhmm.

How do you think we came up with our laws?

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?
Debate Round No. 2
SweetBags

Pro

SweetBags forfeited this round.
Solarman1969

Con

I rest my case

MORALITY IS NOT SUBJECTIVE

YOU (YES YOU, KIDS) have a RESPONSIBILITY to YOURSELVES AND SOCIETY

to be a MORAL PERSON AND DO THE RIGHT THING

AND FIGHT INJUSTICE AND IMMORALITY

SOLARMAN
Debate Round No. 3
SweetBags

Pro

SweetBags forfeited this round.
Solarman1969

Con

I dont know why this kid asked for 5 rounds

MORALITY IS NOT SUBJECTIVE

I rest my case

SOLARMAN
Debate Round No. 4
69 comments have been posted on this debate. Showing 21 through 30 records.
Posted by SweetBags 7 months ago
SweetBags
sado, "I understand... what is right and wrong" this again brings us to the question of who determines right and wrong. you assert that the ten commandments are the overall determination of this, and that anyone who "reads them in context" would understand their meaning. however, the various sects of jeudaism and christianty all take a different take on those same commandments, yet they are all "reading them in context". which brings us back to "which interprition is right and who determines that" "why is that person qualified to determine that over everyone else" and so on. not to mention the various issues that the commandments are fuzzy on, like abortion (not to turn this into an abortion debate, which are generally quite unpleasant for both sides). what constitutes life (a general determination of why abortion is good/bad), the commandments dont address. as you can see this leads to both sides of an issue reading the same text, in "context" and getting a different result. which proves the subjectiveness of morality.
Posted by sadolite 7 months ago
sadolite
Ya, your right Ragnar. If I live a clean moral life style that wont have any bearing on a good, prosperous and long life.
Posted by sadolite 7 months ago
sadolite
Ya, your right Ragnar. If I live a clean moral style that wont have any bearing on a good, prosperous and long life.
Posted by Ragnar_Rahl 7 months ago
Ragnar_Rahl
"Sweet, I understand what it means to be alive and what is right and wrong."

Not if you think what the bible teaches will help you stay alive you don't :D
Posted by sadolite 7 months ago
sadolite
Sweet, I understand what it means to be alive and what is right and wrong. It is crystal clear, life is so easy, it is only difficult for those who have personal behaviors that conflict with right and wrong and the ten commandments who think life is a complicated and mind boggling affair that requires endless debate. I will assume you fit into that category.
Posted by SweetBags 7 months ago
SweetBags
sado, what your not getting is that the 10 commandments are ideas, not just words. and peoples understanding of IDEAS is based on what society/culture they are in. its like an calculus equation, someone might be able to read/use it, but that doesnt meant they will know what its for.
Posted by Ragnar_Rahl 7 months ago
Ragnar_Rahl
Gotta admit though, ministers are damn good teachers, if I can remember something I don't even believe well enough to find a reference on it all these years later. If only we had professionals of that quality in secular schools...
Posted by Ragnar_Rahl 7 months ago
Ragnar_Rahl
Alright, here's the reference:
http://www.biblegateway.com...;

"Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?

54But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?
"

In other words, he died, when, according to his own stated premises, he could have lived. The fulfillment of prophecy was his motive for suicide.

Ooh wait, by that logic, we should start a nuclear war to fulfill prophecies about the apocalypse! :D
Posted by Ragnar_Rahl 7 months ago
Ragnar_Rahl
"Ranger, Jesus did not volunteer to die he was a martyr tortured to death because he would not succumb to his captors. A martyr does not want to die, a martyr is always murdered for their beliefs. A suicide bomber is not a martyr because they take their own life, they are what you describe."

I asked you once, I'll ask you again...
READ YOUR BIBLE MORE CLOSELY!!!!

Remember the part where Peter offered to fight for him, and Jesus said "No, if I wanted to escape, I'd have angels fight on my behalf" or something along those lines (I'll look for the source, it was a long time ago I heard it, since it was a very long time ago the last time I attended a church, for obvious reasons).

Jesus refusing to resist when BY HIS OWN STATEMENT he believed he had the power to do so, means in fact he DID succumb to his captors.
Posted by sadolite 7 months ago
sadolite
Sweet, You don't give much credit to grown people being able to understand the simplest of simple statements such as the ten commandments. Quite frankly if a person with enough education to read and comprehend words can understand what the ten commandments mean. It is a person who does not want to be bound morally by the ten commandments who says they don't understand them. Again it is the persons personal decision not to follow them, it is not that they don't understand them.
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