I asked an ethics question yesterday and got a lot of answers about intention being what decides the morality of an action. A religious fanatic who blows up a cafe is "intending" to follow what they believe is God's will. So that act is moral? In Hinduism they have the concept of negative devotion. There are stories of saints who hated one God or another so much that they never stopped thinking of that deity, if only to act against them. But that single minded "devotion" got the saint "enlightened". The deity was of such pure love that the intention behind the devotion didn't matter, only the devotion itself. What's the morality here?
2006-08-16 08:42:17 · 10 answers · asked by neil s 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
By your reasoning, the homicide bombers, mothers who encourage their children to be homicide bombers, and mothers who blow themselves up with their own children are commiting a moral action. Anyone who believes such nonsense belongs in a loony bin!
2006-08-17 09:24:10 · answer #1 · answered by Hatikvah 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Intent is an important concept in both magic and religion, and I believe it works the same for both. Try not to associate belief with intent, they are seperate things. Take your example, the fanatic who blows up a cafe. While he may have believed what he was doing was right, his intent still was to kill innocent people. That is evil, regardless of beliefs. This is why I believe there is no absolutes as far as good and evil actions, it is the intent behind the action that defines it. Is killing someone wrong? Most times, yes. What if they were threatening your life and you truly believed their death was the only solution? In that case, no. You intent was to preserve your own life, they put themselves in a situation which forced your hand. Chances are you would be perfectly happy if they stopped threatening you and just went away since your intent is simply to live. We can also fool ourselves as to what our intent is. We may rationalize an action to ourselves and why it was 'right', but if you step back and look at what you really want to do, the REAL motivation behind the actions, that will tell you where your intent lies.
2006-08-16 09:04:50 · answer #2 · answered by Mr. Scary 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If intention decides the morality of a thing, then anything goes. It's OK to blow people up if your intentions are "good." I believe that's a dangerous way to go. There needs to be an outside, objective standard for morality that isn't dependent on the whims of people or the culture of the time.
Perhaps a good look at God's measures of morality would provide what's needed.
2006-08-16 08:50:19 · answer #3 · answered by jewel_flower 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
in case you have a toddler, you are able to comprehend that the youngster will misinform you to stay out of hassle and could achieve this as with out postpone because it may learn how to communicate. in an attempt to pretend that young ones are suitable unflawed beings is incredibly absurd. Your premise is incorrect. previous that, maximum all religions carry that we do comprehend the version between top and incorrect and that figuring out on the incorrect is immoral, so it form of feels to greater wholesome with your definition extremely properly. if so it might look which you're suggesting that faith does do a competent activity of coaching "authentic morality". To this i'd basically mildly agree. authentic morality is derived from loving your enemies as much as your self, this could be a confusing properly-known. at a similar time as many faiths have this hidden interior their message, prepared faith greater often than not does not coach this theory.
2016-11-04 23:08:17 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, according to Christian morality, no. God would never ask anyone, post-Messianic era, to kill anyone, since Jesus' heritage and prophecies regarding Him were fulfilled, so there is no need now.
The only acceptable death for someone, is one of normal causes (ie cancer, infection, old age, accident, etc), or dying to save someone else from death.
In Christianity, both motive and deed, as well as thoughts about it, are accounted for.
If someone killed to stop abortionists, their deed is sin, making the act sinful.
If someone saved people out of greed, their motive is sin, making the act sinful.
If someone hated someone, believing it is the right thing to do, their thought is sin, once again, making the act sinful.
If someone has to die, because of the law of the land... well, the deed that *got* them in the electric chair in the first place is still on their heads. It's in God's hands about the executioner.
2006-08-16 08:58:14 · answer #5 · answered by seraphim_pwns_u 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the idea about intention is that if you do a good act but for selfish motives it isn't considered good - an evil act is always evil
the Hinduism story is an example of getting closer to what you concentrate on so their concentration resulted in their comprehension - it is a parable though and not meant to be taken literally
2006-08-16 08:48:44 · answer #6 · answered by bregweidd 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am totally confused by your question. I understand that religion and morality are closely related to one another. But what about intention? I can't get its connection to religion.
2006-08-16 11:32:51 · answer #7 · answered by Belen 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's all Bollox if you ask me but hey I,m well oiled just crackin open another can so don't take any notice time for a sing song :)
2006-08-16 08:48:57 · answer #8 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is not intent aLone that decides moraLity but intent and the information you have.
2006-08-16 08:49:26 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
none that I can see!!!whats the point?
2006-08-16 08:50:14 · answer #10 · answered by OldGeezer 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋