Issue for Atheists and Christians and Others?

Question

I asked this question earlier and got these respones
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AtMjpGFlUqv479kfySFnPSPsy6IX?qid=20060906154055AA2oMlZ

Can someone explain how I'm wrong,
I feel the same way on people who are in prison. Instead of catering to them, we should put then to work free labor, as I see it. My thoughts may seem a little offensive to you. But this is just how I feel

Are you sure he was really blind? Not acting blind, because that is what actors do.

Answer 1

I did not find the question offensive at all. I think a lot of people have the same feelings or thoughts but would never say it because they would get looked down on.
I think the prisons should be run less like a hotel and more like a prison with people who do not deserve rights of any kind.
Yes I agree, put them out there to do some of the labor in keeping the roads clean or the like. They don't deserve the right to sit around and let my tax dollars give them a stress free life with 3 good meals a day and no worries at all.
You are not alone in your feelings on these subjects, I just think others will not answer for fear of being labeled.

Answer 2

It is the process of eugenics and it is morally repugnant. If you value life so little as to end it instead of trying to improve it you are what is know as a sociopath or at the very least a border line sociopath. All human beings have feeling and thoughts. Even someone with sever down syndrome has the cognitive abilities of a child. You are saying in effect that instead of allowing a human being that is stuck at the mental age of 7 the freedom to live the life they have an opportunity to (find joy, discover things, love and be loved) that you think they should be denied that and murdered just out of practicality and ease.

You have the right to believe as you wish (there are treatments for your disorder though) but if you were to try and implement these beliefs (as Hitler did) I and most of society would be morally obligated to end your life or lock you up, away from the rest of us that truly value human life for the gift that it is.

They do make people in prison work except for the ones who can not be let out of their cages because they are so animalistic. They also try to rehabilitate them by sending them to trade school or getting them a GED so that when they are released they have a better chance of not coming back. Most people in prison are from poor families and have not had the opportunities to acquire a useful skill set that others have.

Answer 3

You stated that children with autism or Downs Syndrome do not help society in any way. I coach Special Olympic athletes and some of our participants aren't even able to push their own wheel chairs along the track. Someone else has to escort them. I will often pretend to "race" these participants at practice and even though they may rarely show emotion, they laugh the entire time I run beside them. They make me smile. They inspire me. I have an athlete who is developmentally disabled and legally blind. He runs the mile in 7 minutes. He runs the 10k right with me. I am inspired by him every time I watch him run. How can you say any human being doesn't deserve to live. No one chose to be autistic or to be mentally disabled. Should they die because they were born that way? Their purpose in society is to give joy and hope to those of us who whine about our lives. Their purpose is to inspire others with their courage and love of life. My life would not be the same without my athletes. Perhaps you should donate some of your time to help these athletes and you would know how valuable they are to society.

Answer 4

Your right, but the religious right love suffering, the believe God does this for a purpose. In truth I see your point, but there have been many people with disabilities that have done a lot of good for society, the problem being is that we don't know the future and who those people will be. That is a moral belief by me and it is not based in any religious belief what so ever.

Answer 5

Aren't you the most materialistic fellow on the block? Is the only worth of a human being the amount of cash, products, services, and garbage he or she can produce? What about people who love them? What about the opportunity to improve? Isn't the economy there to help us ease our lives?

If you don't want to have people who are disabled or disheveled or disrespected or diseased in your life, then you are living in an isolation bubble. As the currently disabled Reynolds Price has said, we are all "temporarily-abled." You may not think so, but I think your life is worth something even if you've lost your marbles.

Answer 6

I like the free labor part (since I believe that we used to treat some prisoners that way).

Regarding the killing of people who do not contribute to society, who is to decide which ones of us is useless and who is not? I don't think that any human has the right to play God and decide the value of another person's life.

If you were deemed to be a useless person someday (because of age, an accident, or a disease), you would probably object to having your life terminated against your will. So would anyone else.

Most people would agree that it is wrong to treat other people differently that you would want to be treated.

Answer 7

You've obviously never been around a child with downs syndrom, they're some of the sweetest, most loving children, and they grow up to be loving people. Many blind hold down jobs and probably are more productive than you are. Everyone has a purpose, but I suppose some of us (that would be you and anyone who thinks like you), are just too superficial to see that.

As for the prisoners, I kinda like that idea, it costs us a fortune to keep them in prison, really not fair to those of us who don't commit crimes.

Answer 8

When you grow old, are you willing to be killed because you are a drain on society? How about if you had a horriable car crash tomorrow and you were paralysed? Could we kill you then? How would we kill these people? What about unconditional love? How about all the mothers that love there severly mentally handicapped child. You know, some mentally challenged people are very loving and caring. If Steven Hawkins lost the use of his hands and could not communicate in any way, could we kill him then? Answer and I will reply...

Answer 9

each of these people have a unique and special way they see the world, just liek u and me... mayeb even more so becuase of the struggle, the challenges they face everyday just to live life. all life is precious, it might not seem neat and tidy, the survival of the fitest to u, but we r not animals, humans have a much higher standard, which can perhaps b better reached by the lame, or blind..then even u. just becuase someone is differnt is no reason to hurt life.

Answer 10

That's a good ethical question....but it begs the question, "What is a life and how do you define it?" Without morals, it would be fine to do that BUT life is precious, endowed by the Creator. If God, wants to end the life of someone, He does not need your help. What the religious worldview brings to the table is that if we decide to commit such atrocities, WHAT OTHER LINES WILL WE FEEL JUSTIFIED TO CROSS?