Comments:

Arnon - 2004-11-22 12:14:28
I shall disagree. I think some things are MORE wrong. Relativism is all well and good, but..here's the thing. If I walk up to an innocent person and smack them upside the head, on accounta I'm in a bad mood, that's 'wrong'. If, in this bad mood, I walk up to someone, pull out a club, and pound them into jelly, then take out all witnesses in an orgy of frustration and anger over the recent elections, this too is 'wrong'. But..IMO, more so. We cannot exist on this planet, and with other people, all differing in desires and goals, without hurting or comitting acts which cannot be defended ethicaslly. We CAN, however, measure these acts, judge them, as human beings, and determine what wrongs are worse then others, and strive to be better. 'Let he who is without sin cast the first stone' is an attempt to keep people from judging at all, and relegates judgement to an impossible platonic purity that cannot exist. I have done wrong, and I know it. But I can admit my own wrongdoings, work to make amends, and judge others who have done worse. I am a killer, as are well, but I'll be damned if having eaten a burger puts me in the same moral sinkhole as, say, Stalin.
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Arnon - 2004-11-22 12:15:18
I shall disagree. I totally understand where you're coming from, and the frutration with trying to balance the desire to do 'good' and the difficulty of having ZERO no negative impact. I just think some things are MORE wrong. Relativism is all well and good, but..here's the thing. If I walk up to an innocent person and smack them upside the head, on accounta I'm in a bad mood, that's 'wrong'. If, in this bad mood, I walk up to someone, pull out a club, and pound them into jelly, then take out all witnesses in an orgy of frustration and anger over the recent elections, this too is 'wrong'. But..IMO, more so. We cannot exist on this planet, and with other people, all differing in desires and goals, without hurting or comitting acts which cannot be defended ethicaslly. We CAN, however, measure these acts, judge them, as human beings, and determine what wrongs are worse then others, and strive to be better. 'Let he who is without sin cast the first stone' is an attempt to keep people from judging at all, and relegates judgement to an impossible platonic purity that cannot exist. I have done wrong, and I know it. But I can admit my own wrongdoings, work to make amends, and judge others who have done worse. I am a killer, as are well, but I'll be damned if having eaten a burger puts me in the same moral sinkhole as, say, Stalin.
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Kat - 2004-11-22 17:48:05
the only problem i have with that train of thought is that it gives permission to the care-nots to run out and buy a new mink and eat a big chunk of veal and drive an suv and saran-wrap their entire kitchen. that, and i'm sick of being attacked for being a vegetarian when i not only keep my choice to myself, but freely admit that i am as hypocritical as anyone else (i wear leather[side-side note: i'd rather wear something long-lasting, durable and biodegradable than synthetic and pollutant], i smoke, i consume synthetics when necessary). i agree, it's ALL wrong, all of it. not one of us better than the next. i think i'm just fucking sick of the argument, more than anything, because we all do what we can (except for the real assholes, but they stink in more ways than one, usually), and none of us can do everything. we're all just projecting our guilt onto others. so fuckit. i do my best.
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Kat - 2004-11-22 17:49:58
the only problem i have with that train of thought is that it gives permission to the care-nots to run out and buy a new mink and eat a big chunk of veal and drive an suv and saran-wrap their entire kitchen. that, and i'm sick of being attacked for being a vegetarian when i not only keep my choice to myself, but freely admit that i am as hypocritical as anyone else (i wear leather[side-side note: i'd rather wear something long-lasting, durable and biodegradable than synthetic and pollutant], i smoke, i consume synthetics when necessary). i agree, it's ALL wrong, all of it. not one of us better than the next. i think i'm just fucking sick of the argument, more than anything, because we all do what we can (except for the real assholes, but they stink in more ways than one, usually), and none of us can do everything. we're all just projecting our guilt onto others. so fuckit. i do my best.
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Kat - 2004-11-22 18:00:39
the only problem i have with that train of thought is that it gives permission to the care-nots to run out and buy a new mink and eat a big chunk of veal and drive an suv and saran-wrap their entire kitchen. that, and i'm sick of being attacked for being a vegetarian when i not only keep my choice to myself, but freely admit that i am as hypocritical as anyone else (i wear leather[side-side note: i'd rather wear something long-lasting, durable and biodegradable than synthetic and pollutant], i smoke, i consume synthetics when necessary). i agree, it's ALL wrong, all of it. not one of us better than the next. i think i'm just fucking sick of the argument, more than anything, because we all do what we can (except for the real assholes, but they stink in more ways than one, usually), and none of us can do everything. we're all just projecting our guilt onto others. so fuckit. i do my best.
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Katherine - 2004-11-22 23:38:30
No human can be harmless. All human activity harms something. However, we can strive to be less harmful. I don't view any animal - especially mammals - as "mindless." And when I do eat meat I eat the kind that's been raised and slaughtered (if there is such a thing) humanely. One of our stores has adapted corn made plastic containers. These are completely biodegradeable. They are recycled back into compost after use. Some humans are striving and plenty aren't - if we all made an effort the world would be less harmed than it is.
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Kat - 2004-11-23 06:21:31
sorry about the multi-post.... t'was my browser that made the boo-boo, not i!
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