Are you really ready for big moral issues?

Mindchild

While reading the abortion thread on this site today, I was reminded of a college class I took on dealing with ethical and moral issues. I learned something interesting in this class and it was that just because we have strong beliefs about something, it doesn't give us any rights to impose our beliefs on others.

This is of course the "Christian" way...to demand that their beliefs should be the standard by which we all live our lives. This intolerance, or in milder cases disgust for nonconformers, is in itself one of the huge moral issues we face.

Essentially, regardless of things being right or wrong, our world defines societal norms by community standards. For example some countries legalize drugs and others criminalize their use. Some communities accept nudity as natural and healthy and others are all uptight about it. You can go on down the list and see how extensive this regionality is.

On this discussion board, we are not living in any local community. My morals and beliefs have no more standing than anyone else here. I think all of us need to remind ourselves of this when we see a view expressed that we find offensive. You can just be thankful that you are not living next door to them. lol

Okay...but here is a tough question for you from that class I took. Let's see how your beliefs handle this one:

You have the misfortune of being on an airplane that crashes at sea. You and 12 other people survive the crash but there is only a life raft that holds six people. There is a mix of men, women, and children among the survivors. All are in rather good condition and the adults are mixed in age. How do you decide who survives and who doesn't?

Think about it.

I will give my answer later.

Skipper

mommy

Skipper,
As a quick answer to this without much thought(which would be the situation in reality) I would hope that my children were not among the ones. I personally would have no problem drifting off to myself to quietly recollect my life and allow the others to decide on their fate. I feel that I have lived a good life, and have no regrets, and I could not justify saying my life was more important than anothers. But if my children were with me, I would have to have a say in one or both of them going. More than likely I would want Timothy to go, and keep Miranda with me, so we both can talk and discuss life.
wendy

When I leave, you will know I have been here

detective

Well, as you splash around in the water while the full raft slips away, you just keep yelling at those snug in the raft that it was supposed to be YOUR decision who lives or dies.

teenyuck

Since I jumped feet first into the abortion thread...here goes.

I would like to say that I would put the children in. However, if it is survival and I am not on the set of the "Titanic", I would be inclined to try to get one of the spots on the raft. Survival of whoever can get into the raft first.

Since time would be of the essence, it might come down to who could get into the raft first. Then try to fit more people in. Then try to find a way to save the others. I would also look for seat cushions. They promote them as flotation devices. Try to get a few and hang on, or have the whoever did not make it to the raft hang on.

Climbing in and floating away would make for a miserable existence later. The guilt of what you could have/should have done would weigh on my mind.

PS..I must note, I do not have children and cannot know what losing one would be like. If I had one, I would put my child in first...then look for a cushion.

Everyone has a photographic memory; some just don't have film.

Frenchy

Women and children first, then the younger of the men until the limit is reached.

--The French Knight

outnfree

Frenchy is so gallant!

I think Puffrule had a good idea in looking for the cushions. I'd say put six in the raft and let six stay in the water with one inside the raft responsible for "towing" the ones in the water along. People could take turns in and out of the water, with the strongest physically taking care of the less strong.

How'd I do?

outnfree

It's what you learn after you know it all that counts -- John Wooden

Mindchild

Hahaha Outnfree got it! That is more or less what my solution was too. I came up with the idea of having the six people in the water hanging on to the raft and when they were too tired, they would be pulled inside to rest and someone from the inside would take their place.

My instructor didn't like that though, and told me that there was essentially a point where even this strategy would fail (he was probably right) in time as water would run out, and if you drink seawater you will go insane. So, my solution only bought a bit more time and risked everyone equally. It wouldn't work though if the water was cold (sometimes only a few minutes of survival time in cold water) so then this idea is screwed. At that point, in my way of looking at things, the kids stay on the raft and everyone else draws straws.

Life is a bitch then you die.

Skipper