Posted by Dr. Ray Langston on June 10, 2011, 3:48 pm, in reply to "Re: "peace of mind""
Posted by GIT on June 10, 2011, 11:35 am, in reply to "Re: "peace of mind""
Otherwise, who gets to decide? One man rapes, steals and plunders because to him it is good. Another murders because to him it was right. Without something other than ourselves to guide us in morality there is no base.
True, there are selfish evil, and downright sociopathic people who do committ such awful acts, but for every one of them, there are many people out there that will hunt them down, arrest them, put them to trial, and send them to prison (or even condemn them to death) for it. Why? because people know that comitting actions like that which harm other people is inherently wrong....
What gives one man the right to judge above another what he considers right?
You actually are bringing up a good philosophical point.
Becuase it is necessary for there to be people to punish criminals, if not there would be chaos. I do disagree with prosecuting people for "crimes" that truly do not harm another indvidual, or society (at least to a great extent).
Or let's go according to your way of reasoning
Romans 13 (NIV)
For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4 For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
Or if you are a fundamentalist who doesn't like anything other than the good old King James :
For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid ; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
I actually like the King James text on this one better, much more poetic..... "a revenger to execute wrath"