Moral vs. Legal
Several terms are used interchangeably when they are very different and are often in opposition.
What is moral is not always legal and what is legal is not always moral.
Adding to the linguistic problem is how what is moral is not always agreed upon. Different religions, different cultures, even individuals within the different religions and cultures do not always agree.
A few examples of how morality and legality can collide should suffice.
Currently in the USA, it is legal for banks to charge whatever interest on credit cards they think they can get away with and not have everyone cut up their credit cards. These banks are run for the most part by people who will claim to be members of the Christian or Jewish faiths. And yet, the Old Testament condemns usury. Where do you draw the line? Where does the economic need to charge interest pass the line from the cost of doing business and making a profit pass the line to violating the immorality of usury? Is it 5% above prime, 10% above prime or is 20 % above prime okay?
While we have eliminated debtors prisons, we seem to have created a debtors hell for many with interest rates rising (legally) if the debtor has any problem paying a debt. If a person is struggling to pay a debt, is it moral to raise the interest rate further beyond what they were having a problem paying?
One more example. Marijuana.
MJ is illegal. But is it immoral? Or to put it another way. Other than the illegal situation, is there any moral difference between driving while intoxicated by booze and driving while high on MJ? I put it this way because I can see problems with both booze and MJ. Jesus apparently drank. The Bible says he created wine out of water so everyone could continue to have a good time at a wedding. God created MJ, so it would seem the Creator had no more of a problem with MJ than with grapes.
I can't resist one more example. Thou shalt not kill.
The Bible does not say "Thou shalt not kill except if the government gives you permission." Neither does the Bible say it is okay to lie, steal and kill if National Security requires it.
You may not agree with these few examples but I think you must agree that what is moral and what is legal are not the same thing. The government, any government, can jail and kill people who have not done anything immoral but who have broken a law. That is what happened to Jesus.
What is moral is not always legal and what is legal is not always moral.
Adding to the linguistic problem is how what is moral is not always agreed upon. Different religions, different cultures, even individuals within the different religions and cultures do not always agree.
A few examples of how morality and legality can collide should suffice.
Currently in the USA, it is legal for banks to charge whatever interest on credit cards they think they can get away with and not have everyone cut up their credit cards. These banks are run for the most part by people who will claim to be members of the Christian or Jewish faiths. And yet, the Old Testament condemns usury. Where do you draw the line? Where does the economic need to charge interest pass the line from the cost of doing business and making a profit pass the line to violating the immorality of usury? Is it 5% above prime, 10% above prime or is 20 % above prime okay?
While we have eliminated debtors prisons, we seem to have created a debtors hell for many with interest rates rising (legally) if the debtor has any problem paying a debt. If a person is struggling to pay a debt, is it moral to raise the interest rate further beyond what they were having a problem paying?
One more example. Marijuana.
MJ is illegal. But is it immoral? Or to put it another way. Other than the illegal situation, is there any moral difference between driving while intoxicated by booze and driving while high on MJ? I put it this way because I can see problems with both booze and MJ. Jesus apparently drank. The Bible says he created wine out of water so everyone could continue to have a good time at a wedding. God created MJ, so it would seem the Creator had no more of a problem with MJ than with grapes.
I can't resist one more example. Thou shalt not kill.
The Bible does not say "Thou shalt not kill except if the government gives you permission." Neither does the Bible say it is okay to lie, steal and kill if National Security requires it.
You may not agree with these few examples but I think you must agree that what is moral and what is legal are not the same thing. The government, any government, can jail and kill people who have not done anything immoral but who have broken a law. That is what happened to Jesus.
posted by ravenwolf at 11:00 AM
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