Morality

[superchic[k]]

Do you believe morality is decaying in the present American society?

[tinybear]

I do, but since that happened long before I was even born, there's very little I can do about it.

[Pooeypants]

Well, I'd say it's still holding up quite well, I don't see a thriving slave trade or anything...

[tinybear]

You think so? In the 1973 case of Miller v. California, the Supreme Court declared material to be obscene when all three of the following conditions are met:

1. The average person, applying contemporary community standards, would find that the work, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interests.
2. The work depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by the applicable state (or federal) law, and
3. The work taken as a whole lacks serious, artistic, political or scientific value.

That means that obscenity such as adult, hard-core and child pornography is not protected and is illegal under the United States Constitution. These types of pornography are nevertheless seen in adult magazines, videos, motion pictures, television, the internet, and on certain telephone calls. By law, child pornography consists of making illegal depictions of children less than 18 years of age engaged in sexual conduct. The problem is, however, that what the average person views as “obscene” is often being sold in the market place today.

The world of pornography is far reaching as seen in the 1986 Meese Commission report that found pornography was linked to organized crime, sexual violence and civil injustice. Pornography is an $8 billion a year business. Child pornography generates $3 billion annually. In addition, there are nearly 900 theaters that show pornographic films and more than 15,000 “adult” bookstores and video stores offering pornographic material. Adult bookstores outnumber McDonald’s restaurants in the United States by a margin of at least three to one. According to Henry Boatwright, the Chairman of the U.S. Advisory Board for Social Concerns, approximately 70% of the pornographic magazines sold end up in the hands of minors.

[RickSp]

I guess it depends what you think is moral. There has been so much talk about "values". Well, tolerance, openess and compassion are part of my values, as are honesty, integrity, courage and fairness. Given that we have a government going to war based on lies by the administration and cowardice by the congress and that we have right-wing xenophobe, gay bashers running loose all over the country, I do worry about the moral standards of this country.

If a cartoon sponge can be attacked by a powerful evangelist can the Salem with trials be far away?

[mr.perfecto]

Quote by: tinybear You think so? In the 1973 case of Miller v. California, the Supreme Court declared material to be obscene when all three of the following conditions are met: 1. The average person, applying contemporary community standards, would find that the work, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interests. 2. The work depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by the applicable state (or federal) law, and 3. The work taken as a whole lacks serious, artistic, political or scientific value. That means that obscenity such as adult, hard-core and child pornography is not protected and is illegal under the United States Constitution. These types of pornography are nevertheless seen in adult magazines, videos, motion pictures, television, the internet, and on certain telephone calls. By law, child pornography consists of making illegal depictions of children less than 18 years of age engaged in sexual conduct. The problem is, however, that what the average person views as “obscene” is often being sold in the market place today. The world of pornography is far reaching as seen in the 1986 Meese Commission report that found pornography was linked to organized crime, sexual violence and civil injustice. Pornography is an $8 billion a year business. Child pornography generates $3 billion annually. In addition, there are nearly 900 theaters that show pornographic films and more than 15,000 “adult” bookstores and video stores offering pornographic material. Adult bookstores outnumber McDonald’s restaurants in the United States by a margin of at least three to one. According to Henry Boatwright, the Chairman of the U.S. Advisory Board for Social Concerns, approximately 70% of the pornographic magazines sold end up in the hands of minors.

Well, it only means that it is not protected by the Constitution. To be illegal an authority of competent jurisdiction would have to outlaw it. Child pornography, I believe, is a federal crime so it is illegal in all US territory, but other types vary depending on where the acts take place.

[Starboy]

Oh yes it is decaying. Why two hundred years ago slavery was considered perfectly moral. And one hundred years ago treating women both legally and socially as non-citizens was also moral. Oh and fifty years ago suppressing blacks was also moral. Oh yes, we have has such moral decay. I suspect that if this immorality continues people who have a sexual preference for the same sex will have the same treatment under the law as everyone else. What an immoral society we will be then.

What people do not realize is that there is more than one set of morals. By the moral code in the constitution I would say that we have become a more moral country than in the past, but by the standards of Christianity we have gone downhill. If the Christians had their way, not until church and state are combined and you can go to jail for breaking any of the Ten Commandments will this become a moral country again. I hope that everyone gives up Christianity or tries to talk Christians out of their religion as quickly as possible. They would without a doubt return us to the morals of the dark ages.

Starboy

[tinybear]

So in other words you think we've already achieved a very moral society?

[Starboy]

If your morals value freedom and liberty for everyone then I would say we have come a long way. If your morals value conformance to the dictates of some account of the supernatural then we have not. But then again those are very conflicting values. Freedom is also freedom of religion which means that supernatural dictates can be adopted and practiced by individuals but they never get to be the dictates for everyone since that would not be freedom now would it. Look at all of the crap that the Christians are throwing up as terribly immoral and look at the things that they condone or purposefully look the other way and you tell me who is moral or immoral. The Christians scream not because these so called immoralities harm them but because it supposedly harms the sensibilities of their god. Well tough shit. Their god has no rights in this society. When we are all dead we can take it up with whatever god it concerns or no god at all.

Starboy

[tinybear]

Man, you're profound. God won't take kindly to what's spilling out of your mouth, that's for sure.

[Starboy]

You think I don't already have direct experience of this? I do not think much of Christians in general. As far as I am concerned they are the last people in society that anyone should look to for values of any kind.

Starboy

[prettyredhead]

What morality.
It is known that most prominent countries, once embracing of homosexuality, it is only a short time until they crumble. It always proceeds the downfall of a nation.
Why are we different? We are not.
People have different views of morality, when the common thread is gone that means only sorrow and strife.
We cant save our country as long as we let corp. get in bed with our leader. They need an average Joe to be President.
I hear Guliani is going to run next. God help us. I hate Guliani almost as much as I hate Bush. Guliani gives not a shit about poor and those who arent deemed useful .
I hope he succumbs to cancer of the prick.

[RickSp]

Quote by: prettyredhead It is known that most prominent countries, once embracing of homosexuality, it is only a short time until they crumble. It always proceeds the downfall of a nation. Why are we different? We are not.

Wow, so bigotry is necessary for the survival of civilization! News to me.

[Suburbanite]

Quote by: prettyredhead What morality. It is known that most prominent countries, once embracing of homosexuality, it is only a short time until they crumble. It always proceeds the downfall of a nation. Why are we different? We are not. People have different views of morality, when the common thread is gone that means only sorrow and strife. We cant save our country as long as we let corp. get in bed with our leader. They need an average Joe to be President. I hear Guliani is going to run next. God help us. I hate Guliani almost as much as I hate Bush. Guliani gives not a shit about poor and those who arent deemed useful . I hope he succumbs to cancer of the prick.

You only care because you aren't deemed useful. It is known of all prominent countries to have existed in a continued flux of power. Rome would have survived to this modern era had they not embraced homosexuals? I think there is more truth in countries who redistribute wealth to the poor, such as yourself.

[superchic[k]]

Starboy why do you hate christians so much?

I am one. I believe the bible is the infallible word of God and is great guide to moral values whether you are a christian or not. I believe all of us agree that lying, murdering, stealing, etc. is wrong. Also I believe most of us would agree that loving your neighbor as yourself would definately benefit and help our present society. Many people have misconceptions about what TRULY means to be a christian. Going to church doesn't make you a christian anymore than walking into mcdonalds makes you a big mac. I am sorry if anyone who has claimed to be a christian has offended you or has given you the wrong impression of what it means to be a christian. for those who wish to know what it means to be a christian biblically can private message me. Also I don't have time to post right now in detail, but i am strongly against homosexual marriage. I do have some statistics i can post and information on why it would devastate our society if it is legalized. This information is not from the bible but based on the psychological affects it has on the people in a society. i will try to post it later. private message me if you would like this information.

[Starboy]

Quote by: superchic[k] Starboy why do you hate christians so much?

Mostly because of the dishonesty of Christians, but there are other reasons as well.

I am one. I believe the bible is the infallible word of God and is great guide to moral values whether you are a christian or not.

If you believe that then fine. But exactly how do you know that the word is infallible or from god? And how do you know that it is a great guide? From my vantage point I see Christians talking a good game but their actual game sucks.

I believe all of us agree that lying, murdering, stealing, etc. is wrong. Also I believe most of us would agree that loving your neighbor as yourself would definately benefit and help our present society.

I try to practice the Platinum Rule instead of the golden rule. You see there have been advances in morals in the last two thousand years.

Many people have misconceptions about what TRULY means to be a christian. Going to church doesn't make you a christian anymore than walking into mcdonalds makes you a big mac. I am sorry if anyone who has claimed to be a christian has offended you or has given you the wrong impression of what it means to be a christian. for those who wish to know what it means to be a christian biblically can private message me.

I'll tell you one of the things about Christians that offends me. A Christian telling me that some other Christian is not a Christian. None of you knows who the “Christian” is and who is not. To say otherwise in the face of the tens of thousands of variants of Christianity that all claim that they are the correct way to be Christian just makes me laugh. It is yet another sign of the basic dishonesty of the entire thing.

Also I don't have time to post right now in detail, but i am strongly against homosexual marriage. I do have some statistics i can post and information on why it would devastate our society if it is legalized. This information is not from the bible but based on the psychological affects it has on the people in a society. i will try to post it later. private message me if you would like this information.

If you want to post on homosexual marriage there is a thread already going in Society & Rights. In any case your statistics are irrelevant. You seem to think that somehow if gays get their equal rights under the law that they will start forming families, that they will start being gays. It just indicates just how ignorant your religion has made you on this issue. Gays are already being gay. They are already forming families. They are already making life long commitments. They are already getting married in churches under the eyes of god. They have been doing this for a very long time. Giving them their equal rights is only going to change one thing. They will now have the same family rights under the law as any other family. There will most likely be no more gay families with giving them their equal rights then there would be now. There would just be equal treatment under the law. Denying them their equal rights is like saying that we should not allow Negroes to have their equal rights because it will destroy society. Well perhaps you are right. Perhaps it will destroy society. But the society it destroyed was a hateful and bigoted society and anybody that seems to think that their Christian moral view supports such denial of equal rights is just another example that being Christian has nothing to do with being moral. That you all talk a good game but you are mostly moral idiots. And that is the least of your problems.

Starboy

[Livemike]

Quote by: prettyredhead What morality. It is known that most prominent countries, once embracing of homosexuality, it is only a short time until they crumble.

Yeah it only took about 300 years for the Romans to collapse after that.

Quote by: prettyredhead It always proceeds the downfall of a nation. Why are we different? We are not. People have different views of morality, when the common thread is gone that means only sorrow and strife. We cant save our country as long as we let corp. get in bed with our leader. They need an average Joe to be President. I hear Guliani is going to run next. God help us. I hate Guliani almost as much as I hate Bush. Guliani gives not a shit about poor and those who arent deemed useful . I hope he succumbs to cancer of the prick.

[giuliano]

Quote by: superchic[k] Do you believe morality is decaying in the present American society?

no not really, people still act according to their own moral values.

of course those values change. depending on personal perspective, they may be growing or declining.

[giuliano]

Quote by: superchic[k] I do have some statistics i can post and information on why it would devastate our society if it is legalized.

i love being told what to do by other people, in order to 'advance society'. that's what freedom is all about, right?

[Rohien]

Well, I suppose I don't really have a good strong view on this either way. While some days I believe we've come so far in many aspects as people brought up, like equal rights for all races and women. Some days I still think we have a long way to go. I live in a small community and racism/discrimination still abounds, some of the comments I've heard make me sick, and make me doubt the integrity of our society. I can only hope that people become more open minded and the progress continues.