If this is the subject of choice, I think the best
thing I can talk about is my life experience with ethics. I grew up in a very
structured house, yet with very little structure. I have a sister about five
years older than I, and when we were growing up I always wanted to be just like
her. I remember I wanted to do everything like her, even dress like her, but my
Mother told me she was a horrible person that lied all the time. I was told she
was like the devil and not to speak with her. I lived in the same house as my
sister yet I remember very little of her growing up. I think a lot of that was
because our Mother would lock her in the back room of the house. One day I
missed her, so I went up to the door and knocked on it very quietly so I would
not get into trouble….“Shanon” I said, “Cassie go away, you know you are not
supposed to be talking to me” she replied in a quiet voice. I never understood
why my parents loved me and hated my sister.
I knew my Mother had a weight problem, but only
because, like a lot of parents, she would complain about her weight infront of
me. She bought a gym membership when I was about 10, and while she was working
out I would go into the nursery and play with the other children. I was
homeschooled, and never allowed out of the house except in the front yard and
where my Mother could see me. Because of my isolation, I never knew I was also
overweight. One day at the gym nursery, a little boy who was about eight years
old called called me fat. Getting called fat made a huge impression on me- I
was embarrassed and ashamed. I remembered something however, that my Mother
once told me “if you ever want to lose weight, just don’t eat as much”.So I
tried it! I began to eat less, and saw that I was losing weight. So I ate less
and less, until I was eating nothing. I had a problem, and went into a deep
depression. One day when I overheard my work-aholic Father inquiring my Mother
as to why I was not eating anything but a few bites a day for months at a time,
she said, “oh, she will eat again once she has lost as much weight as she
wants.” I did not understand how someone would willingly allow another to
suffer.
When I was twelve, my Mother started to give me
about three pills to take every day. I hated taking pills but my Mother made
me. When I asked her what they were for, she said “just take them.”I started my
period and it was very heavy. She later gave me the bottle of pills and trusted
me to keep taking them every day. I read the bottle and it said“GroBust”. In
shock that my Mother would be giving me a “sexual pill”, I read the back of the
bottle and it said “must be eighteen years or older”. I was very mad.
I stopped taking the pills that day; even though I was very scared my Mother would find out (I pretended I was still taking them). My period went away within 2 months.
I stopped taking the pills that day; even though I was very scared my Mother would find out (I pretended I was still taking them). My period went away within 2 months.
I was always a happy child on the outside; No one
ever knew me as anything but happy. They always said I was very shy and sweet.
I always smiled because someone once told me to smile… they said“smile at
everyone you see, because they will smile back-and you will make their day
happy!” I thought I was making other people happy, and that made me feel good
even though I had not known it for myself and was very alone. When I was
twelve, my Grandmother took us to a revival! The pastor talked about God and
Jesus. I already knew about them though, because my Mother talked about them
and took me to church on a regular basis. This day however, the pastor asked us
to give up: give up our wills and dreams and to give our every moves to Jesus.
I said ok. I was at my ropes end, I didn’t know anyone who really loved me, and
if this pastor was correct, and God really loved me, I would give up everything
for Him.
And you SHALL seek me, and FIND me, when you shall search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13
"I believe that when people try to find moral ethics by themselves they have no direction."
ReplyDeleteI would have to disagree with that statement. Currently I am taking a course in philosophy of religion and keeping an open mind towards all types of theism, atheism, or agnostic views is very crucial. Having an exclusivist point of view that one religion is the only way towards salvation constitutes a bit of arrogance. Your opening sentence was trying to define what moral ethics is, but how do you define it when you have no clear conception of what it is? Not trying to flame you, but I took it as the notion as if you don't have God on your side you are not moral or at least have a hard time finding morality. I could rant all day, but I would like to end with millions of deaths if not the most deaths have been caused by religious disputes/warfare.
I agree... but I wasnt trying to refer to religion. A relationship with God is the difference between everything.
Deleteanyone can say they are moral and anyone can go to church... but that doesnt actually change their heart....
When someone talks to God and Understand how much Jesus loves them. ... a hppiness comes over them that is greater than all those things.
If we are living what are we living for?
God made us to be His best freind, and until we relize and except this, we cannot be happy.
When I talk about having no direction... I mean that with out listening to God's Word (the Bible),
People get their moral beliefs from people around them?!
If you start paying close attention to the laws in our world that are really healthy and make good sense... they are actually all in the Bible- and in U.S. culture allot of the laws actually came from the Bible.
:)
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ReplyDeleteCassie, I'm very sorry you had such a troubled childhood and very happy you turned your life around. "Truth," pragmatically, means what it is better for you to believe. I can better understand, after reading this, why you might think that religious propositions are better for YOU to believe, given the dysfunction of your pre-religious experience. And (as a Jamesian) I'll even go out on a limb some of my atheist friends would saw out from under me and say maybe they are better for YOU...
ReplyDeleteBut,
"I believe that when people try to find moral ethics by themselves they have no direction."
To the contrary, many of us have found direction. We must all learn not to overgeneralize from our own experience.
"Nonetheless, I hope that no matter what you believe….. you follow it full heartedly"...
Terrorists and bombers typically terrorize with their whole hearts, and "know" what they believe to be "true." To them I'd urge: "Don't believe everything you think," and don't claim certain knowledge of everything you believe. So, pluralism for all, but only when coupled with fallibilism.
But let's end on a proposition we can all agree on:
"...because truth is truth."
True!
Peace and happiness to you, Cassie. Good luck!