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Rules we should all be able to live by?

Started by Tank, April 12, 2011, 03:02:41 PM

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Tank

Quote from: "AreEl"
Quote from: "Tank"Then you suspect wrong and presume far more than you should given the evidence you have to hand, but then being a theist that's the way your world works isn't it? Know next to nothing and assume everything  :D    

Now my feelings are hurt!  

 :)
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

The Magic Pudding

Quote from: "Tank"One may only kill another person:
    1) To save your own life in self defence
    2) To save the life of another person who can not defend themselves

Agree/disagree?

Disagree

I have sympathy for someone killing an abuser in certain circumstances.
Some killing during WWII was probably justified.
If someone was going to push a button and blow up the Sydney Opera House (no one injured), I'd excuse someone shooting him, the thing cost a lot of money and probably a few lives as well.  There is also the opportunity cost of rebuilding it, this could be equated to lives not saved through new hospitals foregone.

If modern lawmakers were making a new ten commandments I think there'd be a thick volume of exceptions for each rule.  I don't know if the bible is supposed to do this, if it does it probably needs a rewrite.

Ulver

Though I regret being nit picky, I agree with The Magic Pudding, in the sense that situations are oft so unpredictable, especially throughout time, that I don't think there are many things we can comfortably say should always happen. I think humans aiming to do as little harm (in general) as possible is a good rule, though, it is vague enough.

Byronazriel

One word: Hedonism

Maximize pleasure, and minimize suffering. Used wisely it would solve a lot of problems.
"You are trying to understand madness with logic. This is not unlike searching for darkness with a torch." -Jervis Tetch

Asmodean

Quote from: "Tank"Are there a set of rules that it would be reasonable to expect all people to live by irrespective of their world view?
No rigid set of rules, no... Rules, you see, they tend to ignore the differences in people and sometimes that leads to more misery than is healthy.

QuoteOne may only kill another person:
    1) To save your own life in self defence
    2) To save the life of another person who can not defend themselves
Agree/disagree?
I'd remove number two unless the person in question was directly affiliated to you, like a friend or family or co-worker, or unless that person asked for saving. (Yelling "HEEEEELP!!!" would be the example of that. I don't mean coming over to you while being stabbed and asking "Sir, would you mind awfully hitting that man over there with a tire iron?")
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on July 25, 2013, 08:18:52 PM
In Asmo's grey lump,
wrath and dark clouds gather force.
Luxembourg trembles.

skwurll

In Theory:

Rule 1: Do not take any action that interferes (negatively) with another person's life, property, or happiness without permission from said person.
Rule 2: Rule 1 is to be ignored if it is possible to prevent someone from breaking Rule 1, but such an act would violate Rule 1; for the duration of the action taken to prevent Rule 1 from being broken.

In Practice:
Rule 1: Don't be a dick.
Rule 2: If someone's being a dick, stop them.

If everyone followed those two rules, we'd have no problems.
(Technically, if everyone followed the first rule, we'd have no problems, but Rule 2 is a safeguard.)