Ok, we have been getting into why we have the laws we do. SOme say they are only based on safety, some say they are based on societies morals on safety, some say they are based on religion. Some say other things I haven’t thought of. So, why don’t we look at what we think laws are based on.
I personally think American laws are based on morals whihc I believe we get from religion. For example, I think we all agree murder is bad. However, we all probably have different reasons for thinking this. I personally think murder is bad because God sad murder is bad. I have thought about what if I don’t believe in God, why is murder wrong? I can’t come up with an answer to that. Somehow, something has to tell us that murder is wrong otherwise why have a law about it.
Laws are a set of guide lines to ensure the freedoms expressed in the Constitution are not violated. i.e. murder is illegal because it violates a person right to life.
murder is illegal because it violates a person right to life.
This is correct; we all should be allowed to live our lives peacefully.
We have societies because people with the same beliefs came together and made laws to ensue that everyone acts in a manner that the whole finds acceptable.
When the majority feels that a law no longer represents their beliefs they change it.
But why does that person have a right to life I guess is the big question?
When you are born you are alive.
The question therefore is why should you have the right to end someone’s life ?
In the states you still end a person’s life when you feel that they no longer deserve to live for the crimes they have committed.
Personally I think killing a person because they chose not to follow society’s laws is wrong. I think that imprisoning a person because they chose not to follow the law is wrong.
I think if people choose break the laws of the society that they forfeit their right to be apart of society. But you can’t kill or cage a man because he chooses to live his life by his own rules.
I think the world should do what England did… Find an island and when people forfeit their right to be apart of society drop them off on some island somewhere and let them do what they want to each other.
You can lie under oath. You can currently lie under oath even if God does exist and will exact revenge upon your eternal soul for your action. What stops us is a desire to be good. Good can be either, that which your god tells you is good, or good can be something which is relivantly good for society. Murder of societies members is bad for society. It breaks it down. Stealing other’s possesions breaks down society. J-walking breaks down society. I’m not going to argue with you over which came first, man’s laws or God’s laws. We’re both in agreement that we can’t win that debate. I can argue though that God’s rules may be followed, but are not relivant to societies laws. That is to say, society can make rules just for the sake of itself and it’s own existance.
The reason you must follow the laws is, if you get caught by others of the society, you will either be, killed, imprisonned, or excommunicated from that society. Make your choice and live with the consiquences, but even God gave you the choice to follow or deal with the repercussions. What makes man’s repercussions any different than God’s? They aren’t eternal… ok, so what… they can be for the rest of your life and that sucks pretty bad regardless of your belief in eternity.
If you’re an atheist, you have one limited life on this planet. If you waste it in jail, it will hardly be an enjoyable one.
If you’re a Christian, your God told you to obey man’s laws during the transient state known as life.
If you’re an agnostic, there could be any number of punishments availiable, but almost all religions have rules against lying.
If you’re a nilist you can do whatever you want in life. Act like a good man, and steal behind everyone’s back.
We all have reasons to follow the rules other than these I’m sure. I was raised by a father who believes in most laws and rules currently in practice. I feel the need to have his respect. I follow most rules and or laws mearly out of that one concept.
If you want to know what is stopping people from breaking the law, there is nothing Lizard. There is nothing to stop you or I or any other person from doing so. With or without god, there is nothing to stop you if you want to be counterproductive to societies goals. Just be prepared to deal with the rest of us if you get caught.
oh and in a previous post I talked about the priori of society. This is why we have rights… because we say we do.
here’s the post quote I made.
It is society’s ethical priori, as something which benefits from each individual, to protect each individual from harm by that society or outside influences.
Think about that for a while. It answers your question.
Since we are on the topic of laws and where they came form I’d have to say alot of them came from some religion and then have been alterd to suit our needs. Example, the public nudity law where you will be jail for streking, that law had to come out of a religion or just because humans have been wearing clothes so long we cant stand the thought of nudity all the time.
