"People don't do things they know are wrong." Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

LUClEN
LUClEN Members Posts: 20,559 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited December 2015 in The Social Lounge
I recently had a discussion with someone about teaching young men that ? is wrong. Their view was basically that ? would be greatly reduced if people were taught ? is wrong, as people do not do what they know is wrong. I immediately disagreed with that and showed them why this is untrue, pointing out that recidivism contradicts their claim. They didn't budge from their view though, so I was wondering if this belief is more wide spread.

What's your take SL?

"People don't do things they know are wrong." Do you agree or disagree with this statement? 17 votes

Agree
0%
Disagree
76%
gnsjonoBlack Boy KingWill MunnyBodhigoldenjaOlorun22Valentinez A. KaiserDoctopianMelqartluke1733The_Jackalzzombie 13 votes
It's partially true and false because...
23%
kingblaze84DoUwant2go2HeavenAjackson17NothingButTheTruth 4 votes

Comments

  • The_Jackal
    The_Jackal Members Posts: 3,628 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Disagree
    You should have called him/her a ? idiot and been on your way. Seriously how stupid do you have to be to think that people don't do things they think are wrong. The fact that stealing or killing in someone mind might be wrong won't stop them from doing it but the possible threat of retaliation potentially could
  • DoUwant2go2Heaven
    DoUwant2go2Heaven Members Posts: 10,425 ✭✭✭✭✭
    It's partially true and false because...
    1. We have an innate ability to discern right from wrong because our conscience bears witness to this truth. We desired the knowledge of good and evil, thus we fell from our innocent nature in the Garden of Eden. With our fall came the ability to know what was good and what was evil. Therefore our conscience gives us feelings of guilt when we do things that are wrong.

    2. Sadly if we continue on in rebellion by always doing wrong things, there comes a time when ? gives us over to a reprobate mind and out conscience becomes seared and thus we are no longer able to discern rightly because our minds have been totally corrupted by our continual wrong choices. There are many "secular" terms that identify this in medical and psychological circles.

    3. But there is a point that I want to make according to the experience of Paul and I assume all of our experiences. There are certain things that we may not know is wrong unless we are taught that they are wrong (? someone is not one of those things because there is a list of sins that you have to commit just to get to that point that will bear witness to the fact that what you are doing is wrong)

    But Paul said this in Romans:

    "7Well then, am I suggesting that the law of ? is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.” 8But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power. 9At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, 10and I died. So I discovered that the law’s commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead. 11Sin took advantage of those commands and deceived me; it used the commands to ? me. 12But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good.

    13But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses ? ’s good commands for its own evil purposes."
    Romans 7:7-13


    Paul didn't know it was wrong to covet until he found out in the Torah that ? said it was wrong to covet. And once he found out that it was wrong, the sin nature in him started to covet everything around him, thus he felt condemned.


    In the like manner we may not know that something is wrong unless it is revealed to us that it is wrong, and once we find out it is wrong the sin nature in all of us may bring all types of wicked desires into our minds in order to do what we just found out was wrong!


    Sin is exceedingly sinful my friends and we will even go so far as to justify, rationalize, and marginalize it's evilness by coming up with all sorts of excuses like your friend did when you were discussing ? @LUClEN .


    But at the end of the day there is no excuse because our conscience is what condemns us all the time. When we fail to heed to those warnings in our conscience it becomes more hard every moment, therefor the only way to be freed from the same cycle of condemnation that plays out in our minds and hearts is to be BORN AGAIN by the precious blood of Christ!

    For if you do this is your reward:

    "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death." Romans 8:1-2

    Hallelujah!
  • kingblaze84
    kingblaze84 Members Posts: 14,288 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited December 2015
    It's partially true and false because...
    Partially true. Some people are sociopaths or psychopaths and believe might makes right. They think power over others is natural and as a result, have no real problem with forcing themselves upon others.

    Most people know ? is wrong, but for those few sociopaths and psycopaths out there, there sadly has to be some kind of educational program to drum it in their heads that these things are wrong. Neglectful parents and abusive parents contribute to the problem.
  • R0mp
    R0mp Members Posts: 4,250 ✭✭✭✭✭
    You'd have to factor in the likelihood of reprisal or consequences; if there are protections in place and a person knows he can get away with it, he'll do things that he knows are ? up.
  • Black Boy King
    Black Boy King Members Posts: 6,984 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Disagree
    In response to the thread title, i disagree, some people believe there is profit in being honorable and some people think its a waste of time.

    Though The discussion you had with that person is a little bit different. Some people don't really know the consequences of their actions and how it really affects the victim. Therefore they dont think some things are really wrong. And this problem stems from people using their own personal feelings to define what true morality and loving your fellow man/woman is. Everyone is going to do what's right in their own eyes.

    Which is why law, order and government is necessary. We just need to right and perfect law in place. Which IMO is the Law in the Bible, summed up as love thy brother as thyself, I.e. treat others as you want to be treated. I'm sure with that law, no one would think its a good idea to ? .
  • NothingButTheTruth
    NothingButTheTruth Members Posts: 10,850 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited December 2015
    It's partially true and false because...
    Some people are more irrational than not, so they'll always have some kind of twisted logic as to why their crimes are not bad. The religious nuts and bigots fit in this category.

    But then with MOST people if you find a way to speak their language and inform them of why certain things are wrong and right using their logic, they will hear you out and either try to rebut or change their view. It's all about how you deliver the message.
  • kingblaze84
    kingblaze84 Members Posts: 14,288 ✭✭✭✭✭
    It's partially true and false because...
    Some people are more irrational than not, so they'll always have some kind of twisted logic as to why their crimes are not bad. The religious nuts and bigots fit in this category.

    But then with MOST people if you find a way to speak their language and inform them of why certain things are wrong and right using their logic, they will hear you out and either try to rebut or change their view. It's all about how you deliver the message.

    Yeah, with most people, they can be rational and understand why something like ? or robbing an old man/lady is wrong. But for some people, they truly have no problem with doing these things. In their mind, might makes everything right, and almost nothing can change their point of view.

    Many in Israel, for example, believe there is nothing wrong with taking land from Palestinians because the Hebrew ? stated that land is theres and can be taken. Manifest Destiny in America gave white crackas the view that taking land from Native Americans was perfectly okay too. For some people, as I said before, might makes everything right.
  • Will Munny
    Will Munny Members Posts: 30,199 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Disagree
    Hell, people do things because they KNOW its wrong and that's what gets them so excited.

  • kliiimaxx
    kliiimaxx Members Posts: 351 ✭✭✭
    ? will be reduced when they start making more sexbots
  • Will Munny
    Will Munny Members Posts: 30,199 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Disagree
    kliiimaxx wrote: »
    ? will be reduced when they start making more sexbots

    I hope I live long enough for this to happen.
  • kliiimaxx
    kliiimaxx Members Posts: 351 ✭✭✭
    Will Munny wrote: »
    kliiimaxx wrote: »
    ? will be reduced when they start making more sexbots

    I hope I live long enough for this to happen.

    Chances are you won't but good luck :)

  • luke1733
    luke1733 Members Posts: 1,490 ✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2016
    Disagree
    Some people do things exactly because of the reason that it's wrong.
    Some folks don't care it's wrong.
    Some of the same people will do somethings they don't think should be wrong.
    Some people will do wrong just to see if they can get away with it.
    Some don't want to do wrong but can be convinced.
    Some do wrong because they feel they want or need something they can't get the right way.