If Nothing Is Inherently Good Or Bad, How Are We To Make Moral Judgments?
I recently received a very thought-provoking comment from a reader who had a question about my blog post where I claimed that spanking children was barbaric. I have a reservation that maybe you could help me understand. In [your blog post] on spanking children being barbaric … I was confused. If there is no meaning in events [for example, spanking of children], if we can't know the future result of that [action] "for sure," then how can it be barbaric? … If my partner yells at me, shall I call it barbaric if statistics show being yelled at has negative consequences? [...]
It Is Barbaric And Must Be Stopped
Time magazine this week reported that 19 states still allow teachers to paddle students in schools. What is even more alarming is that adult acceptance of spanking, while lower than it was 50 years ago, was still approved of by 71% in 2004. The article made me realize that a blog post I wrote a couple of years ago is as relevant as ever. So I’m reprinting it this week with some editing to bring it up to date. If you didn’t read it, please read it now. If you did read it when it was originally published, please read [...]
What could they possibly have been thinking?
There was a time in America when some people were treated as property, forced to do whatever other people wanted, abused without any ability to respond, and unable to obtain their freedom. Such behavior was legal and considered appropriate by the people practicing it. When we look at the people who exhibited that behavior we think with repulsion, “What could they possibly have been thinking?” I’m not referring to slavery 150 years ago. I’m referring to the abuse heaped upon millions of children daily by well-meaning parents who don’t realize the long-term damage being done by spanking and other forms [...]
