Morality Policing...

Sometimes I think social media was a mistake. Sometimes I think government was a mistake. I'm almost always certain that politics is an inescapable mistake.

Anyway, we can't get away from government. The alternative is awful. There should be some amount of government. Of course, how much is a constant debate that I have lots of interest in, but not right now because that's not what this article/post/thing is about.

The real issue at the heart of some current angst and frustration I am having is people with a different set of "morals" than I have being in positions of power, and using those positions to enforce their morals. And by different set, I usually mean a more restrictive set.

Of course, there's a reason I put morals in quotes up there. This is because I tend to have different moral and social views on a lot of topics. Generally this is because I want there to be protections for people who have different moral views than I have.

For example, I am strongly morally opposed to abortion. Personally, I think the only morally grey case is when the mother's life is at risk (and all other cases—including in rape and incest—are wrong). However! I am also not for totally banning abortion. This is because I know there will be people who will choose to not live according to my morals, and it isn't my responsibility to try and force them to. (Indeed, people forcing others to live by their morals is precisely what I'm complaining about in this piece!)

Therefore, I would prefer that someone choosing to get an abortion is able to do so as safely as possible. And, for my part, I'd rather adjust society so that things that socially push women towards getting abortions could be changed so that they no longer want to get one. Shaming women for getting pregnant out of wedlock, for example.

And again, my moral stance is that sex outside of wedlock is wrong. However, I see no reason to try and enforce my moral posture on others. What does that accomplish?

Anyway, this whole thing has been inspired by a variety of things, but the strongest one is the prudishness of American culture. It frustrates me greatly (for reasons that'll be apparent as soon as I finally write an About page for this blog).

It's moods like the one I'm experiencing right now that really make me look forward to the New Jerusalem, y'know? The one promised in Revelation. Because some days I just can't take broken, fallen human culture and society.

*sigh*

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