Teaching our children
Rules of logic
Although I was not surprised to hear President Trump announce that the United States would be selling more military weapons to India, on other level I am always shocked. Selling weapons for profit did not begin with this president. We, the, United States have been doing this for a long time. It may be that this president more vocally stresses the positive economic impact of selling weapons
I am also aware that a number of individuals have stressed we, the United States, need to ensure that countries such as India buy from us and not from Russia. It is clear that many countries are going to purchase military grade weapons from some country.
Military grade weapons are expensive. The money from their sales employs a number of people at all income levels. That money feeds and houses many individuals and families.
So far, so good. The basic laws of logic have been honored:
1.It is good that individuals and families can be fed and housed.
2.Producing and selling military grade weapons provide the money for feeding and housing many people.
Yet we still have to add statement number 3 and 4 in this sequence.
3. Many people may potentially be left hungry, homeless and possibly dead as a result of the use of these weapons.
4.The potential hunger, homelessness and possible death is the acceptable price for feeding those who produce the weapons.
Based just on the above it would seem to me the selling of military grade weapons is contrary to the stated morals or ethics of those who claim to morally ground themselves in Christian beliefs or the beliefs of some other religions
How is that behavior which is intended to allow for the death of others is consistent with the teaching of Jesus and some other spiritual teachers?
I have read and talked with those theologians, including Christian theologians, who believe that killing is sometimes justified. I am not convinced that is the case, but I have also never personally been in the position of having to choose between killing or allowing someone, such as my child, to be killed.
One also has to ask whether it is moral to sell weapons to use against people who are committing genocide or other horrendous acts of violence.
My point is we need to be teaching our children at all ages to seriously, respectfully, wrestle with these and other moral issues. I am not convinced that there are simple or easy answers. I can, in most case, articulate a cogent argument on many sides of the same issue. Allowing our children to believe that the rules of logic only require one statement to prove a thesis, I e. “This action results in a financial profit.” could in and of itself be considered immoral.
Written February 26, 2020
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
Rules of logic
Although I was not surprised to hear President Trump announce that the United States would be selling more military weapons to India, on other level I am always shocked. Selling weapons for profit did not begin with this president. We, the, United States have been doing this for a long time. It may be that this president more vocally stresses the positive economic impact of selling weapons
I am also aware that a number of individuals have stressed we, the United States, need to ensure that countries such as India buy from us and not from Russia. It is clear that many countries are going to purchase military grade weapons from some country.
Military grade weapons are expensive. The money from their sales employs a number of people at all income levels. That money feeds and houses many individuals and families.
So far, so good. The basic laws of logic have been honored:
1.It is good that individuals and families can be fed and housed.
2.Producing and selling military grade weapons provide the money for feeding and housing many people.
Yet we still have to add statement number 3 and 4 in this sequence.
3. Many people may potentially be left hungry, homeless and possibly dead as a result of the use of these weapons.
4.The potential hunger, homelessness and possible death is the acceptable price for feeding those who produce the weapons.
Based just on the above it would seem to me the selling of military grade weapons is contrary to the stated morals or ethics of those who claim to morally ground themselves in Christian beliefs or the beliefs of some other religions
How is that behavior which is intended to allow for the death of others is consistent with the teaching of Jesus and some other spiritual teachers?
I have read and talked with those theologians, including Christian theologians, who believe that killing is sometimes justified. I am not convinced that is the case, but I have also never personally been in the position of having to choose between killing or allowing someone, such as my child, to be killed.
One also has to ask whether it is moral to sell weapons to use against people who are committing genocide or other horrendous acts of violence.
My point is we need to be teaching our children at all ages to seriously, respectfully, wrestle with these and other moral issues. I am not convinced that there are simple or easy answers. I can, in most case, articulate a cogent argument on many sides of the same issue. Allowing our children to believe that the rules of logic only require one statement to prove a thesis, I e. “This action results in a financial profit.” could in and of itself be considered immoral.
Written February 26, 2020
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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