Morality.

[Vell]

Is there a universal code of morality that all people should be subject to?

[Blizzard]

Maybe only by part. If you take a look at the rough outline of the Bible, it does teach some good things and morality. But if you take everything, there's a lots of stuff that maybe shouldn't be there. But I guess there can't be an absolute code of morality, because life isn't black and white. Even if you help somebody, you didn't do the best thing possible, because maybe you could have helped somebody who needed your help more. I think the best way to handle it altogether is to pick an existing code or put one together for yourself and just try your best to follow it. In the end, we're all just human.

[Subsonic_Noise]

Well, morals are usually something society-induced, meaning different societies have different morals, as in cannibalism, something our society sees as one of the worst things there are, might be as normal as it is to you to eat animals to a society that is traditionally cannibalistic. Of course, people here will freak out and say "that's just wrong, no matter from what perspective", but for them it'd be the most regular thing ever.

That being said, there is a sentence connected with the wiccan religion that goes "an it harm none, do what ye will", which is something I can strongly sympatize with, even if it simpfies things alot. Basically, by this, killing someone is bad, but, as opposed to what many christians preach today, homosexuality isn't, for example.

I should not post in intelligent debate in a state of insomnia.

[Blizzard]

Actually I agree there with you. Many morals are society induced. You have to figure out which are bullshit and this is something that can take you a lifetime. Most people never even do. Also, that Wiccan sentence is very wise. You can find a lot of wisdom in many religions. But as everything else man-made, they tend to be flawed and the worst problems arise when people blindly follow them instead of thinking and re-thinking a few things with their own heads.

[Subsonic_Noise]

Just to add to that, you should look up on Wiccan. It's probably one of the most open religions there is, and some of its concepts are quite interesting.
I don't believe in it, being an atheist, but it is intrigueing.

[Fantasist]

IMO, a moral can be anything following which you will be kept in the realm of social acceptance. That's how I defined it for myself. But while I really believe it, I think there are certain things that I just can't do even if there would be no consequences. My conscience still suffers if I do those things. Is it because of the way I was raised, believing in morals that my parents and my religion passed down to me, or is it genetic/biological? I guess the question is, is conscience something you develop or is it something you're born with? (which leads to my possibly second definition of a moral: rules with which your conscience agrees.)

But in the end:

In the end, we're all just human.

Wiccan seems intriguing, will look it up.

[Blizzard]

My conscience still suffers if I do those things. Is it because of the way I was raised, believing in morals that my parents and my religion passed down to me, or is it genetic/biological? I guess the question is, is conscience something you develop or is it something you're born with?

I would define it as the way you were raised combined with your experiences through life and society's influence. But conscience shouldn't be that. Conscience should be your tool to decide whether you want or don't want to accept the consequences of doing something. Conscience should not prevent you from doing things, it should allow you to see things more clearly, to understand what you are "risking" if you do something and what can happen.

[Fantasist]

Very nice Blizzard. Very nice.

[Tazero]

Well, morals are usually something society-induced, meaning different societies have different morals, as in cannibalism, something our society sees as one of the worst things there are, might be as normal as it is to you to eat animals to a society that is traditionally cannibalistic. Of course, people here will freak out and say "that's just wrong, no matter from what perspective", but for them it'd be the most regular thing ever.

That being said, there is a sentence connected with the wiccan religion that goes "an it harm none, do what ye will", which is something I can strongly sympatize with, even if it simpfies things alot. Basically, by this, killing someone is bad, but, as opposed to what many christians preach today, homosexuality isn't, for example.

I should not post in intelligent debate in a state of insomnia.

Bible also made point of Incest which is illegal :3.. Just sayin' ;D

[Blizzard]

Yet again, this is something that should be carefully considered. Inbreeding usually leads to weak genes so in nature animals don't inbreed. I think that avoiding incest was there long before the Bible. Maybe the Bible was just the first to document it.

[EntropyUSB]

Like what many have already said, the idea of "morals" itself is merely a figment of hysteria.

Or in other words, because different people and places have different moral beliefs; you can't just subject anyone to one specific moral. Some people have morals that to many of us, appear as something absolutely disturbing and bizarre.

If anything, morals are just a means to justify what you do and why you do it. Although it isn't exactly a justificiation, but more or less; a way to create an "acceptance" without being accepted.