being objective

  Many of the things I write about are just musings. That's the reason for the title I selected in the first place. I've been writing for over ten years now. If I were only to write the thoughts I truly believed in I would have said everything by now. The wife says I have. There is a bit of truth in that, I have repeated myself on more than one occasion. Taken as a whole there is a theme running throughout these blogs. Had they been written before the internet they would be called a journal. Journals are written by men, diaries by women. Well, it was that way when I was a kid anyway. Anne Frank didn't write a journal, she wrote a diary. Mark Twain and Einstein kept personal journals. I do think personal journal's and diaries are different than a blog by their very nature, they are personal. Well whatever you wish to call any of those things isn't the point here, the point I'm trying to make is that I'm simply sharing what I'm thinking about. There are not intended to be missives outlining correct thinking. They are simply, my thoughts.

  As to a theme I would say that theme centers on morality and ethics. Both topics are subjective things and therefore there can be no correct or incorrect answers. At the same time both topics arouse the strongest emotions. That is what fascinates me I suppose ,that incongruity. People, groups, indeed entire nations basing their responses to the world on a subjective thing. Objectivity is not the defining factor! Yet it is objectivity that is being used to enforce a subjective idea. That is the incongruity. In my blogs I breach that very thing over and over again. Often being objective is viewed as being unfeeling. Subjecting a moral conclusion to an objective model will often have that result. Still in the end it is those moral and ethical choices that motivate man. And yes I still use man to speak of human beings, all human beings regardless of gender. 

  Law is an objective thing. Well, laws once codified as supposed to be objective things. In life and in the world that isn't what happens however. Laws become subjective things and that is the job of the lawyer. By making an appeal to morality and ethics, the law, the objective thing, is modified by the subjective thing. The easiest way to understand that is with the, it wasn't that bad attitude. Yes, the law was broken but it was only broken a little bit, and for a good reason. Man adopted that attitude early on and it continues to this day. We call that freedom. When parents, groups, or governments strictly enforce the law we say they are being authoritarian, they are restricting our freedom. And that is generally thought of as a bad thing. 

  Now being raised in the Christian tradition I was taught a basic lesson, I am subject to Gods law. That law is the ultimate authority, there is no appeal from judgement once rendered. The law was handed down from God himself! After learning that lesson and also learning that man failed to obey that law an explanation was required. After the first attempt started by Adam and Eve, the earth was flooded and we got a do over. God said, we would never get another. Ever since man has sought to modify those laws, if not downright dismiss them altogether. 

  And just what are those laws? Morality and ethics is the short answer. Really could be summed up with that one golden rule, treat others as you wish to be treated. But we all know that isn't going to happen and so laws are created, man's law. Man's law is always subjective. It has to be. It is the only way man could respond to what he doesn't control. Yeah, we are not really in control here, we just are arrogant enough to believe we are. Some of us are arrogant enough to believe we know the final judgement. We call those folks "true" believers. Thing is I was taught that Gods' law was completely objective. It is what it is! Man has tried to make it subjective and that is what all the denominations, sects, splinter groups or whatever is all about. It's also the reason we are taught, God will forgive you, if you truly repent and truly believe. If you believe that God is completely objective, strict in the enforcement of his law that would mean you would have to obey those laws. Well, unless you can get God to agree that, well , it wasn't that bad. And say, I'm sorry. 

  Morality and ethics are personal things. They are what will ultimately define who we were. In the Christian tradition that is what is being judged in the end. Morality and ethics as absolutes? Yes, that is what God is all about, all Gods in fact. A superior power, a controlling factor that we can appeal to for guidance, support and help. A God that can defeat all enemies, all obstacles we ever face. All we need to do is obey, but we don't. So, we decide that we can be forgiven, that it wasn't that bad and there was a good reason for doing whatever it is we did. We justify our moral and ethical choices by being subjective. Hey, I'm only human you know. Well, I think God, whoever you conceive him to be, already knows all of that. And I believe that has to be the most arrogant statement of all, given who you are speaking to. And that's the reason humility is the best quality. Problem with that is others often see humility as weakness. Therein lies the struggle of man. It's very hard to be objective when you are, the subject. Just something I was thinking about.