Morality is about consequences, not rules

Let’s cut to the main moral question: is it ever right to kill someone? Most people, perhaps surprisingly, would say yes and it’s easy to cite examples.

Killing a terrorist before he throws a bomb into a crowd of people is a moral act because it prevents the death and suffering of innocent people.

Similarly, killing an armed burglar would be moral if he was about to kill your family.

Assisted suicide can also be moral. If you doubt that, ask yourself, is forcing a terminally ill person who wishes to die to live in pain for selfish reasons ever moral?

Morality is about making conscious decisions and thinking about the probable consequences.

If the consequences of your actions lead to a reduction in suffering and an increase in well-being, it can generally be considered moral.

Religionists like to pretend that they have a monopoly on morality. But is obediently following commands merely with the intention of gaining a future reward for which there is no evidence really ‘moral’ behaviour?

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