An exercise in moral reasoning

A. Preliminary Questions

1) From the Gallup poll, I would say that gambling is morally wrong. In my opinion, the act of gambling is similar to committing suicide, in the sense that, one is putting his or her life at high risk or danger. My basis of this claim is based on Complication #1: Shades of Gray, wherein the action of one is wrong if it violates a certain norm. From here, I feel that despite the fact that gambling may something we do for pleasure, it is sometimes overly abused by betting too much money on a certain game, in which you may lose all of your money. In terms of morality, it is different from people to people; however, gambling, for me, is morally wrong, in the sense that we are betting something we worked hard for to be used in pleasure.

2) In some situations, actions are not always considered to be sinful or bad; it will always depend on the situation of whether or not one is aware of the situation being sinful or bad. In a certain situation, one should consider taking the road of caution, so that one may be able to think over and reflect on the given situation. One should also apply moral principles when faced with moral situation. Through the use of moral principles, one is able to reflect on pass experiences of a similar moral situation one had, as a guide to help in deciding the right, moral decision.

3) I would say that I am a moral rationalist because I would not always consider a situation immediately morally right or wrong. I would always consider the use of moral principles, the road of caution, and my past experiences in helping decide whether something is morally right or wrong.

B. “What if…?”

In deciding whether the action or behavior is morally right or wrong, you should look first at the situation at hand. From there, take the road of caution, so that you feel that you are still in a “safe spot” before going on to morally decide the situation.

Then, evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of the situation. It is a possibility for one to be tempted in saying that ‘this is morally right’ or ‘this is morally wrong’ due to either pleasure or pain. This shows that you are suspicious of the outcome of the situation, and therefore feel the need to consult once again.

Finally after evaluating the pros and cons of the situations, try to reason yourself out on whether to choose the morally right or wrong. It also possible for you to go back and think whether you have a similar experience with facing this kind of situation. That way, it can also help in your decision of what is morally right or wrong.

The use of caution, suspicion, and reason are important in deciding whether your decision in a situation is morally right or wrong. At the end of it all, your decision is what will change the situation. By considering these implications, it is possible for one to morally decide right and avoiding choosing the wrong decision.

Genetically Modified Foods

A genetically modified food (GMF) is derived from a genetically modified organism. The food can be substantially different from or essentially the same as the conventional food, in terms of of composition, nutrition, taste, smell, texture and functional characteristics.

Some benefits of GMF is that it can improve the taste, texture, nutritional value, and shelf life of the food. They can also become resistant against insecticides, pesticides, etc. However, its disadvantages include: risks of having allergic reactions due to unaccounted side effects in the alteration of the structure of the organism, which can further lead to diseases.

From my perspective, GMFs can both be beneficial and harmful to the body. It is possible to believe scientists and commercials about how certain GMFs are made, but it cannot be rest assured that it applies to all. Some GMFs make work or appeal to one individual, but not to another. Therefore, we should not be drawn too much by GMFs, but rather we should consider that eating naturally growing foods are much safer, than something that is chemically altered.

Reason vs. Religion

BHA and BHT

BHA and BHT are antioxidants that help preserve food such as meat, cereal, etc. These actually react with oxygen, rather than the food itself. That way, the food gets to be preserved for a longer period of time. These types of antioxidants attract many people in wanting their food to last longer. With these preservatives, it becomes possible for people to store lots of food in their respective refrigerators.

However, these preservatives are chemically made. We are still not certain on whether or not these are healthy and that no side effects will be felt once they enter our bodies (when we eat them). Despite all this, the use of additives and eating them is still in question. I think that we should not depend ourselves in eating foods with preservatives, but rather to eat more on natural growing foods like fruits and vegetables.

In conclusion, although these antioxidants can help preserve our foods, we should still consider that they are still chemically made substance that might affect our bodies in the future.

Kropeck: Use of Different Oils

Using different oils affected the taste of the kropeck. Some of the oils like vegetable and canola oils brought out the natural flavor of the kropeck. On the other hand, palm oil somehow changed the flavor of the kropeck, in which the flavor did not really stand out. Overall, the oil used in cooking the kropeck does have an effect on its taste.

All About Food

Food is an essential in our daily lives. We eat food for us to survive and continue to live.

Many people feel that there is a division between food that is normal and not. We ourselves choose our own food that we feel comfortable to eat, rather than eating anything random. There are also people who feel that some foods are weird, in the way they are cooked, eaten, or the use of raw ingredients itself.

Top 5 Weirdest Food

1) Fried Spiders

2) Dried Lizards

3) Bugs (cooked in any way)

4) Live Octopus

5) Anything that is eaten alive

The Last VC — Xavier and South Dartmoor

Both schools were able to exchange different ideas and concepts on the topic of material and spiritual wealth. All of us were able o give substantial input on our opinions and thoughts about this topic.

From this experience, I can say that everything went well with all of us participating actively throughout the conversation. I also feel that the conversation could be made if we talk about our respective schools, rather than just focusing on the said topic. This way, we get to know what similarities and differences both schools have.

If we were provided more time to talk with them, it would be possible for us to further get to know each other and also explore more on the said topic. Overall, I can say that the whole VC was a success, with just little improvements.

Drinking is better than driving

 

Source: http://advertisingmp.edublogs.org/media-coverage/banning-of-alcohol-ads/

 

 

 

 

 

CLE Matters

During the 1st Semester, the 3 most relevant lessons/topics that I learned in CLE are the epistemological world views, close reading and analysis of the Bible, and my awareness of social justice in our society.

From learning these lessons, the 2 most important skills I have developed my appreciation towards the literal understanding and close analysis of the Bible. Another skill I developed is the use of reason to my understanding of social injustice.

Overall, the most significant insight I learned during the 1st Semester is that our faith varies differently from person to person, as well as our world views about society and social justice.

Levels of Pain

Stress – Level 3

Hit by a tennis ball – Level 4

Sprain – Level 6

Stab by a pencil – Level 7

Finger crushed by the hinge of the door – Level 10