Comments on: Life in the Necropolis

By: Caroline

Caroline — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:55:47 +0000

I’m not a religious person, (more of an ‘opiate of the masses’ person) but I’m really impressed with the intelligent comments here. Let me vent for a moment: The reaction to Polanski’s arrest was SUCH a rude awakening for me. I never would have guessed that so many people- people whose reputations depend in a vast public opinion no less- would deny the criminality of a rape! Moral relativism is certainly correct, and a darn shame. I have only ever seen one of this guys films, and that one i watched not knowing it was his. I refuse to (knowingly) dignify a rapists work, especially one that has an outstanding debt to his victim and society.

By: Aquila

Aquila — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:30:12 +0000

Uh, Phoenix? I think you have Dr. Bob mixed up with another blogging Bob who holds forth on similar matters.

By: Elisheva Levin

Elisheva Levin — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 20:49:34 +0000

I agree with you that postmodernist philosophy is morally relativistic. However, even a cursory study of history demonstrates that the three religions you tout (one of them is my own–I am claiming no moral superiority here), have allslipped into another kind of moral depravity at one time or another: speaking in the name of their god, express approval of behavior that is equally depraved. The forced marriage and rape of child brides, the murder of those who do not agree that the ascendent religion speaks for god, religious war. And the whole sorry behavior that you rightly critique above.
Here the moral relativism seems to be that those with power, speaking in the name of the idols of the time, claim divine approval for doing barbarism.

Although I believe that religion can inculcate moral absolutes, I do not believe that it always does. Unfortunately, there is a great deal of evidence that religion, too, can become an excuse for moral relativism.

By: Retriever

Retriever — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:27:28 +0000

Well worth the impatient wait! Awesome post! Linking to it and sending to friends and relatives. Particularly good on the points about the double standard and the relationship between “tolerance” (all animals are equal but some are more equal than others) and the descent at the individual level to licence.

By: James

James — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 03:19:19 +0000

Hi Doctor,

I wonder. What are these three divine religions you speak of?

If they are what I think they are, then one of them regularly treats woman the way Polanski did, at the same age too. Of course in that case, the woman is “Married” and the crime is committed over and over again for the rest of her life.

What is the connection to this new morality and that old religion? Both have pagan roots I think, but I’m just guessing.

James