| IMPLICATIONS OF UTILITARIANISM (4) Jerry D. McDonald |
We saw, last week, that one of the implications of utilitarianism is that there
is no God. God and the principles of utility cannot and will not co-exist.
Either one is subject under the principle of utility, or one is subject unto God
and his word. Jesus said: “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate
the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other.
Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Mt. 6:24). He also said: “He that is not
with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad” (Mt.
12:30). What both of these verses point out is the principle of the “Law of
Excluded Middle.” This law simply states that the middle is excluded and one
has to take either one side or the other.
Copi wrote: “The principle of excluded middle. This principle asserts that
every statement is either true or false” (Introduction to Logic, 11th edition, p.
344). If every statement is either true or false then the middle is excluded.
In the case of utilitarianism, both sides are in such opposition that one can
only hold to one. Either one holds to the existence of God and subjects him
self to God’s word, or one holds to the principle of utility and becomes subject
to the idea that the only two masters are pleasure and pain. Though people
try to hold to both, they make no more sense than those who try to hold to
God and evolution. The two simply are not compatible with each other.
We looked at the idea that, following the principle of utility, if society decided
that there should be no monogamous marriages then multiple relationships
would be morally right. However, the Bible strictly forbids multiple
relationships, and we looked the scriptures to back this prohibition.
What if society decided that anyone having a chronic medical condition or
physical handicap should die, would this make killing those people right?
Adolf Hitler wanted to start what he considered “the master race”:
The master race is a concept in Nazi ideology, which holds that the Germanic
and Nordic people represent an ideal and "pure race". It derives from
nineteenth century racial theory, which posited a hierarchy of "races" placing
African Bushmen and Indigenous Australians at the bottom of the hierarchy
while Northern Europeans (namely the Nordic peoples in particular) were at
the top. Almost all modern geneticists no longer give credence to the
hierarchical model of race on which the policies of racial hygiene are built, but
this concept still exists today among white supremacists. (http://en.wikipedia.
org/wiki/Master_race#Fictional_representations)
His idea of the perfect race was someone who was “white” and in perfect
health. As was said by the article, the concept still exists today among white
supremacists. However, even many of those who accept people of different
races still want the “perfect health” part of what Nazism tried to bring about.
This is one of the reasons so many people wanted Terri Schiavo to die. In
spite of the numerous attempts at saving her life, she was allowed to starve
and die of dehydration. For nearly two weeks she was given neither food nor
water and on March 31, 2005 (at the age of only 41) she finally succumbed to
death. People argued that she didn’t deserve to live because she had no
quality of life. Who made man the judge of an innocent human being.
The Bible states: “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that
no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him” (1 Jno. 3:15). Michael Schiavo
can argue about how much he loved Terri all he wants to, but the truth of the
matter is that he didn’t love her at all. He wanted her dead! She wasn’t
physically able to be a wife to him and so he wanted her out of the way so he
could continue his relationship with his live in girlfriend, Jodi Centonez. The
two met in a dentist’s office after Terri had been taken to a nursing home.
They lived together for five years and were finally married in 2006. They
already had two children by the time that Terri died and they were married.
Whatever happened to the phrase “Till Death Do Us Part”? Where was
Michael’s loyalty towards Terri the last five yeas of her life? Well it certainly
wasn’t with Terri because during those last five years, he tried his best to get
her put to death several times. He finally succeeded, after several extensive
court battles. He had no love for her, he only wanted the woman he could
have children with.
The Bible condemns having intimate relationships with people with whom you
are not married, “Marriage is honorable among all, the bed undefiled, but
whoremongers and adulterers, God will punish” (Heb. 13;4). The majority of
people in society wanted Michael’s wishes granted. This is what is taught by
the principle of utility. If it brings the greatest pleasure, then do it. If it
brings the greatest pain, then don’t do it. Since society decided that it was
more pleasurable to allow a 41 year old defenseless woman to starve and
dehydrate to the point of death, then society should have its way. And
according to the principle of utility this is what should have happened.
Whatever happened to life, all life, being precious and being protected by the
constitution of the United States of America? This shows the utter evil of
following the principles of utilitarianism. More to come.
is no God. God and the principles of utility cannot and will not co-exist.
Either one is subject under the principle of utility, or one is subject unto God
and his word. Jesus said: “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate
the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other.
Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Mt. 6:24). He also said: “He that is not
with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad” (Mt.
12:30). What both of these verses point out is the principle of the “Law of
Excluded Middle.” This law simply states that the middle is excluded and one
has to take either one side or the other.
Copi wrote: “The principle of excluded middle. This principle asserts that
every statement is either true or false” (Introduction to Logic, 11th edition, p.
344). If every statement is either true or false then the middle is excluded.
In the case of utilitarianism, both sides are in such opposition that one can
only hold to one. Either one holds to the existence of God and subjects him
self to God’s word, or one holds to the principle of utility and becomes subject
to the idea that the only two masters are pleasure and pain. Though people
try to hold to both, they make no more sense than those who try to hold to
God and evolution. The two simply are not compatible with each other.
We looked at the idea that, following the principle of utility, if society decided
that there should be no monogamous marriages then multiple relationships
would be morally right. However, the Bible strictly forbids multiple
relationships, and we looked the scriptures to back this prohibition.
What if society decided that anyone having a chronic medical condition or
physical handicap should die, would this make killing those people right?
Adolf Hitler wanted to start what he considered “the master race”:
The master race is a concept in Nazi ideology, which holds that the Germanic
and Nordic people represent an ideal and "pure race". It derives from
nineteenth century racial theory, which posited a hierarchy of "races" placing
African Bushmen and Indigenous Australians at the bottom of the hierarchy
while Northern Europeans (namely the Nordic peoples in particular) were at
the top. Almost all modern geneticists no longer give credence to the
hierarchical model of race on which the policies of racial hygiene are built, but
this concept still exists today among white supremacists. (http://en.wikipedia.
org/wiki/Master_race#Fictional_representations)
His idea of the perfect race was someone who was “white” and in perfect
health. As was said by the article, the concept still exists today among white
supremacists. However, even many of those who accept people of different
races still want the “perfect health” part of what Nazism tried to bring about.
This is one of the reasons so many people wanted Terri Schiavo to die. In
spite of the numerous attempts at saving her life, she was allowed to starve
and die of dehydration. For nearly two weeks she was given neither food nor
water and on March 31, 2005 (at the age of only 41) she finally succumbed to
death. People argued that she didn’t deserve to live because she had no
quality of life. Who made man the judge of an innocent human being.
The Bible states: “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that
no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him” (1 Jno. 3:15). Michael Schiavo
can argue about how much he loved Terri all he wants to, but the truth of the
matter is that he didn’t love her at all. He wanted her dead! She wasn’t
physically able to be a wife to him and so he wanted her out of the way so he
could continue his relationship with his live in girlfriend, Jodi Centonez. The
two met in a dentist’s office after Terri had been taken to a nursing home.
They lived together for five years and were finally married in 2006. They
already had two children by the time that Terri died and they were married.
Whatever happened to the phrase “Till Death Do Us Part”? Where was
Michael’s loyalty towards Terri the last five yeas of her life? Well it certainly
wasn’t with Terri because during those last five years, he tried his best to get
her put to death several times. He finally succeeded, after several extensive
court battles. He had no love for her, he only wanted the woman he could
have children with.
The Bible condemns having intimate relationships with people with whom you
are not married, “Marriage is honorable among all, the bed undefiled, but
whoremongers and adulterers, God will punish” (Heb. 13;4). The majority of
people in society wanted Michael’s wishes granted. This is what is taught by
the principle of utility. If it brings the greatest pleasure, then do it. If it
brings the greatest pain, then don’t do it. Since society decided that it was
more pleasurable to allow a 41 year old defenseless woman to starve and
dehydrate to the point of death, then society should have its way. And
according to the principle of utility this is what should have happened.
Whatever happened to life, all life, being precious and being protected by the
constitution of the United States of America? This shows the utter evil of
following the principles of utilitarianism. More to come.
| "Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth" (Jno. 17:17). bellecofc.centurytel.net |
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