the right thing

I have been involved in an very interesting conversation. I have to admit, I do like playing devils advocate just to see how far I can push the topic and make people think outside their boxes though.

So I have been on a religious forum and the topic came up about the man who has just been sentenced to 20 years and who is the leader of one of the fundamentalist religions that think it is ok to marry 12 year old girls and have many wives. I'm sure you know who I am talking about. Now the forum has a rule: DO NOT QUESTION anyone's belief.

Anyways, one of the posters began the thread to show just what hypocrites some of the people on the board are. After all, they do demand that everyone accept THEIR beliefs and drop any that do not agree with them. They also attack any who disagree. So basically they break the rule whenever they want but will whine and cry when someone breaks the rule and questions their beliefs.

So he brought up the idea of what is right or wrong. The man had the permission of the fathers of the girls he married and was going to marry. So IF it had been legal in this country to marry a 12 year old and have many wives; would it have been right to do so? why or why not. (in some eastern countries, this is legal and encouraged) And most importantly (the whole purpose of the thread) who are we to question the mans beliefs? (remember the forum does have that rule: NO QUESTIONING)

If something is NOT illegal, why cannot someone practice something that is their belief? And if someone worships God and feels he is commanded by God to live a certain way, should he obey God or man?

Now the man who was just sentenced (supposedly) believes he was living according to the God he serves. (the question of how old girls were in the bible when they married was also raised, and everyone pretty much agreed that Mary -Jesus' mother, was about 12)

So many posted (myself included) that God made marriage for one man and one woman, and gave the verses which state this. No one seemed to mention the fact that the Israelites were allowed to marry more than one woman, which was mostly due to someone dying and leaving no heir so their brother (or relative) would marry the widow to give an heir....

Everyone jumped on the pedophile band wagon and demanded the man was wrong and is beliefs were wrong. How DARE they question his beliefs! (sarcasm there folks)

Yet they all had seemed to agree woman married young in the bible. Are you seeing the hypocrisy?

I am very much against any one marrying someone so young, I think we should all wait until we are 30 (esp my daughters!). But where do I get this sense of wrongness?

Many will say they get their sense of right and wrong from God/bible. Atheists will say they just -know- what is right or wrong. Then we have laws of the land which tell us what is right or wrong. Society and culture also dictate the rules of morality.

But face it. we ALL know what is the right thing to do IF we are honest with OURSELVES. We ALL have that little voice within us that says -no no no! or yes. Unless we purposely do wrong so many times we actually squash that voice.

Yes we are all born with a conscience. It is just too bad and sad so many no longer use theirs!

Yes we ALL are able to know what is right, we just have to do it.