Morality is NOT the Absence of Temptation
This guy? Not fooling anyone.
I have a bone to pick with the Right Wing, and their so-called morality.
If the only way you can live a moral life is if you never confront temptation, that’s not a moral life.
See, here’s the thing. If the only reason I haven’t blown David Bowie, is lack of access to David Bowie, that has no bearing on my morality. Lack of access is not morality. If I met David Bowie and had the opportunity to blow David Bowie,* and chose not to because no matter how much I want it, doing that behind the backs of my husband and Mr. Bowie’s wife is wrong. That is a moral choice.
This is one of the things that drives me bonkers about the “family values,” super “moral” folks. They want to deny the rest of us access to things we don’t find at all objectionable, because they might be tempted by them. Regardless of whether or not we agree that those things are wrong.
Guess what, sunshine? If you were really moral, you’d resist those temptations all on your own.
Here’s the thing, my husband (and I know use him for a lot of examples, but, well, we live together) goes to a lot of small local punk rock shows. A lot of those shows are populated by cute 21 year old girls, some of whom apparently have a thing for older guys. What does my husband do when approached by one of these cute little 21 year olds? He points to his wedding ring, and says, “Sorry, married.” Even when I’m not there. Why does he do that? Because he knows that cheating on your spouse is wrong. He doesn’t need to avoid the temptation of hot 21 year olds in order to stick to that.
If you know something is wrong, or antithetical to your ethics, don’t do it. It’s that simple.
If you need to avoid (or attempt to legislate away) temptation in order not to give in, that doesn’t make you moral. It makes you a fraud. And a hypocrite. If confronted with that temptation you give in and blame the temptation for your weakness, that makes you a bad person.
If the only way you can be a good person is to not have the opportunity to be a “bad” person (for whatever your values of bad), then you’re not a good person. Period.
It really is just that simple.
*For the record, David Bowie is on my “list” of people I don’t actually have to ask permission for, in case it ever comes up. Which it won’t. But you never know. I could also be struck by lightening tomorrow.
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