BeingaRelativist

Soyouvedecidedtobecomeamoralrelativist.Good
foryou!Whatcouldbebetterthandoingwhateverfeels
right?Whatcouldbeworsethanlettingsomeonetell
youwhatyoushouldandshouldntdo?Plus,itsoneof
theeasiestworldviewstoadopt:Justleaveeveryoneelse
aloneanddemandthattheydothesameforyou,and
youllneverhavetoworryagainaboutwhetheryour
actionsarerightorwrong.Infact,therearereallyonly
seventhingsthatyoucantdoasamoralrelativist.Read
on,tofindoutifyoustillwanttobeone!

Rule#1:RelativistsCantAccuseOthersofWrong
Doing
Arelativistcannotcriticiseothers,becauseifmoralityis
uptoeachperson,noonecanjudgeanyoneelse.You
cannotcomplainaboutracism,ifsomepeoplethinkitis
OK.Ifyoudontbelieveinrightandwrong,youcannot
sayRacismiswrong!orthatitisright/wrongtotreat
peopleinacertainway(humanrights),becausea
relativistacceptseverypersonalchoice.

Rule#2:RelativistsCantComplainAboutEvil
Arelativistcannotcallanythingevil,orcomplain
againstiteventheHolocaustbecausetosay
somethingisevil,istosaythatsomethingsare
absolutelywrong.Andarelativistdoesnotbelieve
thingscanbesimplyrightorwrong.

arightwaythatthingsshouldbe.Soyoucantclaim
thatanythingisunfairorunjust.Soifyourteachergives
youadetentionfornoreason,thatisjustasfair,as
gettingonefordoingwrong(remember:asarelativist
youdontbeliveinrightorwrong,youjusthaveto
accepttheteachersopinion!)

Rule#5:Relativistscantbecomebetterpeople
Arelativistcannotbecomebetter,morecorrectormore
moralintheiractions,becausethereisnogoodor
bad.Ifthereisnosuchthingasbeinggoodor
rightthenthereisnowayofbecomingbetter.And
whyshouldyoutryandbebetter,ifyoudontbelieve
thereissuchathing?

Rule#6:RelativistsCantHoldMeaningfulMoral
Discussions
Relativismmakesitimpossibletodiscussmorality.
Whatstheretotalkabout?Ifitsjustamatterof
opinion,andeveryonesopinionisequal,howcanyou
disagreeaboutanything?Itmeansthatyouacceptthat
noonehasthebetteranswer,orthebetterwayofliving.
Evenaboutwhatmostpeoplewouldconsider
unreasonable,unacceptable,orevenbarbaric.Youcant
evensay,Itswrongtopushyourmoralityonothers,
becauseasarelativist,youacceptthatthereisnothing
wrongorrightaboutit.

Rule#7:RelativistsCantPromoteTolerance
Rule#3:RelativistsCantPlaceBlameorAcceptPraise
Weblamepeopleifwethinktheyhavedonesomething
wrong,andpraisethemwhenweseethemdosomething
right.Butifitisjustamatterofopinion,thenyou
cannotblameorpraiseanyoneforthereisnothingreally
blameworthyorpraiseworthy,justyouropinion.

Rule#4:RelativistsCantClaimAnythingIsUnfairor
Unjust
Tosaysomethingisunfairorunjust,istoclaimthat
thereisarightwayinwhichthingsshouldbe.Butifyou
thinkitisjustamatterofopinion,thenthereisntreally

Alotofpeoplethinkthatallowingeveryonesopinionto
beequallyright,isbeingtolerant.Andthatsayingthat
someoneiswrongaboutsomething,isintolerant.But
ifthereisnorealrightorwrongaboutanything,then
whyshouldbeingtolerantberight?Onlyifwe
believesomethingthings,liketolerance,areabsolutely
right,canwebetolerant.Butasarelativist,youdont
thinkanythingisabsolutelyrightitsjustamatterof
opinion!Soasarelativist,youcanjustpushyour
moralityontoothers,becausethatiswhatyoudecided,
inyouropinion,isrighttodo!

AdaptedfromSevenThingsYouCantDoasaMoralRelativistby
GregKoukl,accessedfrom
http://www.salvomag.com/new/articles/salvo1/koukl.phpJuly15