The Family Children of God by insidersChildren of God Family International
Home Chat Boards Articles COG History COG Publications People Resources Search site map
exFamily.org > chatboards > genX > archives > post #23353

On Moral Reasoning

Posted by CB on October 28, 2005 at 09:24:34

In Reply to: A moral dilemma posted by John Concerned on October 27, 2005 at 23:01:10:

You say you feel guilty and that you despise all that David Berg & his followers represent. Are these good enough reasons (to you) to make disclosures to law enforcement? I don't have the answer to this...only you do.

But I sense that you are trying to sort out other reasons and motivations for a decision that could have serious unintended consequences. After all, you can't know everything that will happen if you make a decision to work with law inforcement. You can only make decisions based on the limited information you have at hand.

If I were in your position, I would try to increase my decision-making information by asking myself the following questions:

1) What principles are guiding my decision? (e.g., the desire to protect society from predators) What principles would be violated if I disclosed information to law inforcement? (e.g., the betrayal of a friend's trust)

2) What relationships could be adversely affected by my disclosure? If innocent people are hurt, can I live with the unintended consequences of my actions? Do I believe the principles that my actions were intended to uphold are more important than the relationships that might be destroyed?

3) If I do this thing, what is my greatest fear? If I don't do this thing, what is my greatest fear?

4) What would Jesus do?