Lessons in Morality - The Answers

Choose the best solution of those offered:



1)

You spot a suicide bomber approaching you and your family while shopping at the mall. You carry a firearm. The suicide bomber is alone, 150 yards away, is shouting “Allah Ahkbar!”, and is trying to rush near you and your family and the other people near you to blow you all up. You decide to:

A. Pull your firearm and shoot the suicide bomber while he is still far enough away.



Those who choose this solution act fast (and are hopefully good shots). For those who carry a firearm
there will likely not be any problems with taking another’s life in self defense. (Score two points)



B. Gather your wife, your newborn baby and your two other children and run in the opposite direction.



This is an okay response, except you would end up sacrificing the other shoppers. You show concern for your family though which is important. (Score two points)


C. He looks nervous, you decide to try and reason with the suicide bomber.

Noble, but dumb. Suicide bombers are also dumb. You’d all end up getting killed. (Score one point)


D. Don't do anything. The bomber is protesting the only way he can. Your family and these shoppers probably deserve to die anyway, because of America's decades long support of Israel.

Moral equivalence is really selfishness and antisocial pathos disguised. (Score zero points)


2)



A thief has just stolen your wife’s purse. You follow after him, unnoticed, and find him entering a downtown alleyway. You see the thief is part of a homeless group, some of which are kids and are shooting up on some sort of drugs. You decide to:

A. Let him have the money, they need it more than you do.



This is fine. You better get on the horn with her credit card companies quick and hope your wife doesn’t mind waiting at the motor vehicle department for an hour or two. The concern for the kids doing drugs is also absent, so this was a trick question. (Score one point)

B. Call 911 and with the police confront the suspect and reclaim your wife’s purse.

This is a better solution in this instance, because it takes into accounts the children’s welfare and the money would only have gone to buy more drugs anyway. No, you‘re not a narc...relax. (Score two points)

C. Call up your friends and go beat the living heck out of the whole group of low-lifes, and recover the purse.

Work on those feelings of aggression. They’re human too, even if they are thieving, dope-addicts.
(Score zero points)

D. See what drugs they're doing and try to score some.

You make me sick...you really do. Your wife’s purse is stolen and you are thinking about having a fix with doped out punks. You selfish, good for nothing.... (Score zero points)


3)



You are the President of the United States of America. The Central Intelligence Director has just reported the death of 80 Kurdish villagers in Northern Iraq. They were killed in a battle with Al Qaida soldiers, who are being sheltered by the Iraqi government. To reveal to the world the truth of this situation means you would jeopardize ten individuals who are undercover and whom would immediately be killed. You decide to:

A. Reveal to the world the truth of the matter anyway as it is too important for the world not to know that
Al Qaida, and possibly Osama bin Laden, is in Iraq and are in cahoots - and hope your agents will manage to survive.



You are a big-picture guy and you rather risk a few now in favor of many later. Of course half the world wouldn’t believe you anyway, or care - its a sound decision. (Score one point)


B. Keep this information to yourself, until the agents are out, knowing that it may be hard to prove later after more time elapses and the Al Qaida encampment pulls up its stakes and moves on.

You think a bird in the hand is worth saving and will worry about the two in the Bush, later. A sound decision. (Score one point)


C. Send in a group of Delta Forces immediately and take out as many of the the Al Qaida as you can, letting the agents lead your forces to the encampment.

You don’t care what other’s think. You are bold and determined. You will take risks more often than not - which may lead you into trouble. Besides, you realize more Kurdish villagers may be slaughtered and you are not one who only looks out for US lives. (Score two points)

D. Ignore the report, after all it was drafted by the CIA, and you don't really trust them to tell you the truth anyway.

You are very suspicious of others and more self-focused. You miss opportunities to accomplish things. Besides the CIA works for you and your country. A bad decision. (Score zero points)


4)



You are aboard a sinking ship with your family and friends. There are two life boats left and you are in charge of who goes and who stays. You choose:

A. All women and children get to go in the boats. Your wife and kids will get to go too, but you and some of your male friends, including your dad, will remain behind.



This is, traditionally, the accepted route. Very noble and chivalrous. It’s tough to be a man, but bite the bullet sonny and prepare to tread water! A good decision though. (Score two points)



B. You gather up your family and friends all in one life boat and tell the others they can figure it out for themselves.



Yeah, I know lots of folks would choose this one. But baby, when that karmic feedback hits - expect to be left out on the boat quite often in your future... (Score one point)


C. You keep your family together on the ship and let others go in their places.

Noble, but misguided. Your kids and wife deserve a chance to live their lives. (Score zero points)


D. You decide if everyone can't go - no one should go and cut the life boats loose.

You like to avoid making tough decisions. You’re not suited for leadership. You might as well pull out a gun and finish them all off. (Score minus one point)


5)



Saddam manages to purchase and conceal nuclear weapons because the anti-war folks delay a war, and a group of martyrs take out Los Angeles, killing millions. The radiation will kill millions more in two days. Saddam says more nukes are in large American cities awaiting detonation if any retaliation against Iraq is made. You...:

A. support nuking Iraq into glass at once and let the chips fall where they may.



Good decision. At least you can insure no MORE bombs are likely to be built. (Score two points)
Now go find a shelter!


B. simply want to get the heck out of the fallouts path and have two days to dig and supply a shelter.

Selfish, but normal. Make sure you have at least two to three feet of earth or four feet of concrete around you and at least two weeks supplies for you and your family. (Score two points)


C. gather your anti-war friends and gather on the streets welcoming the fallout with open arms, knowing it was your destiny to die because you lived in an imperialistic country.

Those who choose this one are also selfish people-haters. Suicide is the ultimate selfish, hateful expression. (This is true despite what some religious texts may state. Hint: Jesus didn’t nail himself to that cross ) Feelings of inferiority likely plague you. Get some help with that. (Score zero points)


D. support not attacking Iraq for fear of more casualties and submit to discarding the Constitution in favor of the Koran as Saddam demands.

Kow-tow-ing in fear is no way to live. Yes, it’s better than suicide - but not the best decision by a longshot.
(Score one point)

SCORING:

Less than zero: That says it all, I think. You immoral, evil..@*$! ;-)

Zero: Read some books! Study history...anything! Your moral compass is totally broken.

1-2 points: Well there’s always hope. But don’t expect to get any chivalry awards anytime soon - maybe ever.

3-4 points: Not bad. Not very good either.

5-6 points: Normal. You are normal. That may be good, depending on your point of view.

7-8 points: Above average. You moral compass is pretty well honed. You care not just for yourself - but for others too, regardless of their nationality.

9-10 points: Great. You are a leader of men and people. You are the ones folks come to for guidance and advice. You are more self-less than selfish, and folks trust you.