Some times in life we are forced to make those tough decisions, where morality is hard (if not impossible) to discern. Here are a few ethical dilemmas that will make you question your own moral compass. Enjoy!
»» A train carrying five passengers is about to crash into a canyon, leaving no survivors. You can easily divert the path of the train, but doing so would cause the train to kill an innocent bystander. Are you morally justified in letting the train crash if the five people on the train were on the jury that falsely convicted your wife of murder?
»» You are at a wedding when, right before the ceremony is about to start, you catch the groom cheating on his wife with the maid of honor. You don’t want the bride to marry a cheater, but you also don’t want to ruin the day for everyone. Do you stay quiet even though the maid of honor is a horse?
»» You are a humble merchant trader in an ancient Arabian sultanate. The sultan’s wife is very beautiful, yet the sultan has decreed that he shall cut off the hand of anyone who looks upon her with thoughts of lewdness. Fortunately, you were born without hands! As a handless man, how can you pleasure yourself whilst you look upon the sultan’s wife with unbridled thoughts of lewdness and ribaldry?
»» You pass a car crash on the side of the road, only to realize that two of the crash’s victims are your wife and her lover, Tad. Your wife is badly injured and there is only a small chance that you will be able to save her. Tad, on the other hand, is bleeding heavily but can be saved if you act immediately. However, if you save Tad’s life, your wife will die. Additionally, Academy Award nominee Don Cheadle was also in this car crash and he is dead. After you assume Don Cheadle’s identity and start living a double life as the famous African American performer, what will you name the sequel to Hotel Rwanda? Will it be a drama or a comedy? Why?
»» You are a priest and you know that God is dying. Do you continue to peddle lies and sell your false indulgences? The people must know the truth, and yet if you are to speak against The Church, they will silence you using whatever means necessary. You fear death because you know that heaven is deteriorating without His guiding hand. Are you brave enough to die an honorable man?
What would you do in these situations? Can you find the right answer to these moral dilemmas? Are you virtuous?
–DRC ’16, Illustration by RF ’17
