A simple clarification

During this political season I've heard the word 'moral' tossed around a few more times than it ought and without any thought to its function.

Most people think that morality is simply the difference between right and wrong. And this is true, but I've always found it to be empty of meaning.

Here is my answer: Whenever we make a statement of or about morality we are making a statement of or about an object's purpose.

Right and wrong are both fulfillments of purpose. So a moral question is really asking: What is your purpose?

The purpose of a camera is to take pictures. It has no morality as an object. Morals have to do with the use of objects. It is the responsibility of the user to use it correctly in order to achieve the desired result. Mishandled the camera will only do what it is made to do. It is the same with nature, and politics. To act morally or amorally takes action.

So for people to say, for example, that killing people is amoral. They are saying that it serves no purpose for people to kill each other. I agree. But humans don't, in general, kill each other for no reason. Killing is either associated with ideology or vice. Killing is not the purpose but merely the act. This goes with anything that is a verb. So if the word has -ing on the end of it and it's a political movement, you can almost automatically discount it as stupidity.

If action becomes law(ie. morals), there is no end to it. It goes on indefinitely. A squadron of enforcers are put into play to ticket the populous, taxes go up year by year prompting more complaining by those who bear the burden of collective theft.

A moral is a choice of purpose in our actions. Not something that can be legislated, but must be chosen from day to day by the individual.

There are great causes out there. But it is not a moral choice to enlist in their ranks. Rather it is by charity not morality that we associate ourselves with causes.