Should We Impose Our Ideas On Others?

Consider these propositions:

“Of course I don’t believe in murder — but I wouldn’t impose my ideas on others.”

“No, I don’t believe it’s right to steal — but I wouldn’t impose my ideas on others.”

“Incest is naturally abhorrent to me — but I wouldn’t impose my ideas on others.”

“Battering women and children is obviously wrong — but I wouldn’t impose my ideas on others.

“Using children for pornographic and physically immoral purposes is revolting to me — but I wouldn’t impose my ideas on others.”

“I certainly don’t approve of Hitlers’s extermination of six million Jews — but I wouldn’t impose my ideas on others.”

“I absolutely do not believe in slavery — but I wouldn’t impose my ideas on others.”

“Sure, I believe in equality for all Americans under our Constitution and law — but I wouldn’t impose my ideas on others.”

“No, I don’t believe in killing babies — but I wouldn’t impose my ideas on others who are willing to kill innocent, helpless babies before the little ones emerge from their mothers’ wombs.”

Do we believe in basic moral principles and yet do not believe they should be expressed and upheld by law?  How “tolerant” should we be of obvious wrong?

(Do these propositions reflect common sense — or morality, or justice, or humanity?)

From an editorial in the Chattanooga News-Free Press, 9/30/84