Ethics Question

Not sure I getcha right but...

Yes, it's always ok to ask someone to cast their vote...
No, it's not ok to ask someone to cast a vote in a specific direction.

Ie:
it's ok to ask someone to cast their vote on a war.
It's not ok to ask someone to cast a vote to support (or otherwise) a war.

It is up to the person themselves and no one should ever be led to vote one way or another.

Do I make sense even lol

Yup! That's what I mean. Is it okay to ask someone to do something against their beliefs? Or to support something that goes against their beliefs... If they have to vote on an issue should they be expected to ignore their beliefs in the vote?

Well, .I'll put it like this.


A lot of people don't agree with the war in .Iraq. But most people support the troops that are there. I don't think you have to believe one is right to support the other.

*edited to clarify the following*

like those suckers that were (are?) protesting at the funerals of soldiers. They didn't believe in the war, and so they were basically saying the soldiers deserved to die. I think I remember one of the signs saying ".God loves a dead soldier" or something to that effect? No one is asking them to agree with the war, but to use your beliefs in such a way, I don't think is necessarily right. Especially in this example.

*end of edit!*



i don't think you need to agree with gay marriage to understand and support equal rights. See what I mean?


Just my opinion.

I agree with .Laura.

&.It's so hard now to be able to find &vote for a politician, for example, who posesses *all* the same beliefs as you. There's always going to be someone who holds a lot of the same ideas as you, but also has a few that make you go " " .I think it's just a matter or weighing what you think is *really* important, &which beliefs you hold in the highest regard, ya know? Nobody wants to vote against things they believe in, but I think people just try to find a happy medium.

I think this is question has so many different variables. If someone were to ask me to sign a petition that was against my beliefs, and I told that person that I personally didn't agree with the petition they may continue to hound me. If they do, it could be a way to spark discussion and I could explain to the person why I disagree. If they continue to hound me then I would be annoyed. I think it would turn into an actual ethical issue if I decided to just vote against my beliefs to shut the person up. Everyday we are bombared by people, ads, events...Trying to convince us to think or believe a certain way and such is life. Some people may know I am a christian but not all christian's hold the same voting views so it's hard for those people to actual know what I think and what other people think...Not all people are the same. Does this make sense at all??

People may try to convince you to do something or vote a certain way because they may believe that what they are trying to convince you to say or do doesn't contradict your beliefs. Rationalization is so common.

So, I do agree that trying to convince someone to say or do something against there beliefs is inappropriate. I think it's just annoying but I don't know about it being a truly ethical issue...It is walking the fine line, though.

I think it depends on who you are asking....


If you are asking a regular person on the street to then I don't see anything wrong with them voting for or against an issue based on their personal beliefs.


But if you are asking a politican/senator/judge/president...Basica lly who came in office to represent the people then yes I do see something wrong when the decision making process is tainted by their personal beliefs. Using your example... If the president is a pacifist and he is faced with the decision on whether or not to support going to war.....He should make that decision based on the facts, the risks and what is in the best interest of the people of his country...Regardless of if it goes against what he believes in.