OG,

I never pretended to judge what you do or make any comment about the amount of money you donate, for all I know you could be giving 1c or 1KK dolars. If you don't think you would react in that way just say so. I didn't judge you at any moment.

I'm not a hypocrite (spelling?), I'm not saying you are one. I knew I had the choice to go to the supermarket to buy the six pack or to go online and donate the 5 dollars. I choose the beer. Just like you do when you do your grocery (maybe you don't buy beer but I bet you do buy things which are not essential to your surviving, for example the internet service you are using right now). Don't judge me because I spend my money how I want, we all do it and it is fine. And don't judge me because I choose my happiness and my wifes happiness over a woman I don't know.

If any it is upto my W and OM's conciousness to expose the A for the right reasons, I would like her to do it very much, but it is not upto me or you or anyone else to make that decision.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Originally posted by notsosadman28:
WAT argues that I have to expose the A because it is the right thing to do for someone else. I say that is not enough. Exposing the A involves some risks to me, putting in other words it is costly for me to expose the A. To make him see my point I bring up the starving children in Africa. We all agree that is the right thing to do, still we are not doing all we can to help them, and why is that because it is costly for us. We rather buy a new pair of shoes which we can most likely live with out, than giving that money to charity. Helping the kids from Africa is costly to us so we don't do it (or don't do it enough to do the right thing). [/QB]</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">By what standard do I have to give anything to any kid in Africa? I don't choose that as my charity. I don't have a moral imperative to give to starving children in Africa, I do have a moral imperative to warn someone they are being harmed.

You can't use this an excuse to refuse to do the right thing. Try telling the police that you didn't report child molestation because there are starving children in Africa. That is the exact principle you are proposing. I am sorry, but your inability to support the entire African continent does not absolve you of your moral obligations in your day to day life.

I'm really making friends here.

Now one on earth can judge what is the right charity and how much giving is enough. I know about your reason for doing the "right" things and I respect them. What you don't seem to understand are my reasons for not doing it(selfish but valid). That is why I brought up the issues about charity, I didn't want to offend anybody (specially because I'm no expample too follow in that area). No point for me to go over the same things over and over again. Just want to say it is all about costs and benefits to me, which can be of the most diverse nature and might signify different things to different people.