Don’t Trust Your Conscience
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Everyone has heard the expression, “Let your conscience be your guide.” But is that really true? Is your conscience trustworthy? Dennis Prager shares some insights that might surprise you.
Script:
Everyone has heard the expression, “Let your conscience be your guide.”
In fact, many people base their entire moral life on the idea that their conscience will keep them from doing bad things.
I have something very important to tell you.
It won’t. Not for most people. And not most of the time.
Throughout Western history, people took it as a given that the conscience was not enough—that God and God-based moral instruction were also necessary. That so many people believe today that the conscience is all they need to act morally is a product of modern secular society. In fact, it is just one more example of the many irrational ideas that our secular society has produced. Others include “men give birth,” “Western civilization is no better than any other,” and “if you’re color-blind, you’re racist.”
But none of these beliefs is more irrational than the belief that the conscience is all you need—that it can replace God, the Bible, and Judeo-Christian values as a producer of moral behavior.
The reality is that most people’s consciences are, to say the least, easily manipulated. It is hard to imagine any aspect of human life more malleable than the conscience. It is as malleable as putty. And as sturdy.
If the conscience were morally effective, what evildoer or supporter of evil would sleep well at night? Yet, people who commit evil, whether for personal reasons (such as murderers, thieves, and rapists) or for ideological reasons (such as Nazis, communists, and Islamic terrorists) sleep as soundly as anyone else.
Also, if the conscience were morally effective, why doesn’t it stop anyone who commits evil from doing so?
For the full script, visit: https://l.prageru.com/3zKAhD5
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Cricket: You aren't gonna shoot a puppy are you?
Jack Horner: Yeah, in the face! Watch!
Bs
Legendary 👆
Wow! Talk about misinformation. Just stupid.
Criminals follow their desires not their conscience. Their conscience is supressed by their desires.
You had me in the first part, right until you said that I need God of the Bible. Why him, exactly, why not any other one? I hope it's not because you happen to like this fictional story over any other. You also didn't provide a valid argument why reason without God leads to moral chaos. I don't understand how this conclusion follows the premise. And if you can't provide a good enough reason for it, doesn't it mean that you have a God without reason, which is fanaticism? Just thinking out loud
Apart from that, great video!
Regardless of the inner voice people still does bad.
One's moral obligations (even if influenced by God) are separate from one's religious obligations. This is something few people understand.
Morality= feelings and desires circumscribed by rightness and reason…..
I have to disagree, the amount of evil done by Christianity over 1000s of years is absolutely mind boggling
All other points r true
Hahahhahhaa. You're kidding right? What part of the bible did you read? The genocide part? The raping part? What about the crusades? All the children raped in churches? Get out of here
Sigh, so many things wrong with this video. First of all the god of the BIble orders a genocide in the misnamed Noah's flood and those killed include babies and animals. So this god is no moral being. Two conscious doesn't mean just do whatever, it is about empathy that others suffer and are harmed and have empathy for them. The Nazis didn't have conscious or empathy for all. Morality is about understanding others suffer and do not want to be harmed and supporting policies in support of this. I think murder is wrong with or without a god, does Dennis think murder is ok if a god does't exist? NO, so a god isn't necessary
Denny Plaguer GOAT of the self own!
Don't Christian terrorists also think their conscience justifies their violence? Why mention only the Islamic ones?
I'm gonna give a little whistle and talk this over with Jiminy Cricket first, before I take Dennis at his word. I like my conscience the way it is.
People with imaginary friends shouldn’t lecture about reason
why doesn't this video have one billion views?
I rarely disagree with you Dennis but in this case I have to. You are presuming those who commit evil or allow evil to thrive actually HAVE a conscience (where is the proof) and/or that they actually LISTEN to a conscience.
Dennis Prager i lost my Subaru keys in the folds in-between your neck, can i get those back in need to take my daughters to Aqua tots
Don't trust your conscience
This is literally a trash video with trash arguments
I'm not really keen on advice from Dennis for a few reasons, but Prager U does make some great 5-minute courses. So, I will make a correction on his talk here. There is a difference with conscience, and say the Holy Spirit, but you have to have a personal relationship with Jesus in order to be filled with Him. These people he is mentioning are rationalizing their behavior, not following their consciences. Or the ever popular, I was following orders. The evil people that do atrocities are probably sociopaths, psychopaths, and or sadists, all mental conditions. And they are definitely not Jesus followers. So don't listen to Dennis on porn, or conscience!
We need to properly form our conscience