One of the great moral screw-ups that we still suffer today is the egoistical moral. Just about everything we tell people not to do (and we tell them what is the wrong thing to do so much, and so rarely the right thing to do) is reinforced - nay, justified - by a warning of punishment.

What it always simmers down to is, If you do this, the repercussions for yourself will be bad.

What the Hell kind of a way is that to instill decent moral values into anyone? It has to be the most selfish idea of conscience conceivable.

Right and wrong should not be governed by the personal consequences. How a decision affects you will (and should) always be a consideration, but to found a decision solely on that outcome is a hideous precedent to set for yourself or for anyone else.

When I hear parents warning their kids against stealing because “you know who’ll come for you,” I cringe. My soul cringes at that. Theft is wrong because it will hurt the people who have earned those things that you are taking for nothing. Theft is wrong because of the consequences for others, not for yourself.

I don’t care if You send me to Hell. I refuse to spoil other peoples’ lives in the name of my own eternal happiness. How selfish do you want me to be?

This is why I detest the justice system that promotes vengeance in the name of deterrence. Forget giving people what they deserve; a responsible government, one that genuinely cares about the future of society rather than just licking its lips on its way to the bank as the masses lower their pants, should give people what they need. Give them a real conscience, one that understands that actions have consequences for others.

If they smacked you when you were a kid, you probably learned not to get caught.