The Morality Project

I've had an idea kicking around in my head for a while: an online project that explores morality in action.

Morality is an interesting question for me. Ever since I left the organized church, I have definitely becore more flexible in my moral decision-making. While I was fairly black and white before, I've become more morally relativist and pragmatic. Some might say I've become more lost.

What if I were to choose one of my beliefs, and then focus on putting it into practice for a month? It would be something like a lenten vow, only with a focus on pragmatic action.

It would work something like this: I would make a moral statement that I believe but don't usually put into practice. Here's one: I believe that casual sex is wrong. And then for a month, I'd try to live with that belief.

Hey, wait! I haven't had sex in a month. Maybe this is easier than I thought.

But the next most obvious question would be this: what do I believe? Certainly I left any biblical literalism behind when I decided that being gay is okay. I don't keep the sabbath. I forsake the assembling together as Christians. I haven't really helped any widows or orphans lately. And certainly I haven't done anything to spread the word of God. How could I? I'm not even sure how much of it I actually believe.

Okay, here are some things I believe in that I violate all the time.

• Sex without love is wrong, because it cheapens love.
• Commuting alone in a car is wrong: pollution, waste of resources, puts our soldiers at risk.
• Wasting time at work when there is still work to do is wrong.
• One should strive never to break bread alone.
• Neighbors need to be be as important as friends. The physical community needs to be as imporant as friendships of association.

Okay. Where do I start?