Everyone: How would you solve this hypothetical moral problem?

What do I do? I lend assistance, to the best of my ability.

How do I decide? There is no decision to make.

How do I feel? I feel slightly panicked, blood pressure elevated, adrenaline starting to flow. I have a seriously injured person before me, we are, quite likely, some distance from help.

The simple truth is this - I may not like you, in better times I might have wished you dead, but these are not better times.

My conscience, the values I hold (and, at this point, smugmugs, I'm not a Christian, so don't go claiming me as your virtuous poster boy) demand I do something.

So I'll do what I can. I call it common decency, doing the right thing. Not for any acclaim, or reward, or fear that one day the same fate might befall me. I do it because I believe that compassion for another human being is one of the finer human virtues. Also, because I'd have trouble sleeping nights if I just left them lying there.

I'm a simple man, I have simple beliefs, one of those is that people matter.

I would not judge, too harshly, those who kept on walking. They will face their consciences, they will make peace with themselves, in their own way.

There is no basis for morals if a deity does not exist. I will make 3 points. Your upbringing may have contained moral concepts which cause you to believe in and act on them. Your survival instinct informs you to fear retaliation and not to take more than you need. Your phych may come pre programed with guilt as a mechanism if you act unmoraly if the message of a deity existing is true. An answer to the question: If you believe the Bible, then the option of righteousness, obeying God's word, will be, or should be, chosen. In other words, the Bible answers all hypothetical moral questions.

I'm not going to let someone die just because they have offensive beliefs- I'd help the poor sucker, but he likely deserved the beating he got.

However, if you changed the situation and made it a man who molested children, especially my children, I might add a few kicks to help carry him on his way. At the very least, I'd leave him ther- and then MAYBE call someone to go get him in an hour or so.

Again, all hypothetical - my children have never been molested.

Ok, let's take it non hypotheical - if it was the guy who molested and killed the 4 year old I used to babysit when I was 16, then I'd leave him to die. He dumped her in an outhouse at a campground and left her to die. Sometimes I'm all for an eye for an eye.

Well I wouldn't care,he/she still human and deserves to be saved by another,not left for dead.I would cary him all the way to safety.Religion doesn't make a diffrence to me,he/she has done nothin wrong and deserves to live.But that just the kind of person I am,nt many people are like me,some would save him/her then try to covert him/her.Saying there god saved them and that he/she should be grateful and all that.

Edit:If he/she was a murder or a child molester I would still help him,it is said the worst revenge that can be given is forgivness.Let their guilt consume them,it will make a better person out of most.

If he was a Christian why would he need my help? I mean all he has to do is pray and his god will decide what is best for them. If they die it's god's will, If they live it's a miracle right? Or at least that goes along with the current way of thinking for most Christians.

No delimma at all. I would do all I could to stabilize the persons condition (from my limited first aid knowledge) , call for help, and hope the person someday changes the path they are on, just like I did.

I would do whatever I could to help (trained first aider) and call for help from professionals, ambulance, doctor or whatever. There is no group of people who I consider "utterly despicable" as we are all individuals.

As a trained and certified EMT and as a human being, it wouldnt matter. You do what you can for the person regardless of their beliefs.

Now if it was Osama Bin Laden or Jeffery Daumer, maybe I just casually go for help and if I happen to get lost along the way, oh well.

hmmm big reward for Bin Laden, ok maybe I would run to the authorities.

This was plagiarized from the Bible!

Luk 10:30 And Jesus answering said, A certain [man] went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded [him], and departed, leaving [him] half dead.

Luk 10:31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

Luk 10:32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked [on him], and passed by on the other side.

Luk 10:33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion [on him],

Luk 10:34 And went to [him], and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

Luk 10:35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave [them] to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

Luk 10:36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?

Luk 10:37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

Not much of a dilemma - I get help for him as quickly as I can. Disgusting or not, he's still a human being.