...I don't believe that there is such a thing as an absolute morality.
That's an interesting statement, Ann, because it's a moral statement. And if you don't believe there can be such a thing as an absolute morality, then this statement is false because it falsifies itself.
More importantly (at least to this thread), it means that your protestations against a possible 'not guilty' verdict for Superman also hold no weight, because you have been advocating some kind of legal punishment on moral grounds. You stated earlier that:
In my opinion, if Superman has killed, the real questions will have to be about morality...
and if you don't believe in an absolute morality, how can you possibly judge Superman for his actions on a moral basis?
I would not have brought this up had you not done so, but let me respond to this statement.
How, for example, do we interpret the fifth commandment ..., namely, Thou shalt not kill?
In the English of the time of Shakespeare (which was the same time period when the King James version of the Bible was translated), the word 'kill' meant what we mean today when we say the word 'murder.' If someone took a life on the battlefield or while defending himself, the King James translation (or Shakespeare's dialogue) would render that term 'slay,' a term which few English speakers would use today. (An exception would be in TicandToc's excellent WIP "The Girl Next Door," where her Lois has dedicated her life to 'slaying' her metaphorical dragons.) So the commandment is not "Don't ever take a life," but instead is "Don't murder." This is also the position taken by those who read and speak Hebrew.
My point to all of this is that if Superman is in the wrong, you
must clarify how you are determining that wrong. If the 'moral compass' can't be read reliably, all we have to go by is the law. And if the law says that Superman was justified in his actions, then we have to accept that verdict. Similarly, if the law says that Superman was
not justified in his actions, we must accept that verdict also.
Thanks for reading and commenting. Hope you stay with the last two installments!
