Would you?

[Checkboard]

I was in the miliary for a short time, so this is not as strange as as it may seem:

If you were ordered (as a military person) to perform an act you considered morally wrong, would you do it?

[BlueWolf]

That would depend entirely on the circumstances.

[Scud-U-Like]

Acts that are serious breaches of morality are usually illegal. It is a major tenet of military law (as laid down by the Nuremburg Tribunal) that a member of the armed forces has a right (indeed a duty) not to carry out an order that is contrary to English (and Scots and NI) law. I would refuse to carry out an order that, if carried out, would constitute a serious crime and I think (hope) most people in the armed forces would do likewise.

Outside that scenario, my actions (like those of BlueWolf) would very much depend on the circumstances.

[The Gorilla]

Morally wrong orders?, no as I get to do lots of those ever year.

Legally wrong orders? absolutely I would refuse.

:cool:

[Lowkey]

If an individual questions an order with a moral context, he or she is not behaving improperly, the system demands that you provide an individual point of view. Many would have us believe that this would inevitably lead to a breakdown in the chain of command. However, if a system breaks down purely because you question it, it's not a system that deserves to exist!! If you do not question authority, you'll never know if the orders you have been given are worth being followed. Otherwise, how can an individual call themselves a thinking human being. Time may dictate the extent to which an order can be questioned, but we owe it to the people we protect to do as much as we can to establish what we believe is morally right.