Is It Immoral to Withhold Safety Information?

Foreverbunny91 · Dec 20, 2011

This post was inspired by a recent experience. My friend, who I love dearly, has a sister who is the most TERRIBLE person on the planet. She hurts and manipulates my friend, smokes marijuana in front of her kid although he is so allergic to it that it causes seizures (don't ask how this happens- it's RARE to be allergic to marijuana) and does the MOST messed up things. I hate maybe two or three people in this world, and she's definitely one of them.

So my friend spent the night at my house and was talking about her sister. She told me her sister liked being choked and one day came home with popped blood vessels and bruises all over her throat. From reading Sebastian's post about breath play in the FAQ, I knew the dangers of such things... And I thought to tell her, but then stopped. And I said "Oh, I hope she has fun with that."

Now although they don't talk anymore, so it's not like my friend would ever be able to pass this information along to her sister, I later thought about this and how I probably would have not said anything even if they were still talking or even if I saw her sister in person... HOW MESSED UP IS THAT!?!??!?!?

I tell anyone and everyone all the safety information I know about anything all the time. I once had a nickname of "the safety police" in one of my classes. Everything from children to safe sex to emotional safety to wearing your freaking seat belt- I tell people this stuff all the time whether they are my friends or not... I don't tell them what to do- it's just so they know, since that's what I'd like someone else to do for me. If I'm choosing to take a risk, I'd like to at least know I'm taking one!

So it freaks me out I could be so uncaring about this person. Has anyone else ever done something like this? Do you think it is immoral? Is someone obligated to tell someone when they are risking their life if they possess knowledge about said hazards?

Zandar · Dec 20, 2011

In my opinion there is nothing immoral about not telling someone the absoluut obvious.

If someone cant figure out that something, in this case breath play, is risky while it clearly is then it is just pure evolution doing its thing.

It just bad that, in this case, there is a child involved that might loose its mom. Then again, if mom is treating her child the way you are describing then one could even question if that is so terrible in the long run.

master jey · Dec 20, 2011

Do what you think is best no one can judge you

sebastian · Dec 21, 2011

Hmm. Tough call. But think about how you might feel if she died from a heart attack this way. Would you be ok living the rest of your life knowing that if you had said something, another person might still be alive?

Foreverbunny91 · Dec 21, 2011

Sebastian, in any other case I'd feel terrible guilt. In this case, I probably wouldn't feel all that guilty. She hurts everyone around her- her kid, her sister, her parents... I would feel bad that my friend lost a sister and that someone is dead.

This is a hypothetical question applying to ALL things like this. (In this particular case, it would not have made a difference- my friend no longer speaks to her sister and the only communication is her sister flaming her on her phone with endless harrassing texts.)

But I meant in general. If someone didn't know that mixing bleach and amonia creates a deadly gas and is highly flammable, am I morally obligated to tell that person when they go to put bleach in their septic tank?

sebastian · Dec 21, 2011

Broadly speaking yes. Christianity recognizes the principle of sins of omission--situations where failing to do something is sinful. American law recognizes situations where one can be held liable for not doing something, and in Canada, in some situations failing to stop to help a stranded motorist is illegal. So I would generally say yes.

JettOnly · Dec 21, 2011

I wouldn't go into a long talk about that but I would mention something about it being risky
Not even for that person but for your friend
Someday she might be interested to try thinking it is ok, so hopefully she would be able to make a more informed choice about it

Is It Immoral to Withhold Safety Information?

Foreverbunny91

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master jey

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sebastian

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Foreverbunny91

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sebastian

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