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Alexander F. C. Webster on An Unexpected & Refreshing Lesson in Ethics
Dr. Benjamin Carson's controversial reply to a journalist's question concerning the mass shooting in Roseburg, Oregon, last October reminded me of a student's unexpected proposition in an undergraduate college ethics course I taught almost fifteen years ago.Asked how he would have acted when a deranged, anti-Christian bigot began shooting in the head nine captive students who self-identified as Christians at Umpqua Community College on October 1, 2015, the Republican presidential hopeful mused aloud ingenuously: "I'm glad you asked that question. Not only would I probably not cooperate with him, I would not just stand there and let him shoot me. I would say, 'Hey guys, everybody attack him. He may shoot me, but he can't get us all.'"
The ensuing media firestorm, most of it self-interested, ideology-driven, politically correct misdirection, dwelt on supposed flaws in Dr. Carson's character for "second-guessing" the integrity and courage of the victims. However, Dr. Carson's preferred course of action is refreshing, practical, and commendable.
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Alexander F. C. Webster (Archpriest), Ph.D., is Dean & Professor of Moral Theology Emeritus at Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary in Jordanville, New York, and Adjunct Professor of Religious Studies at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.
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