This one is very simple. It requires you to discuss whether or not a certain action "falls within the range of morally acceptable outcomes."
Alice and Rebecca are two married mothers living in a small conservative community. Alice's kid and Rebecca's kid got into a schoolyard fight in which Alice's kid got seriously injured and required hospitalisation.
The fight was started by Alice's kid (however, Alice's kid is the one that ends up in the hospital); the two kids have been antagonistic towards each other for months and there is name-calling that flies both ways (it is unclear why the two kids don't like each other). The school sanctioned both kids after the incident and the police gave a firm warning to both parties; but no legal action has been taken (it is seen as "un-Christian" to get lawyers involved because lawyers are viewed as connected with the devil). The two kids have not talked to each other because neither side wants to talk or apologise.
Alice subsequently demanded that Rebecca's kid issue a formal apology, Rebecca supported this decision but at the very last moment decided to support her son and insist that her son will be disciplined "in a way I as a mother see fit. I won't force him to apologise if he doesn't want to." The kid never apologised, publicly or privately.
As a result of this feud, the two of them put each on Ignore and don't talk for the longest time. However, Alice finds that it is awkward and uncomfortable to have to avoid Rebecca everywhere they go (its a small town, they frequently run into each other at events). Alice begins to rethink the situation and decides that maybe it was wrong to insist on a public apology, she writes a few letters to Rebecca asking for reconciliation; the letters are unreturned.
Alice travels for a few weeks to see her eldest daughter in college; her eldest daughter recently came out of the closet and declared that she has been a homosexual all her life. Please note that this eldest daughter is NOT the same as the kid that was involved in the fight earlier; Alice has two children (one in college, one in a lower level school in the previously mentioned community). Despite coming from a conservative Christian background, Alice begrudgingly accepts this because she is a mother first.
When Alice comes back to her town, she decides that its time to forgive Rebecca. She leaves a message on Rebecca's phone saying that she hopes they can talk again and that Rebecca has been invited (as an honour) to speak at Alice's church next Sunday.
Alice did not expect Rebecca to show up but was pleasantly surprised when Rebecca did. They wave at each other and seem to become friends again. However, things immediately change as soon as the sermon begins.
Rebecca gets on the stage and after the worship songs stop, she begins her sermon. While standing on the pulpit, Rebecca blatantly denounces homosexual acts and declares that there are sinners here and everywhere. She makes pointed remarks to homosexual acts in colleges and how such actions are very very serious and unacceptable sinful conduct. The sermon also includes an attack on Hollywood culture and how standards of morality have fallen.
The entire church listens to this sermon and shouts "Amen! Amen!" as is the tradition but there is a great degree of awkwardness amongst the crowd (the Amens are a little bit more confused) because it is blatantly obvious that this is a very directed sermon targeting Alice and her eldest daughter. Alice is shocked that Rebecca would choose this sermon topic although she cannot, on grounds of her personal theology, disagree.
During the sermon, there is no direct mention of Alice or her daughter but Alice is pretty sure that this is what its really about. She realises that reconciliation will have to be postponed because her forgiving mood is gone.
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Please consider the facts in the hypothetical and discuss whether or not you think Rebecca's actions fall within the range of morally acceptable actions or not. The way I see it, you have the following options:
1. Her actions are vindictive, rude, childish and/or socially petty but fall within the range of morally acceptable outcomes in the sense that they shouldn't lead to any legal or social ramifications
2. Her actions fall within the range of morally acceptable outcomes and they are socially appropriate, in light of Alice's prior transgressions against her, this is completely fair tit for tat
3. Her actions are morally acceptable first and foremost because I agree with the religious belief that homosexual actions are sinful; I am unsure if this was an appropriate place and venue to state this message or whether there was a better way to state it, but I cannot condemn it because I agree with the theology
4. Her actions are 100% unacceptable, in fact, the law or society should in some way punish/ostracise her for this because nothing but unacceptable harm has been caused
5. Other
Please discuss which option you chose and provide a moral justification.
