ADVERTISEMENT

We’ve all been faced with a moral dilemma before. Should you be honest with your partner when you know something that will hurt them? Maybe in college your best friend asked you to help them cheat while they were in danger of failing a class and having their scholarship revoked. Perhaps you caught a colleague stealing, but if you reported it, he would get fired and would be unable to pay his rent. Unfortunately, life is full of difficult decisions, and ethics are not black and white. 

What tends to be a little clearer is what is against the law, regardless of our personal feelings. 3 days ago, Reddit user Dr_vinci reached out to Ask Reddit and posed the question, “What is moral but illegal?” Readers have since flooded the responses with questionable laws that seem to contradict many people’s moral compasses. Below, you can read some of the answers, as well as an interview with Dr_vinci, and decide if you think these laws are justified or not. Then if you’d like to continue pondering the morality of certain laws, check out this Bored Panda piece next.

#1

“What Is Moral But Illegal?”: 30 People Are Sharing Some Of The Dumbest Laws Around The World Where I live, euthanasia. Having had to watch a relative waste away as they could no longer eat properly, had no clue who they were or who anyone else was, and was just so scared…how is making them live or wait until they starve/dehydrate the moral choice?

MissEvieMoo , Adhy Savala Report

Add photo comments
POST
bethsito avatar
Beth S
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am actually passionate about this topic. I believe this is a hard one for so many people, but I believe that the choice should be up to the person when they are of sound mind how they choose to go. As someone that suffers from a handful of conditions that will vastly limit my quality of life and my health as I age, I feel like I should be able to choose not to suffer. I believe that we should have the right to die with as much compassion and dignity as possible.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

There’s no question that morals vary from person to person. Most people would be horrified if you mentioned taking your dog outside and shooting it. But when it comes to other animals, public opinion greatly varies. Ask a farmer if it’s okay to kill cattle and use their meat for food, and you’re probably going to get a different answer than if you asked a vegan the same question. Or if you asked someone who is Hindu. What’s interesting about morals is that not only do they vary across cultures and religions, but they also change over time and within the same person, depending on the gravity of a situation.

Morality is even an evolutionary trait, according to some psychologists. Dr. Jean Decety, Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Chicago, wrote in an article exploring the topic, that "our morality has been formed over thousands of years from the combination of both our genes and our culture, rather than just one or the other. This genetic and cultural evolution has shaped our brains to care for others, react to those who try to harm us, and to create moral rules that help us to live together successfully.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Dr. Decety went on to say that there are “three main lines of evidence that support the view that our brains are wired for morality”. The first being that “the building blocks of morality have been observed in non-human animals”. Rodents and primates exhibit “prosocial behaviors”, opting to help and console one another when someone is in trouble or distressed. Chimpanzees console victims after fights, and rats choose to help fellow rodents before seeking a food reward. Although monkeys and rats don’t have the same depth of moral code as humans, the fact that they display empathy towards each other suggests that morality is a product of evolution.

#3

“What Is Moral But Illegal?”: 30 People Are Sharing Some Of The Dumbest Laws Around The World In many countries, being LGBT it's illegal. Loving someone or being yourself is against the law.

gonze11 , Stavrialena Gontzou Report

Add photo comments
POST
jodithe avatar
Jerry The Joker
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah if the crooked right wing has their way it will be illegal in United States too.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#4

“What Is Moral But Illegal?”: 30 People Are Sharing Some Of The Dumbest Laws Around The World Grabbing thrown out food from a groceries shop's dumpster.

Clouddancerr , Kevin Butz Report

The next reason Dr. Decety cites to support that we are “wired for morality” is the fact that even babies exhibit early signs of having morals. Psychologists who study human development note that babies start forming social relationships before they’re even a year old. And toddlers as young as 18-months realize when their mothers are upset and try to comfort them with patting, hugging and sharing toys. Impressively, babies even understand the concept of fairness by the time they’re a year old. When a group of 1-year-olds witnessed cookies being distributed to a group, they understood and expected everyone to receive the same amount. 

ADVERTISEMENT
#5

“What Is Moral But Illegal?”: 30 People Are Sharing Some Of The Dumbest Laws Around The World Imagine going to war at 18 for 2 and a half years and you come back home, but still can’t go get a beer.

TheAGolds , BENCE BOROS Report

Add photo comments
POST
jmscargill avatar
Scagsy
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Imagine living in a country where you can be sent to war at 18 and not be able to point to your own country on a map. Or the country you're invading. Or why.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#6

“What Is Moral But Illegal?”: 30 People Are Sharing Some Of The Dumbest Laws Around The World In Russia now: talking about PEACE and STOPPING WAR. Lots of examples when people are getting arrested because it counts as "justification of Nazism" or "humiliation of russian army and special operation". Savage.

r0b_b0TT , Katie Godowski Report

Add photo comments
POST
suehazlewood avatar
Sue Hazlewood
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think the Russian army is doing a pretty good job of humiliating themselves. Well the commanders are.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

Next, Dr. Decety mentions that “the parts of the brain involved in moral judgments are beginning to be identified”. Neuroscientists have examined how moral behaviors change in people who have brain lesions, and it has been determined that our brains don’t simply have one moral center. Various parts of the brain handle different aspects of making moral decisions (emotional reactions, self-control, intelligence, caregiving behaviors). When someone experiences trauma to their ventromedial prefrontal cortex in early childhood, they’re more likely to break moral rules and cause physical harm to others. People who have suffered damage to their ventromedial prefrontal cortex “also tend to experience less empathy, embarrassment, and guilt”.

#7

“What Is Moral But Illegal?”: 30 People Are Sharing Some Of The Dumbest Laws Around The World Sleeping in your car when your too drunk to drive.

Yuaskin Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#8

“What Is Moral But Illegal?”: 30 People Are Sharing Some Of The Dumbest Laws Around The World Pirating content that has been abandoned and can't even be purchased any more. E.g. an out of print book, or a game that isn't sold anymore.

ofsquire , Soumil Kumar Report

Add photo comments
POST
chuckycheezburger avatar
Chucky Cheezburger
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Something that chaps my a$$ is having to pay for a digital copy of music when I have paid for a physical copy. I have CDs and,dare I say cassettes that are damaged or worn out, but still I have to buy a digital copy to hear it.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

We reached out to Dr_vinci to hear where the inspiration for this post came from, and he told us he had heard the question somewhere else and was so curious that he decided to start his own discussion around it. When asked if he trusts law enforcement, he told us that he still does, but that the government makes questionable calls sometimes. "I'm fairly happy with the laws we have, other than some weapon regulations." He also notes his frustration with the banning of airsoft guns and "Black Rifle Coffee Company" due to its name. While gun control laws are a controversial topic, Dr_vinci does not consider them a moral issue. "I think there's no problem with us having better guns or switchblades," he told us. Whether you agree with him or not on these issues, it is a great reminder of how relative morality is.

#9

“What Is Moral But Illegal?”: 30 People Are Sharing Some Of The Dumbest Laws Around The World Collecting rain water in my state.

Ginger_Anarchy , Georgi Zvezdov Report

While morality is in our nature, various factors play a part in moral relativism, including cultural differences. Aside from my earlier example of eating meat, a few other topics that can be controversial depending on the culture and religion are dancing, polygamy, gambling, drinking alcohol, abortion, sex before marriage, having children outside of marriage, assisted suicide and gay marriage. Many of us know exactly where we stand on those topics and may not even consider some to be moral issues, but a 2014 study by the Pew Research Center surveyed 40 countries on some of these subjects to see just how opinions varied across the world. Views on extramarital affairs, for example, were similar in most countries. But in France, only 47% of those surveyed considered having an affair unacceptable, and 40% did not consider it a moral issue at all. 

ADVERTISEMENT
#11

“What Is Moral But Illegal?”: 30 People Are Sharing Some Of The Dumbest Laws Around The World As an American doctor who takes Medicare, I am not allowed to waive fees for procedures or charge a patient less than what our officially set rates are, even if they don’t have insurance. I’m also not allowed to ask a doctor from a different practice what a certain insurance company pays them for a service, as this has been deemed “anti-trust.”

bryantuga , Online Marketing Report

#12

“What Is Moral But Illegal?”: 30 People Are Sharing Some Of The Dumbest Laws Around The World In some states, feeding the homeless.

rovirb , Ev Report

Morals also shift over time. At one point in time, unmarried men and women could not even be alone in a room together without it being considered sinful. And while slavery is now viewed as an atrocity, it was once widely accepted in the United States and many other countries. Both racism and homophobia were normalized for many years behind the guise of religious morality, but times are changing. Sadly, there is still progress to be made in combatting racism, homophobia and transphobia, but hopefully eventually, these hateful beliefs will be unanimously regarded as immoral.

ADVERTISEMENT
#13

“What Is Moral But Illegal?”: 30 People Are Sharing Some Of The Dumbest Laws Around The World Donating unsold/uneaten food to shelters at the end of the day at a fast food joint i.e. the donuts at dunkin, we’d have to throw them out every night.

zeroxtx , Hao Report

Add photo comments
POST
markalibozek avatar
Mark Alibozek
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know of a grocery store near me that used to donate food but then got sued by the place because some bread had a little mold on it. So now they don't donate anymore.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#15

“What Is Moral But Illegal?”: 30 People Are Sharing Some Of The Dumbest Laws Around The World Defending against a bully in school, apparently.

insecure_alt-acc , Keira Burton Report

Add photo comments
POST
maren-schillo avatar
Aran Lindvail
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There are schools with "zero tolerance to violence" policies. Which leads to the bullied kid getting punished for fighting back, with the bullies usually being good at provoking them and not getting noticed by the teachers.

donovancox avatar
Everydayhuman83
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The Bully Can Continue To Bully, And The Bullied Kid Gets Suspended. I've Seen This Happen More Than It Should.

Load More Replies...
malakiwilliams564 avatar
Malaki Williams
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

in Corry if you are being beaten up even if you dont fight back you still get into trouble. so everyone would go down with a bang

jnegraham avatar
Janet Graham
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My husband taught his kids to stand up for the ones being picked on. He went to more than a few meetings at school for his kids getting in the middle of a bully and his victim. This was in the 90s and early 00. Today, the cops would be called and he would be in jail for abuse and his kids would be in counseling for standing up for the underdog. It is the one-size-fits-all method of education brought on by the Department of Education. wrong on all levels.

warrickriley007 avatar
Riley Warrick
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was being pick on by (at the time) 7th grade girls because I was blind. One kicked me and I fought back in self defense and was suspended for three days. During the fight , the girl pushed me on the floor and I hit my head. I could've lost all my eyesight. The girl didn't get into any trouble.

harri_ellis avatar
HarriMissesScotland
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

NOPE I would have kicked those girls asses for you. My best is severely visually impaired, as is her son. Long story, but I don't get physical, but they get an earful.

Load More Replies...
davehinckley avatar
Dave Hinckley
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We told my son he couldn't hit a bully, but he could block a punch vigorously. Oh, he was taking karate at the time. He ended up sticking up for kids getting bullied.

kimburke_1 avatar
Kim Burke
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My son once got in trouble for defending himself at school against a group of much older boys. When I got the whole story from them and contacted the VP with the information, my son was no longer in trouble. My kids are trained in martial arts and self defence and have been instructed that they can and should defend themselves, after warning that they will do so.

jasmith_001 avatar
mndm-synth avatar
Monday
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Zero tolerance policy. You get the same punishment for fighting back as you would for bullying.

Load More Replies...
View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

Morals can also be fluid for individuals, depending on the desperation of their current situations. When asked point-blank if stealing is wrong, most people would probably say yes. But if you ask a single mother fleeing from an abusive relationship who’s unsure where her child’s next meal will come from, she might justify stealing a sandwich from a grocery store for her daughter. Viewing morality as too black and white and ignoring the nuance of individual situations can lead to dangerous decision making.

#16

Giving thirsty people water in election lines in a certain state in the United States.

SadisticSavior Report

Add photo comments
POST
jodithe avatar
Jerry The Joker
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Once again, looking at you Republicans. It's sad that you can only win by cheating.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#17

“What Is Moral But Illegal?”: 30 People Are Sharing Some Of The Dumbest Laws Around The World Grabbing thrown out clothes from clothing stores/furniture/appliances, brand new stuff that just didn’t sell or was out of season. Truly wasteful and probably a terrible. My mom used to drive behind strip malls with me as a kid and we’d find all sorts of good stuff, Pier 1 Imports used to have some good stuff, so did Burlington Coat Factory.

All_Usernames_Tooken , Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu Report

Add photo comments
POST
gargarita-mica-08 avatar
Boreddd🇺🇦
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Romania, aka where I live, they are mostly sold in thrift shops, I think. I once found 3 brand new jackets from h&m for a third of the price

View more commentsArrow down menu
See Also on Bored Panda
#18

“What Is Moral But Illegal?”: 30 People Are Sharing Some Of The Dumbest Laws Around The World In many countries speaking out against the malicious and corrupt actions of the government would certainly fall under the category of moral but illegal.

HappiHappiHappi , EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA Report

Add photo comments
POST
liddlecatpaws avatar
Jo Johannsen
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I bet a lot of Russians can testify to this. Not just them, of course, just a timely example.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

Many of the laws mentioned on Reddit may seem harmless at first glance, but they can disproportionately target poor and homeless individuals. In the United States in particular, homelessness has been notoriously criminalized, despite the fact that there are over 550,000 people without homes. Being homeless itself is not illegal, but there are plenty of restrictions around where individuals can camp, loiter, and panhandle. Many businesses also will not allow people to use their restrooms without purchasing something first, leaving homeless people with no access to toilets and running water.

#19

Breaking a car window to save a dog in a hot car.

greeneyedgirl626 Report

#20

“What Is Moral But Illegal?”: 30 People Are Sharing Some Of The Dumbest Laws Around The World You can be fined 135 € for giving food to (non-ukrainian) refugees in Calais, France.

The irony is that the fine for giving food to pigeons in the same city is ~100 €.

systemasis , George Becker Report

Add photo comments
POST
maciejzajaczkowski avatar
Maciej Zajaczkowski
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's just sick. How can giving food to anyone be a crime. Also, what if you give it as friend to friend?

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#21

Publishing evidence of government war crimes and other illegal activity.

ronflair Report

Taking food out of trash cans and picking up clothes retailers dump behind their stores seem like perfectly harmless ways for the poor to gain resources and reduce waste, but even those acts are illegal in certain places. With no access to food and no money for clothing, it’s ridiculous to criminalize acts of survival. Even those who have cars but are living in poverty are faced with a mountain of restrictions. It can be extremely challenging to find places that allow overnight parking, and sleeping in a car is illegal in many places as well, with the risk of racking up exorbitant parking tickets. For individuals who don’t feel safe returning home, perhaps due to an abusive partner or parent, they should feel secure knowing that there is somewhere to go.

#22

Removing those metal beams that stop homeless people from sleeping on park benches.

Miia_best_snake Report

Add photo comments
POST
freshganesh avatar
Marco Hub-Dub
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wasn’t it Santa Cruz, CA that voted out all city council or county supervisors who voted for “anti-humanity” (not inhumane, for whatever reason) public development?

View more commentsArrow down menu
#23

“What Is Moral But Illegal?”: 30 People Are Sharing Some Of The Dumbest Laws Around The World In Japan? Recycling someone's garbage without permission. Touching their garbage at all. You could use a discarded couch and save it from the garbage dump, but be arrested for it.

InvisibleMe21 , Anna Shvets Report

Add photo comments
POST
heatherphilpot avatar
Hphizzle
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I feel like this needs a bit more of an explanation. In Japan, you don’t just throw anything away. Garbage is sorted into no less than 3 categories (but usually closer to 6-8 categories). There is a size limit to most of those. No one would put a couch out to the curb. You would either have the city pick it up from your place or you would have to bring it to the dump yourself (and pay a butt ton of money for either of those services). Most still-usable items can go to the resale shops. Also most other items have to stripped down and divide into the different garbage types. Like an umbrella. Plastic pieces would go in non-burnable, cloth goes in burnable, metal parts go in the metal/glass bag. So finding a whole item with all its parts would be hard to find anyway. And yes, it takes a while to learn how to sort your garbage here.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#24

“What Is Moral But Illegal?”: 30 People Are Sharing Some Of The Dumbest Laws Around The World Lemonade stands. Your child's lemonade stand can teach them valuable lessons and are pretty harmless but can be shutdown without permit and department of health inspections.

coroff532 , rachaelvoorhees Report

Lastly, sometimes individuals need to break laws intentionally to fight against discrimination. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested five times during his life, fighting for equality. Susan B. Anthony was arrested for voting in New York in 1872. In 2020, over 17,000 people were arrested during Black Lives Matter protests following the murder of George Floyd. In times of injustice, doing something illegal can be the best way to illustrate your strong morals.

#25

Saying gay in FL, assisting trans kids in TX and ID, protecting womens lives with medical care, etc

cymbaljack Report

Add photo comments
POST
maddie-castillo2008 avatar
Bill cipher
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

FVck the patriarchy when I’m of age I’m leaving this sad excuse for a country

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#26

“What Is Moral But Illegal?”: 30 People Are Sharing Some Of The Dumbest Laws Around The World Taking a child from a abusive parent while they have custody.

Floompydoompy , Pixabay Report

Add photo comments
POST
annalessens avatar
Anna Lessens
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So it's illegal to save children now....good luck when they go down a path of self hate

View more commentsArrow down menu
#27

“What Is Moral But Illegal?”: 30 People Are Sharing Some Of The Dumbest Laws Around The World Sharing medication. I understand that it can be dangerous in some circumstances. But, for example, I work in childcare, and if a child was dying of an asthma attack, I wouldn't be allowed to share my inhaler to potentially save their life. Most people with asthma use the exact same medication, and I don't think a couple of pumps of inhaler would endanger anyone unless they're severely allergic. If I was ever actually in that situation, I think I'd struggle not to share mine. Having the life-saving medication right there and not being allowed to use it seems crazy to me.

vario_ , Sahej Brar Report

See Also on Bored Panda

While we can be certain that morals will never be universally agreed upon, let's not forget that it's okay to question the laws that are in place. Sure, we agree to abide by them, but that does not require abandoning critical thinking. Let's all weigh the pros and cons of breaking some silly laws, and consider what our consciences think. I listened, and my conscience is saying that adding a quarter to someone else's parking meter will bring some good karma.

Have you ever been caught breaking a law by doing something you considered moral? We'd love to hear about it in the comments, and don't forget to upvote all of the responses you found most shocking.

#28

“What Is Moral But Illegal?”: 30 People Are Sharing Some Of The Dumbest Laws Around The World In my country, feeding street dogs.

Fruit_Punch96 , yawan sahu Report

#29

“What Is Moral But Illegal?”: 30 People Are Sharing Some Of The Dumbest Laws Around The World In Germany: putting your empty beer bottle next to the trash can in cities instead of into the trash can. It's in principle littering, but it makes it so bottle collectors don't have to crawl through the trash (there is a deposit on the bottles).

Shinlos , James Sutton Report

Add photo comments
POST
laura_ketteridge avatar
Laura Ketteridge
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It isn't just littering that the problem. The bottles can break and cause a hazard. I've seen many smashed bottles.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#30

“What Is Moral But Illegal?”: 30 People Are Sharing Some Of The Dumbest Laws Around The World In my state, KY, it is illegal to marry the same person 3 times. So I would say that would qualify as moral but illegal.

Amaranthe1971 , Jeremy Wong Weddings Report

Add photo comments
POST
jasmith_001 avatar
James
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If it's not worked out after two attempts then i'd say that this law is to protect people from themselves. :)

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

Note: this post originally had 68 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.