You see, through the law we don't seek to change one's internal feelings, we seek to control the external effects of those internal feelings. That's all we try to do through the law.
Curiously though, this is exactly why (and how) halacha (Jewish law) does work: It modifies your outer behavior, followed eventually by your internal compass. Anyone who believes that your feelings aren't born out of your behavior is fooling themselves: lots of psychological studies show that indeed, we humans are terrible at making decisions. We are creatures of habit, and our inclinations follow our habits, with rationalizing following up, not reason deciding beforehand (oh, yes there may be the occasional exception, but that exception is quite rare). To be quite frank, our society's laws absolutely sets our moral compass, the weaknesses only being the fact that custom and community often undermine, or strengthen or go around laws, or fill-in where law leaves spaces. Its entirely incorrect that you can't legislate morality - it's a fallacy of self-determination> We'd like to believe you can't but by and large, we do, and if and when we want to make change, it's the best way to do it, because you can legislate behavior, and behavior drives our internal compass. That's why the military's integration was so incredibly important for integration in general. Legalism is the way to go, not something to have contempt for. Who cares how you feel as long as you do; and indeed thought and speech are ultimately just a specific kind of behavior; more private perhaps, but malleable to the rest of one's habits.
(no subject)
Curiously though, this is exactly why (and how) halacha (Jewish law) does work: It modifies your outer behavior, followed eventually by your internal compass. Anyone who believes that your feelings aren't born out of your behavior is fooling themselves: lots of psychological studies show that indeed, we humans are terrible at making decisions. We are creatures of habit, and our inclinations follow our habits, with rationalizing following up, not reason deciding beforehand (oh, yes there may be the occasional exception, but that exception is quite rare).
To be quite frank, our society's laws absolutely sets our moral compass, the weaknesses only being the fact that custom and community often undermine, or strengthen or go around laws, or fill-in where law leaves spaces. Its entirely incorrect that you can't legislate morality - it's a fallacy of self-determination> We'd like to believe you can't but by and large, we do, and if and when we want to make change, it's the best way to do it, because you can legislate behavior, and behavior drives our internal compass. That's why the military's integration was so incredibly important for integration in general.
Legalism is the way to go, not something to have contempt for. Who cares how you feel as long as you do; and indeed thought and speech are ultimately just a specific kind of behavior; more private perhaps, but malleable to the rest of one's habits.