The Government does not define morality, The West does not define morality, Science does not and cannot define morality, Man-made Law(s) does not define morality, the imprinted law of Nature and God does.
Very often people ascribe too much power and respect to the government, this might be right in most cases but there comes a time where 'moral' revolution is not only necessary but Morally Justified. The government through the legislative and Judiciary often in collusion with the executive make/establish or reinterpret laws to suit certain agendas.
A law can be both legal and immoral.
LEGAL: permitted by law; lawful. Violations may bring a loss of or reduction in freedom and possessions.
MORAL: pertaining to, or concerned with the principles or rules of right conduct or the distinction between right and wrong. Violations of such can bring disturbance to individual conscience and social sanctions.
1) ABORTION: legal but immoral(both pro-choice and pro-life sides agree it is immoral where they disagree is choice vs no-choice).
"Anti-abortion groups believe that life begins at the point the egg and the sperm fuse, in the eyes of the law, embryos are considered property".1
The Quote above is subtle, in that it presupposes only anti-abortionist(pro-lifers) hold the view that life begins at fertilization. Is that really true?
Science: believes and has proven the first step in human metamorphosis is EMBRYO/ZYGOTE, this is when Human LIFE begins, life doesn't necessarily begin when a new born takes his/her first breathe. Life is formed at FERTILIZATION(Fusion of Male and Female Gamete within hours of ovulation{24hrs at most}).
Religion(Christianity, Judaism and Islam): Life starts at conception, and conception=conceive=fertilization.
"Medical professionals and pro-abortion rights groups see embryos as a “scarce medical resource” rather than a child".2
When the first stage of human life is seen as “scarce medical resource” then you know we have a truly immoral group of humans.
Therefore when the LAW considers Embryos' to be PROPERTY, it is legal but immoral.
2) PROSTITUTION: in some countries it is legal but immoral(no one really wants to sell their bodies for money, prostitution might be justified in terms of hustling, that doesn't make it moral). Parents don't teach their kids to become prostitutes and no one really encourages it.
3) ADULTERY: in certain religious nations it can be both illegal and immoral whilst in others it can be legal(in the sense that you don't get a lawsuit for engaging in it) but it is immoral. No one wants his or her spouse to CHEAT on them. Cheating at anything is morally wrong(immoral).
4) TERMS OF SERVICE: this is a grey area as very few people seem to get it, since very few read TOS. To summarize, a firm can say A today then do B tomorrow, it is perfectly legal but immoral. A very good example: In January interest rate was 1%, you were influenced to open an account, come July interest rates fall to 0.75, the business has no obligation to you especially if this exists in the TOS(TERMS AND CONDITIONS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE) and you can't sue them for the change in rates(LEGAL) but you feel/felt cheated(IMMORAL).
5) LOBBYING: the Politically Incorrect term for lobbying is BRIBERY. To the layman a lobbyist just influences those at the corridors of power, but to those who know, lobbyist are HIGHLY PAID by organizations, individual, multinationals etc. so those at the corridors of power can vote in their interests. It is perfectly LEGAL but very IMMORAL(they no longer represent the will of the masses).
6) TRANSGENDER BATHROOM BILL: Obama's administration via the Department of Justice and Department of Education recently announced and sent a communique to all schools(elementary included) that anyone who "FEELS" they are in the wrong gender should be allowed to use the bathroom of the gender they feel like and not the one they were born with. Generally these folks believe there's nothing like "gender" but they want to change "gender" can you see the confusion? The new directive though not yet a law but coming from the DOJ it can very well be seen as LEGAL but it is also IMMORAL. You wouldn't want a fully dressed woman to enter the men's room with you just because she is "FEELING" like a man at that point in time, would you? Ladies would you want a man to do likewise?
7) PORNOGRAPHY: it's perfectly legal for anyone above 18 to watch X-Rated movies, heck movies these days apply soft-pornos and no one bats an eyelid, however do we really think pornography is moral? I don't think so. This is not about religion, this is a simple case of asking yourself what you really think about it. If you can sit with a minor or your kid and watch pornography, then it might be moral.
8) TAX MANIPULATIONS: very few people understand how this works but in real life most multinationals and big firm underpay taxes LEGALLY, they employ smart guys who can help them mask several accounts and finances, this is legal even the government knows about it. This action is immoral in that, a firm with all their revenues pay less than should be required while struggling masses have to pay exactly what is required.
9) LYING: oh yes lying can be legal, except when under oath, if later it's proven one lied under oath such a one faces perjury charges. Lying is not something we teach or love to do and we all agree it's wrong 👎🏾, this is a core example of Universal Morality.
10) FILING BANKRUPTCY: Bankruptcy is a legal status of a person or other entity that cannot repay the debts it owes to creditors. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor. Perfectly legal but seriously immoral, I mean someone owes me but cannot pay instead of telling me the reason, the person runs to a court to file a charge of bankruptcy?
0) SAME-SEX MARRIAGE: from time immemorial, marriage has always been between a man and a woman even animals engage in heterosexual relationships(some exhibit some form of homosexuality), but with the landmark ruling by the US SCOTUS in July 2015 a man can legally
Keep in mind, morality can be Universal, Objective and Cultural, in this piece the author uses universality as a principle even though it might appear to be America-centric, the core concept can apply to any culture, nation, religion or group of people.
What happens when Law and Morality meet? LEGISLATION. When a good percentage of people find something MORAL they advocate a Law to make it LEGAL, similarly when something is IMMORAL a law is advocated to make it ILLEGAL.
What happens when Law meets Feelings? TYRANNY. Human feelings is transient, feeble and changes with popular opinion. Contemporary legislation and legal rulings are based upon feeling and emotions not common-sense, facts or logic, this sets a bad precedence as the losing side feels aggrieved while the winning side becomes increasingly less-tolerant.
I leave you with this: Morality should not be based upon LAW(words of mere mortals that change with diverse opinions) instead it should be based on Natural Law(Law of God as aptly captured below).
Matthew 7:12 (ESV) : “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets". Commonly called the Golden Rule.
Quotes 1 and 2: Embryo Donation Baby
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