An Ethics Board saying some behavior or decision is “unethical” does not necessarily mean that that behavior or decision is “unethical.” It just means that, at this point in time, the few who happen to be on that board are deciding to label it as such.

DSM saying that Such and Such is a “mental disorder”, or psychopathological, does not mean that Such and Such is necessarily a “mental disorder”, or psychopathological. It only means that, at this point in time, the powers that be (historically, a bunch of east coast psychiatrists) have made a decision to label it as such.

The law saying that something is illegal does not mean the behavior is actually morally or socially reprehensible, or a threat to law and order. It only means that the powers that be have decided, for now, to label it as such. Unlike the above points, it actually, then, IS illegal, even if making it so is stupid.

Think: Therapy in a client’s home a few years ago, phone call therapy a few years ago, homosexuality (up until 1973), smoking weed (illegal on THIS side of the state border, legal two feet away on THAT side of the border.) Lots of examples. Protesting wars. Providing abortion services. It goes on and on.

Many things that are illegal are not immoral, nor yet unethical.

Many things that are legal are (by my standards) unethical, and sometimes immoral.

Think: Again, weed (I am not a weed guy, by the way), the “rolling stop” when there is nobody on the roads, politicians trying to crush Medicaid and Medicare, cops profiling people of color, a million more examples.

Legal, Ethical, and Moral are complicatedly different. When a few people in power get to call them (politicians, ethics board members, church leaders) things get kinda funky.

Often, in many Facebook groups, these issues get confused.

It is good to be humble.

Sometimes, it is good to say “I am not sure about that one…”

Let’s be less sure.

Let’s be humble about what we “know.”

Thanks for reading…..

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