Long ago, I realized that having some sort of ethical system requried that one sort every possible thing in the world into the approved of and the not approved of, or the desired and not desired, or the good and the evil. Having been unable to pick a particular moral scheme myself, and having missed out on the childhood brainwashing lessons as to whcih is the correct moral system to adopt that most undergo, I had to do something to be an ethical person.
I simply chose to label things either good or bad, without any intention of doing more than sorting other person's beliefs out as follows. When someone states something that sounds like a moral judgement, and me not knowing which moral system they have adopted, I ask the relatively safe question: "Is that a good thing?" This really works well. I always get a loud and long stream of "Of course it is (not) a good thing. Here's why... " And I'm in the moral running at that point, having showed sufficient concern for such things. Which of course I have in some only vague and abstract manner.
You see, as a why person I spend more time concerned with whether this moral scheme or that one is better and for what purpose, then I do actually evaluating things as morally good or bad. Hence my concerns are meta-moral or ethical. In other words, although I am an eithical person - in that I am concerned with treating others well - I am not a moral person - in that I am not sure as to what "treating another well" means. In fact I am sure that it means different things to different people embracing different moral schemes. Certainly one doesn't speak with Carey in the same way one speaks with anyone else on these issues. Right Carey?!
So everything is sorted into categories of what person x thinks are good things and bad things. I can't say that I have my beliefs and whatever else sorted that way though. Only other peoples. I'm more of a morally neutral person. Personally I think sorting things up this wa is too limited - it forces a person to live one life rather than several. Since I don't believe in reincarnation, I shall do my best to try out many different lives during this one. Wish me luck.