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Morality and Laws

Grace Kline

Saint Leo University

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September 5, 2021

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Morality and Laws

There is a fine line that is drawn between the concepts of morality and the law. When

laws are followed, that is generally associated with doing the right thing. Laws are put in place to

allow there to be peace in society and to keep people in line without disarray and turmoil. Ones

who follow the law by the book are often viewed as well-thought-of and have good morals.

However, everyone is entitled to how they perceive the law and how they feel about it. When

someone follows the law, they are usually determine to be a moral person. This can sometimes

lead to the generalization of what it means to be moral. There are many elements that can define

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someone’s morality and how they view the idea of morals.

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People who comply with the laws of the country in which they are located are generally

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considered to be ethical behaviors. Similarly, those who obey the law are generally regarded by
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the public as moral citizens. However, it could be questioned whether following the laws makes

a person’s morality. The way a person perceives the law will determine if one’s compliance with
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the law is an ethical behavior or not. A person’s morality is often based on their behavior and if
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their actions are right or wrong [CITATION Pol16 \p 8 \l 1033 ]. The same can be said about

someone’s opinion on another’s actions and if their morality was placed in question. One
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example is a woman being tried for the murder of her husband who has abused her for many

years. Many people would believe that the murder she committed was reasonable. In this case, it
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is a moral behavior due to the abuse she has endured over the years. Often, someone’s “moral
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compass” can influence their decisions and how they view different matters on whether they are

moral or immoral.
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Another factor that can determine someone’s morality is their religious views. In view of

the different beliefs of religious individuals, their definitions of morality are also different.

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Compared with Muslims, Christians have a completely different view of morality, as do

Catholics and pagans. Their laws governing them are based on the legislators of the

aforementioned religions. An example of the difference between legal and moral decisions is

alcohol and how to treat it. In some religions, it is viewed as violating the “temple” of your body

to consume alcohol outside of religious practices. Although, it is not illegal to have an alcoholic

beverage as long as you are of the legal age. Another example that may be considered immoral is

the abortion of an unborn child, but in a normal society, it is not illegal to perform such behavior

[CITATION Bro03 \p 223-29 \l 1033 ].

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All in all, many laws are designed around the improvement of good citizens in order to

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maintain national order. Although these laws govern legal actions, they hardly care about ethical

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issues. One can abide by all the laws of the country, but still commit unethical violations and/or
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judgments
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References

Broom, D. M. (2003). The Evolution of Morality and Religion. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge

University Press.

Pollack, J. M. (2016). Ethical Dilemmas and Decisions in Criminal Justice. Boston, MA:

Cengage Learning .

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