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    86 views8 pages

    Lesson III The Role of Religion in Ethics

    Uploaded by

    Cyrene P
    Ethics

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 8
    of Religion in Ethics the Role of Lesson HI: ncerns beliefs and practices of what is good or bad, right or ous or vicious, from a religious point of view. A Christian ethic, for instance, don the radical teachings of the religious leader Jesus Christ about loving being a good Samaritan, loving one’s enemies, being guided by the d the like. For some, the religious response is what is really needeg ges posed by globalization and other contemporary issues, peligious ethics co wrong, virtu' may be base’ one’s neighbor, Father's will, an concerning the challen} 1. Religion and Ethics Practically, ethics may be defined as a system of moral principles which affect how people make decisions and lead their lives. Ethics is concerned with what is good and right for persons and society. On the other hand, religion is defined as “people's beliefs and opinions concerning the existence, nature, and worship of a deity or deities, and divine involvement in the universe and human life” (“Religion,” 2009). Referring to the sacred engagement with that which is believed to be a spiritual reality, religion denotes the belief in, or the worship of, a god (or gods) and the worship or service to God or the supernatural. The term ‘supernatural’ means “whatever transcends the powers” of nature or human agency” (“Religion,” n.d). The term ‘religion’ is sometimes used interchangeably with ‘faith, ‘creed,’ ‘belief system, or ‘conviction’ A teligion is also viewed as “an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and worldviews that relate humanity to an order of existence” (“Religion,” n.d.). Many religions possess holy scriptures, narratives, or sacred accounts that aim to explain the origin and meaning of life and the universe. From the religions’ beliefs about the cosmos and human nature, adherents usually draw religious laws, an ideal way of living, and detailed rules of ethical or moral conduct. (For a detailed discussion about religion, you may consult the Appendix K; "Religion and Belief Systems” of this book) rence between religion and ethics is about the In some measure, religion is based on the .s meaning. These divine etc) and introduced as Some submit that the diffe disparity between revelation and reason. idea that God (or some deity) reveals insights about life and its n insights are compiled in texts (the Bible, the Torah, the Koran, el ‘revelation.’ From a Strictly hy on the tenets of Fe8SON. That j deemed justifiable, This defi : religion or a belief in God, for also for ethical discernmeny IManisti, = Perspective, ethics, on the other hand, is based iti *MYthing that is not rationally provable cannot be a en ethics, however, does not necessarily exclude a also a (ommon belief that human reason, designed a emphasize the relationship a rd from a supernatural God. Indeed, many ethicists ’ le difference, between ethics and religion. 2. Religion’s Role in Ethics Many ethicists beli believe that ‘eligion is necessary for the continued survival of morality as an int y integral part of human life, especially in a globalized world. University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTk) : ' Philosophy professor Glenn C. Graber calls this apologetic claim the ‘cut-flowers thesis’ (1972, pp. 1-5) which consists of a hypothetical judgment that, “Morality cannot Survive, in the long run, ifits ties to religion are cut.” This proposition is a prediction of what would happen to morality if it were severed from religion. In 1894, Russian writer Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) made the following early statement of this thesis: "The attempts to found a morality apart from religion are like the attempts of children who, wishing to transplant a flower that pleases them, pluck it from the roots that seem to them unpleasing and superfluous, and stick it rootless into the ground. Without religion there can be no real, sincere morality, just as without roots there can: be no real flower.” (1964, pp. 31-32) The cut-flower thesis thus implies that those who believe that morality is a valuable human institution, and those who wish to avoid moral disaster, should therefore make every effort to preserve its connection with the true religion and the sound religious belief that forms its roots. As morality is currently in a withering stage in this globalized era, its decline can be identified with the exorbitant Secilartaation of many things. Support for this claim can be found bout among those sympathetic to religion and surprisingly enough, among those with little or no sympathy for religion, Basil Wille, a rliginist, cals fo Urgent action to re-unite religion and ethics. He holds that there has been a progressive de- Christianization during the last three or four centuries, the outcome of which “is et we see around | the moral and spiritual nihilism of the Modern world, particular creeds" (1964, p. 118). WT. Stace, a secularist, surprisingly SUPPorts the cut-flower thesis when he sai “the chaotic and bewildered state of the modern world is due to man’s loss of ei his abandonment of God and religion. | agree with this statement... Along with the ruin of the religious vision there went the ruin of moral principles and indeed zi values” (1967, pp. 3, 9). ‘And for those who doubt that religion ever promoted morality in history (since immorality has flourished even in ages of religious domination), not less than the well-known agnostic historians Will and Ariel Durant explain, thus: “Certainly sensuality, drunkenness, Coarseness, greed, dishonesty, robbery and violence existed in the Middle Ages; but probably the moral disorder born of half a millennium of barbarian invasion, war, economic devastation, and political disorganization would have been much worse without the moderating effect of the Christian ethic, priestly exhortations, saintly exemplars, and a calming, unifying ritual. ... [The] Church labored to reduce slavery, family feuds, and national strife, to extend the intervals of truce and peace, and to replace trial by combat or ordeal with the judgments of established courts. It softened the penalties exacted by Roman or barbarian law, and vastly expanded the scope and organization of charity.” (1968, p. 44) All these statements call attention to the prediction of the cut-flowers thesis which, by way of summary, suggests that morality cannot survive without religion. Some words of caution are needed here though: The cut-flowers thesis does not say that a consequence of abandoning religion leads immediately to murder, rape, robbery, drunkenness, sexual promiscuity, and the like. Nor does it say that the morality per se will soon cease to exist if its ties to religion are cut. However, it does argue that to have a real ground or reason for moral action, one must admit a religious or theological foundation. 3. Theistic Ethics : nae Religions fundamentally endorse theism (the belief in God) and theistic ethics ‘atural being called God is (God-based morality). Theistic Ethics believes that a superni ‘ the foundation of morality. God is viewed as the true source of: all moral laws, and as the only plausible cause of moral obligations which posses: overriding and binding character, Hone theigm - one Hod: ; Scanned with CamScanner The theory holds that the tr, theism, "X is moral” means "gq, 4." 8 moral judgments depends on God's wil. In we can know God's wil Prop Antsy, or a particular agent to do X." As to how divinely guided human faeces S admit sources like revelation (Holy Scriptures), The theory views Ethics as pein" Sods laws writen in man's heart (conscience) *

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