STORY: A 2003 survey in the US reports that 87% believe in the existence of God; 80% believe in Judgment Day; 81% say that prayer is an important part of their daily lives. Yet only 59% say their religious faith is important. What do you think is the percentage of Canadians who say their religious faith is important? /// only 30%. It is clear that Canada is rapidly becoming a very secular society, a society without God.
It is also clear from the above survey that conservatives are more religious. Of those who described themselves as conservatives, 81% answered positively to all 3 questions. These include many Christians from evangelical churches like C&MA. In contrast, only 54% of those who described themselves as liberals answered positively to all 3 questions. Now, what about you? How would you answer the 3 questions?
10 Trends among youth, also in society
1. rising youth violence
2. increasing dishonesty (lying, cheating, stealing)
3. growing disrespect for parents, teachers, and authority figures
4. increasing peer cruelty
5. a rise in prejudice and hate crimes
6. the deterioration of language
7. a decline in the work ethic
8. declining civic and personal responsibility
9. a surge in self-destructive behaviours such as premature sexual activity, alcohol and drug abuse, and suicide
10. growing ethical illiteracy, including ignorance of moral knowledge and the tendency to engage in destructive behaviour without thinking it wrong
Background:
There has been a decline in moral values among youth. A 2002 US survey reported that 74% of high school students admitted cheating on exams in the past year (13% higher than in 1992); 38% of students admitted to shoplifting in the past year (7% higher than in 1992); 43% agreed that “a person has to lie or cheat sometimes in order to succeed.” Another survey reported that 82% of students believe that right and wrong are relative terms and that morality is a ridiculous concept; 78% said they regularly lie to their parents.
Common (Secular) Normative Principles in Applied Ethics
○ Principle of benevolence: help those in need.
○ Principle of paternalism: assist others in pursuing their best interests when they cannot do so themselves.
○ Principle of harm: do not harm others.
○ Principle of honesty: do not deceive others.
○ Principle of lawfulness: do not violate the law.
○ Principle of autonomy: acknowledge a person’s freedom over his/her actions or physical body.
○ Principle of justice: acknowledge a person’s right to due process, fair compensation for harm done, and fair distribution of benefits.
○ Principle of rights: acknowledge a person’s rights to life, information, privacy, free expression, and safety.
There are extensive similarities in ethical codes in various cultures,
e.g. principles of fairness, kindness, honesty; emphasis on duties toward
parents, elders, and ancestors and toward children and descendants; universal
admiration of virtues such as generosity, mercy, compassion, wisdom, courage,
self-control, patience, humility, perseverance.
o Those that are inherently moral are absolute and applicable to every culture. These include the sin lists: Mk 7:21-22; Ro 1:29-32; 1Co 5:11; 6:9-10; 2Co 12:20; Gal 5:19-21; Eph 4:31; 5:3; Co 3:5; 2Ti 3:2-4; 1Pe 2:1 (not exhaustive lists). Those commands that are not inherently moral may therefore be cultural expressions and may change from culture to culture.
Sin Lists
wickedness, evil, greed, depravity, envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossips, slanderer, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, boastful, invent ways of doing evil, disobey parents, senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless, approve sin (Ro 1:29-32)
sexually immoral, greedy, idolater, slanderer, drunkard, swindler (1Co 5:11)
sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexual offenders, thieves, greedy, drunkards, slanderers (1Co 6:9-10)
quarrelling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance, disorder (2Co 12:20)
sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, orgies (Gal 5:19-21)
bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, malice (Eph 4:31)
sexual immorality, impurity, greed = idolater (Eph 5:3)
sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed or idolatry (Col 3:5)
lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure (2Ti 3:2-4)
evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, folly (Mk 7:21-22)
malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, slander (1Pe 2:1)
o Summary of sins in the lists:
about money [17 times]: greed (6), idolatry (4), 7 others [Money is the religion of many non-Christians.]
about speech [16 times]: slander (8), 8 others
about sex [13 times]: sexual immorality (6, 5 times mentioned as first sin), 7 others
about thought [12 times]: malice (4), evil (4), 4 others
pride [7 times]: arrogance (3), 4 others
jealousy [6 times]: envy (4), jealousy (2)
others: drunkenness (3), impurity (3), rage (3), selfishness (2)
o If there are different positions, then the command is not absolute, e.g. eating food offered to the idols (Ac 15:29; 1Co 10:25-26).
o The cultural setting of Biblical passages and the intent or reason of the command need to be understood, e.g. prohibitions in Ac 15:20 were a compromise to satisfy Jewish Christians.
o Dt 6:13 Moses urged a legitimate oath.
o Lev 19:12 prohibits only false swearing.
o Mt 23:16-22 Jesus accepted the authenticity of oaths.
o Mt 26:63-64 Jesus spoke under an oath, implicitly accepting the legality of oaths.
o Ro 1:9 Paul, in the form of an oath, says that God is the witness to his truth (see also Gal 1:20).
o The verses in the Bible are not directed at legitimate oaths required in court. The prohibition is against the common but unnecessary Jewish practice (rash swearing) of using God’s name or a sacred object to guarantee the truth of what is spoken.
· 3 Questions can be used to determine the level:
o if yes, then it is an “immoral act” [level 1] that is clearly wrong based on the commandments and/or sin lists, e.g. theft, greed, lie, slander
o if no, ask the next question
o if yes to either one, then it is an “improper act” [level 2] that may lead yourself to sin, or may lead others to sin but the act itself is in the grey area/zone (not white or black), e.g. smoking, wearing sexy clothes
o A note on wearing clothes: How do you know whether your attire is proper? The proper attire of course differs from culture to culture, from place to place. A general rule is that the attire is probably proper if you do not feel conscious about it. Also, it is a good practice to wear better clothes to go to worship. Presume you are going to a wedding or a funeral, what would you wear? Probably not casual clothes. Going to church on Sunday is to worship the creator of the universe. What do you think is proper?
o if no, ask the next question
o if yes, then it is an “inappropriate act” [level 3] that may be objectionable but does not lead to sin, e.g. using foul language, showing off an expensive car
o if no, then it is a “morally neutral act” [level 4] that is acceptable behaviour (in the colourless area), though occasionally may require God’s guidance, e.g. wearing jewelry
o [A few Christians may object Christian women wearing any jewelry, but without a valid ethical reason. In such cases, avoiding such acts is not necessary. Otherwise, it becomes tyranny of the weak where the Christian with the weakest conscience (1Co 8:7) dictates the behaviour of the whole congregation. The “stumbling” in 1Co 8:9 refers not to mere dislike but to actual commission of sin.]
o As for foul language, some are more objectionable than others. The use of God’s name (including Jesus’ name) in expressing disgust or exclamation or simply in a careless fashion is a violation of the Third Commandment (“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” Ex 20:7) and is a violation of “hallowed be your name” in the Lord’s prayer (Mt 6:9), therefore a serious matter.
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In
essentials, unity. In
non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity. |