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Ethics, religion, and today’s society

  Why do ethical people do bad things? Most companies have compliance policies that are signed by all employees. Families and schools instill behavioral guidelines for children. Churches preach moral precepts to parishioners, and societies develop informal and formal ethical rules that guide daily intercourse.

  When I listen to the news, I find so many of the moral precepts I was indoctrinated with as a child are routinely broken. People barely lift an eyebrow when someone curses or gives them the finger. Men don't open the door for women or give up their seats on a crowded bus.

  The commandments in Jewish and Christian theology say "Thou shalt not kill," yet prisoners are put on death row and soldiers kill those we call enemies one minute and friends the next. Gun ownership of military-style weapons keeps multiplying and homicides continue to escalate.

  "Thou shalt not steal," is given a wink, with theft so rampant. We deal with it by paying more for insurance, for we don't know how to make thieves feel guilty. Government offices are filled with employees who have committed adultery, lied, stolen, and accepted bribes. It is hard to think of the U.S. as a moral country. We have many friends and family who have suffered from the absence of societal values.

  Ethics is a value system based on humanistic assumptions (morals). It appeals to reason based on widely shared sentiments, many of which are written into law. As a tool for right and wrong, ethics is inclusive of all religious persuasions including atheists.

  The difficulty with ethics, is that good or bad are complicated by circumstances. Moral decisions can depend on finances, gender, age, culture, personal beliefs, and experiences. Morally right decisions can have negative consequences. If your Sudanese children are starving due to years of drought, is it wrong to steal food or is it better to let them die? Federal Prosecutor Serina Vash says, "When I first began prosecuting corruption, I expected to walk into rooms and find the vilest people. I was shocked to find ordinarily good people I could well have had coffee with that morning. And they were still good people who'd made terrible choices." Doing right can be harder than doing what is convenient.

  Some ruthless people do good for others after amassing their fortune. John D. Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil, built an empire by removing competition at any cost. He was accused of being a "snake-oil salesman, bigamist, and rapist. Labor activists, politicians, and demonstrators hated Rockefeller. Several people tried to kill him. Yet he did a lot of good in the community. He gave $540 million away to charity during his life and established a foundation that catalyzed the Green Revolution. He once said, "Having been endowed with the gift I possess, I believe it's my duty to make money and to use the money I make for the good."

  Most religions are based on revelation, not ethical precepts. The Bible, the Torah, the Koran, and other religions embrace a moral order coming from a higher power, a deity, or some other force. Religions claim that their belief system is the best guide to follow. Though some religions are more liberal, most traditions preach that their faith is a path to enlightenment and salvation. The "thou shalt nots," moralize ethics by coming from God.

  Though many values are shared by religious and non-religious people, the punishments for not following the ethical rules differ. In Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism, religious tribunals are reinforced by depictions of suffering in hell. Being good leads to eternal life.

  As people turn from religion, traditional inhibitors stop working.

Moral purity restrictions around diet, dress, and sexual behavior are questioned by followers. A Jewish Kosher diet, Hindu vegetarianism, Muslim restrictions to pork, tattooing, body pricing, and hari-kari are no longer in secular law. The French people remain conflicted over wearing Islamic coverings in public. Their debate embraces the question of the role of women in French society. Islamic doctrine and tradition conflict with the French policy of minority assimilation.

  According to a 2021 Gallup Poll, Americans say moral values are declining, and moral confusion has led to a dysfunctional chaotic mess. The reasons for the decline are, "an anything goes" attitude, less distance between right and wrong, greed, rejecting God, and redefining morality to suit one's own self. Still, there are those who say that moral norms have improved by being more transparent than in the past. It is harder to hide indiscretions, and we are a more caring compassionate, philanthropic society than before.

  Pastor Dawn Blundell wrote for the Reno Gazette, "I think we make major mistakes when we judge other people's actions according to our own criteria, as though morality was all about behavior. Much of what we might look at from the outside and call "immoral" is driven by the need for love, connection, hope …whereas the true immorality is in the systems that cause such lostness and despair."

  What do I think? Take good care of yourself so you have the strength to do the right thing and care for others.

  What about you? Do share your opinion on my blog site 

References:

  Carucci, R. (2018) Why Ethical People Make Unethical Choices. Harvard Business Review. retrieved from https://hbr.org/2016/12/why-ethical-people-make-unethical-choices

  Arthur W. Page Center website. (2023) The Difference Between Ethics and Religion. retrieved from https://archive.pagecentertraining.psu.edu/public-relations-ethics/ethical-decision-making/yet-another-test-page/the-difference-between-ethics-and-religion/

  Donahue, J. (2006) Does Ethics Require Religion? Greater Good Magazine; Science-based insights for a meaningful life. retrieved from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/does_ethics_require_religion

  Dictionary. com. What’s the difference between morals and ethics? retrieved from https://www.dictionary.com/e/moral-vs-ethical/

  Parr, S. (2016)The Epic Rise of John D. Rockefeller. The Hustle. retrieved from https://thehustle.co/the-history-of-john-d-rockefeller-standard-oil/

  Zed, R. (2022) What’s the status of morality in our nation today?  Reno Gazette. retrieved from https://www.rgj.com/story/life/2022/02/03/whats-status-morality-our-nation-today-faith-forum/6653207001/