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Probably the most widely known moral code in North America is the Decalog (aka the Ten Commandments). Three versions are found in the Hebrew
Scriptures (aka Old Testament). Exodus 20:2-17 is the most
frequently used list. Depending upon how the Ten Commandments are interpreted, they contain a total of 19 to 25 separate instructions.
These have been traditionally sorted into ten groupings. However, the Decalog treats women as property, accepts human slavery as a normal state, and punishes persons who follow other religions and thus worship other deities. Thus, its significance in today's multi-cultural, multi-faith cultures is open to question. |
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The Decalog is only a
small subset of the complete Mosaic Code. As Rabbi Simlai
wrote in the Talmud (a Jewish traditional commentary about the Hebrew
Scriptures), the complete Code consists of 613 commandments which
God gave to Moses. One list finds 3 commandments in Genesis, 111 in
Exodus, 247 in Leviticus, 52 in Numbers and 200 in Deuteronomy. These
included 365 prohibitions -- a number equal to the nominal number of days
in the year. Also included 248 positive commandments which Rabbi Simlai
said corresponded "to the number of organs and limbs in the human body."
Hundreds of these dealt with animal sacrifices, slavery, and other topics
that are not currently practiced. That leaves on the order of 300
commandments that can be meaningfully practiced today. It contains some requirements that are considered profoundly immoral by today's moral standards: forcing rape victims to marry their rapist; executing women who are raped in a city without raising an alarm; forcing widows to marry their deceased husband's brother, burning some hookers alive, etc. |
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The author of the Gospel of Luke in the Christian Scriptures describes a very abbreviated moral code. It arises from an encounter between a lawyer and Jesus Christ. In Luke 10:25, the lawyer asked what he needs to do to inherit eternal life (i.e. heaven). Jesus asked him what the Mosaic Code required. The lawyer responded: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself." 2 Jesus agreed with the abbreviated moral code. In answer to the lawyer's subsequent question: "And who is my neighbour?," Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan. The meaning of the parable is that every human is everyone else's neighbor. |
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Some comments on moral codes:
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Their range: Usually moral codes are confined to acts that people do. However, some systems of morality go further and
extend their coverage to thoughts and feelings. For example, in the Christian Scriptures (New Testament), Jesus is quoted as saying:
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Completeness: Written moral codes may precisely define moral
behavior for a given society at a given time. However, as time progresses
and societies change, questions often arise about new situations that are
were covered in the original code. Same-sex marriage,
in-vitro fertilization, the use of embryonic stem cells are three such topics. Some moral codes include basic principles from
which scholars can reach a consensus on new topics. |
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Applicability: Some moral codes include requirements that
are quite specific to the era and culture in which they were written; they
are difficult or impossible to extend to some modern-day situations. |
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Personhood: One failing of almost all moral codes is their lack of definition of when human personhood begins. There is a consensus that an ovum and sperm do not constitute a human person. Everyone agrees that a newborn baby is a human person. There is also a consensus among most pro-life and pro-choice supporters that once human personhood begins, that human being should be given full rights, including the right to live. But these two groups differ greatly -- even among themselves -- on when embryonic or fetal life with human DNA becomes a human person. Thus, various religious traditions and denominations will differ greately on matters like contraception, emergency contraception, and abortion access. |
Christians approach their sacred scriptures, the Bible, with different beliefs. Some theologians view Protestant Christianity as being composed of two main groups:
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Conservative Christians generally view it as the inerrant Word of God. Each passage is useful for instruction and guidance. |
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Liberal Christians generally view the Bible as the product of spiritually motivated authors who tried to promote their own religious beliefs. It contains passages that the authors lifted from nearby Pagan cultures. It contains some material that is regarded as profoundly immoral by today's religious and secular standards. It also contains material of sublime spiritual value. |
Since the two wings of Protestant Christianity have such different views of the structure, nature and source of the Bible, they each derive very different moral codes from its writings. Conservative and liberal Protestant Christians generally have diametrically opposed views on matters such as pre-marital sex by engaged couples, divorce, ordination of gay and lesbian clergy, abortion access, physician assisted suicide, sex education in school, same-sex marriage, and dozens of other topics. When one considers also the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox churches, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (the Mormons), and minority groups such as Christian Science, etc. the range of moral teachings expands greatly.
Related essays on this web site:
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The Golden Rule and other Ethics of Reciprocity |
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"Hot" religious controversies menu |
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Bible passages that appear immoral by today's standards. |
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What the Bible says about human slavery |
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Genocide menu |
References:
- Paul Copan, "True for you, but not for me: Deflating the slogans that leave Christians speechless," Bethany House Publ., (1998). Read reviews or order this book safely from Amazon.com online book store
- Biblical quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
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Site navigation: Home page > Morality > Introduction > here |
Copyright © 2001 to 2010 by Ontario Consultants on Religious
Tolerance
Originally written: 2001-SEP-9
Latest update: 2010-OCT-03
Author: B.A. Robinson
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