Introduction to morality & ethics
Diversity of moral belief systems worldwide
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Examples of the range of moral beliefs in today's world:
There are probably more moral controversies active today than at any
time in the past. A particular action might well be considered:
 |
highly moral by one group of
people, |
|
morally neutral by others, and |
|
profoundly immoral by another group. |
An individual's moral code is often derived from a variety of sources, including
one's religious affiliation and worldview. (A worldview is a person's outlook on the world as determined by their
basic beliefs in deity, humanity and the rest of the universe.)
Five controversies, selected out of many dozens of
currently active debates, are listed
below:
| Action & definition |
Considered moral |
Considered immoral |
| Female Genital Mutilation:(FGM) Part or all of a
young girl's clitoris is surgically removed. This leaves them with
reduced or no sexual feeling. It is a common social practice
among Animists, Christians, and Muslims in some parts of Northern
Africa. It is incorrectly viewed by some as a uniquely Islamic
religious requirement. |
FGM is considered moral by some cultures in North
Africa, because they believe that it prevents:
|
The death of any husband whose penis contacts a clitoris. |
|
The birth of hydrocephalic babies. |
|
Poisoning of the mothers milk. |
|
Bad genital odors. |
|
Vaginal cancer. |
|
Masturbation. |
|
Homosexuality. |
|
Adult nervousness. |
|
Neurosis due to excessive sex drive. |
Without FGM, the girl may not be able to marry in her culture. |
It is
considered immoral throughout most of the world, because:
|
The victim cannot
give informed consent because of her age. |
|
Orgasms are
sometimes impossible to experience later in life. |
|
Many health problems
result from the surgery. |
|
Because of unhygienic operating conditions, infection and even
death can occur. |
|
None of the alleged physical or mental benefits of FGM can be
supported by medical studies. |
|
| Genocide:The "systematic destruction by a government of a
racial, religious, or ethnic group." 1 The most serious genocide in the 20th century was the Shoah (aka Nazi Holocaust)
-- the systematic round-up and murder of about 6 million Jews.
| The German Nazi party during World War II considered the Holocaust to be a highly moral act, because it contributed greatly to their racist philosophy. They regarded the "Aryan" race as supreme. Their goal of exterminating every Jew in Europe was considered a great moral imperative. Even during the waning months of the war, the Holocaust was given the highest military priority.
| The systematic destruction of a race, religion or ethnic group is now considered by civilized nations as the most serious possible crime. It is the ultimate violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 2,3 The U.S. has passed the anti-genocidal Proxmire Act. Other countries have similar legislation in place. The United Nations has laws which forbid genocide and make provision for the trial and imprisonment of those responsible. |
| Spanking:The use by
parents of corporal punishment in order to discipline their children
and to both correct and control their behavior. |
Many conservative Christians support spanking because
the biblical book of Proverbs requires it of them. See Proverbs 13:24, 19:18;
22:15; 23:13; 23:14; and 29:15. Solomon must have considered it an
important topic because he repeated the injunction to not spare the
rod a total of six times.
Spanking children in order to correct and
punish their bad behavior is a necessity for good parenting. To not
spank is immoral because it leads to undisciplined children, who grow
up to be misfits as adults.
The Bible is inerrant and thus would not
recommend an immoral or ineffective discipline method. |
Many religious liberals, secularists, child psychologists etc. believe that children need discipline, but should not be spanked.
They consider corporal punishment to be immoral because:
|
Spanking terrorizes a child. |
|
It is less effective than other methods of discipline, like
lecturing and time-outs. |
|
85% of all cases of child abuse started with spanking and later got
out of control. |
|
Many reliable studies link spanking to a higher incidence of
emotional, aggression, addiction, anti-social and criminal problems later in
life. |
|
Spanked children have a lower IQ than children who are not
spanked. |
|
| Abortion: The
termination of a pregnancy that is either unwanted or is dangerous to
the woman. 90% are done in the first three months of pregnancy;
about 9% in the second three months. |
"Pro-choicers" generally believe that an embryo or fetus
becomes a human person many months after conception -- perhaps at
birth; perhaps earlier. Almost all believe that an early abortion is a moral choice, if
it is needed for emotional or economic reasons, to permit the woman's education to
continue, or for other reasons considered valid by the woman after
consulting with her physician and spiritual counselor. |
Pro-lifers generally believe that a just-fertilized
ovum is a full human personand should have the complete
set of rights enjoyed by any other citizen in the country, including the right to
live. Thus, an abortion is an intentional homicide; a murder of a
helpless human person. Some believe that all abortions are immoral;
others that an abortion is a moral choice if it resulted from rape or
incest. |
| Same-sex marriage: Extending the definition of civil marriage to include loving, committed same-sex couples which may include two gays, two lesbians, one gay and one bisexual man, one lesbian and one bisexual women, or two bisexuals. |
Civil marriage is granted by the government in order to recognize the mutual love and lifetime committment of couples. It offers substantial status, health, and financial benefits. Under the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, "no state shall ... deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." If opposite-sex couples can marry, same-sex couples must also have access to the benefits of marriage. |
The Bible calls for a man to marry a woman. This has been the definition of marriage since before human governments were formed.
The institution of marriage is in a delicate state. Some surveys conclude that 50% end in divorce or marital separation. Allowing gays to marry might finish it off completely.
Homosexuals are not promoting same sex marriage because they want to marry; they want to attack the institution of marriage itself. |
The above are only examples. There are many dozens of currently active,
religiously motivated, controversies in the world today. Most have a strong
moral component.
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Related essays on this web site:
References:
- "Genocide," at: http://www.encyclopedia.com/articles/
- The English text of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is at: http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html
- The UDHR text is available in other languages at: http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu6/1/univdec1.htm
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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