Ethics
Ethics is a broad subject, open to much debate. I’ve found that Christian ethics is an especially touchy subject, as some people equate this with legalism or Christian rules. Yet, so much of Scripture touches on ethics or moral values. Since “ethics is a system of moral principles”[1], Christian ethics involves the way that we live and act out our beliefs as Christians. On a personal level, I’ve been a Christian who has been guilty of not living ethically and making some very poor decisions that have had great consequences on my own life…even to the extent that I served time in prison. My journey to understanding ethics has been very personal. I spent many years carefully evaluating myself to understand how, as a Christian, I could have also been unethical. A lack of ethics in society and churches is widespread…and I’m not just referring to “those who the church points to as sinners who live ungodly lives cause they drink, use tobacco, gamble, cheat on their wives, etc.” Too many times we equate the adherence to Biblical principles with being ethical. Further, entire societies base moral values on their belief systems. Nullens and Michener, in their book The Matrix of Christian Ethics[2], provide a good overview of ethical theories and views on the underlying reasons for moral failure of individuals and societies. It was a great read and covers the various theories nicely, but I didn’t find that it resonated with my personal journey towards being a more ethical person. From my perspective, ethical failure or success is based on different factors and criteria for every individual. We each have our weaknesses, so the root cause of moral failure can vary. Additionally, the definition of good morals and values across culture and society may differ. Nullens and Michener state, “Christian ethics is methodological reflection on the values, norms, virtues, and purposes of Christian life in one’s contemporary context, drawing on Scripture and the tradition of faith.”[3] This is a great statement, but the reality is that many people do not reflect on all of these things nor are they fully aware of all of those things that impact their moral values. Often, people adopt moral values based on their experience, teachings, and traditions. Most of us view our own moral status through the lens of society, our own perceptions, and through false assumptions. Since we know that many people don’t understand their own theology nor read Scripture regularly, how can a person truly draw on this to be a more ethical person? And, if the tradition of faith helps a person to have stronger moral values, then there wouldn’t be so many Christian leaders experiencing major moral failures. Theology in itself is complex, so pursuing higher ethical thinking by application of a system or methodology, in my opinion, is dangerous.
Nullens and Michener state, “In Christian-centered ethics, there is a cycle and interplay between society, the church, and our inherited religious values. We do not get our values simply by following the Bible and the church; culture and society influence our interpretation of values stemming from these sources.”[4] I agree with this statement to an extent, but I don’t think that it speaks to the ethical dilemmas that individual’s face. “Oh! What a tangled web we weave wen first we practise to deceive!” (Sir Walter Scott) Many ethical dilemmas occur when people aren’t honest with themselves and get caught up in life’s circumstances. I’ve yet to meet a person that doesn’t want to be ethical. In fact, I’ve found that some of the most ethical people I meet are those that have admittedly made mistakes and experienced moral failure. We all know people that think “I’m a good person because I go to church”, “I follow Biblical principles for living”, or “I don’t lie, cheat or hurt people, so I’m a good person.” Ethics has nothing to do with church, religious views, or even theology. I think of being ethical as being a righteous individual. Since none of us are as righteous as God, then none of us are totally ethical. So, in my own quest to become more ethical, I cannot rely on my beliefs or actions. I cannot rely on my own worldview, theological understanding, nor the values within my own society to be a more ethical person. Rather, I must recognize that Christ is the only truly ethical human who ever lived, so I should seek to model myself to be like Him in all ways. Romans 3:21-26 says, “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it – the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace, as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
In my own quest to be more ethical, I looked very closely at Christ’s nature. Christ has many attributes that I can follow, but at the core of His nature I found love. The root cause for my personal unethical decisions in life derived from my lack of self-respect and confidence. I didn’t love myself as Christ loves me, nor did I love others in the way I should. Psychologists could probably analyze me and come up with hundreds of theories on my thoughts and actions. The bottom line is that we make ethics way to complicated. I have found that there is only one solution that can help one to personally be more ethical and to make good choices…and that is to become more like Christ. To do so involves walking with Him daily, engaging with him through Scripture, and evaluating one’s own thoughts, opinions, and actions in comparison to His. Studying theology and understanding Scripture hasn’t directly improved my ethical actions, but becoming more like Christ has. We tend to behave like and think like those whom we spend time with. So, if we want to be more like Christ then we must spend time in relationship with Him. Even Satan knows what the Bible says and understands theology…and he certainly isn’t ethical as is Christ.
We are all on a life journey, and we are each at different places within this journey. I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t want to be a better person. We tend to judge a person’s morals based on where we perceive them to be in their life journey and how much visible sin they demonstrate. I’ve met ethical people in prison, and I’ve met unethical people in church. Ethics isn’t about being self-righteous; rather it is having the desire and taking actions to become righteous. To do so, we must recognize our own human tendencies and brokenness. Sometimes the most righteous people are those who have been broken and humbled, and who honestly admit they have faults. We start our ethical journey when we look in a mirror honestly and see ourselves as Christ sees us. When people think of themselves as being immune to ethical issues, then they are at the highest risk for moral failure. The best strategy to prevent moral failure is to develop a relationship with Christ and to model yourself after Him. It is that simple…
[1] ethics. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ethics (accessed: November 07, 2014).
[2] The Matrix of Christian Ethics: Integrating Philosophy and Moral Theology in a Postmodern Context (Intervarsity Pr: I, 2010).
[3] Ibid, p. 12.
[4] Ibid, p. 12.
About the Author
Richard Volzke
5 responses to “Ethics”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Thank you for your writing this week Richard. I appreciate you sharing your learned perspective through the journey you’ve walked with Jesus and how you so intentionally tie that capacity toward the way in which we think. You said: “I have found that there is only one solution that can help one to personally be more ethical and to make good choices…and that is to become more like Christ. ” So, when faced with a question/dilemma what do you ask yourself in order to think through the situation?
Deve,
When faced with ethical types of situations, I ask myself how Christ would handle the question or dilemma. It is easy for us to allow our human tendencies or emotions to dictate our response in situations. There are situations that I devote to prayer, as the answers aren’t always obvious. Sometimes I seek guidance from others. We must be very careful on whom we trust to provide us with advice. The goal of every Christian should be that individuals no longer see us when they interact, but Christ.
Richard
A really good blog Richard.
You make some great points:
– “We start our ethical journey when we look in a mirror honestly and see ourselves as Christ sees us.” So true. Unless we can start with honesty, there is no chance of growth.
– “I’ve met ethical people in prison, and I’ve met unethical people in church.” That’s an interesting statement and yet so true.
– “I cannot rely on my own worldview, theological understanding, nor the values within my own society to be a more ethical person. Rather, I must recognize that Christ is the only truly ethical human who ever lived, so I should seek to model myself to be like Him in all ways.” Very wise words that I will try to follow myself!
Thank you for an interesting and challenging read.
Richard,
I love your transparency here. Good for you! We have all screwed up ethically, but not all of us have been caught. All the more reason why I listen with deep respect to your post. You don’t play with ethics; you live them. You do not talk about ethics; you do ethics. I am proud to have you as a friend.
I agree with you about the authors’ work. I am not so sure they get ethics from a real human’s perspective. Somehow I wonder if either of them has ever acted unethically before. I am not sure that they can relate to sin the way I do. I wrestle continually with right and wrong, and I don’t always choose right. Also, I was unhappy with this book’s conclusion. I felt it was anti-climatic. It did not have a punch for me. Actually, I don’t believe that the authors agreed with anyone, except themselves. Sorry if I sound judgmental. But this was my take on the book. Thanks again for your post, Richard.
Individually or organizationally, values determine what is right and what is wrong, and doing what is right or wrong is what we mean by ethics. To behave ethically is to behave in a manner consistent with what is right or moral.
Great post regarding ethics. Keep sharing more articles.