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Ethics

Christian ethics is based on teachings from the Bible and Jesus Christ. It involves interpreting moral lessons from biblical stories and applying principles like love, forgiveness, and caring for others to particular situations. Critics argue that Christian ethics can be intolerant, repressive, and prevent moral maturity by focusing on rules over circumstances. It is also seen as relying too heavily on rewards and punishments rather than doing what is right. Defenders respond that having high ethical standards and abstract motivations for morality is positive.

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Kent Clark Villa
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137 views

Ethics

Christian ethics is based on teachings from the Bible and Jesus Christ. It involves interpreting moral lessons from biblical stories and applying principles like love, forgiveness, and caring for others to particular situations. Critics argue that Christian ethics can be intolerant, repressive, and prevent moral maturity by focusing on rules over circumstances. It is also seen as relying too heavily on rewards and punishments rather than doing what is right. Defenders respond that having high ethical standards and abstract motivations for morality is positive.

Uploaded by

Kent Clark Villa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Christian Ethics

Introduction to Christian Ethics


Christian Ethics

It is a system of values based on Christian


scriptures and the teachings and character of
the Christian prophets and Jesus Christ as
they are narrated in the Bible.
Christian Ethics
It is derived by interpreting the moral
significance of the behaviors of individuals in
the biblical stories, over and above the Bible
stating directly what counts as ethical in the
form of moral codes.
Presumptions in Christianity
1. Reality of God

2. God is disclosed in the ministry of Jesus


Christ
The basic questions that Christian
ethics is concerned
• What is the right motive from which to act?
• What is the right action in particular
circumstances?
Spiritual Formation
• Meant a growth in character through
private prayers and public worship and
discussion with fellow Christians so that
one’s insight or powers of discernment
deepen.
• Brings us to the phenomenon of moral
casuistry.
Moral Casuistry
• Bringing motivation to bear on particular
decisions
• Series of rules for the evasion of obvious
moral duties
The Teachings of Jesus
The Basic Motif
• Four gospels provide a reasonably unified
vision of Jesus’s ethical message.
• Jesus was a Jew, his ministry and teachings
were unique
• Extreme form of empathy, trust and fellow-
feeling
Consider:
• He says there is no limit on forgiveness for
injuries (Matt 7:12)
• He says we should love our enemies (Matt
6:14)
• He says there shall be no restrictions on
neighborly love (Luke 10:29)
Consider:

• Jesus offers no concrete guidance on


modern social or political issues.
Agape or Christian Love
• Agape is love purged of its self-interested
aspects.
• It is a type of disinterested, other-oriented-
love
Lutheran Tradition – more extreme
interpretations of Christian love arises.
The Impossibilities of Christianity

Criticism of AGAPE

• “out of reach” reverting to common sense


morality
Charges of Impossibilities
• Imminent end of the world
• Division between what is possible for the
holy orders and laity
Preston’s responses
• Having impossible ethical standard is
good.
• Having abstract motivations for ethical
behavior is good.
Paul
Paul
• Saul of Tarsus
• “Pharisee of Pharisees”
• intensely persecuted Christians
Paul
• saved by Jesus
• wrote 13 books in the New
Testament
• Galatians 1:11-12
Paul
“ I want you to know, brothers and
11

sisters, that the gospel I preached is not


of human origin. 12 I did not receive it
from any man, nor was I taught it; rather,
I received it by revelation from Jesus
Christ.”
Paul
• Christian ethic: joyful response
• Matthew 10:8 "Freely you have received,
freely give"
• new life in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17)
• Cornerstone: Love (described in 1
Corinthians 13)
• Jesus is the 'model' (of love)
Paul
8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing
debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has
fulfilled the law.9 The commandments, “You shall not
commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not
steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other
command there may be, are summed up in this one
command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love
does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the
fulfillment of the law.
Paul
Paul Christian ethic Particular
problems thrown up by the churches

Example: Marriage (1 Corinthians 7)


Criticism of Christian Ethics
Criticism of Christian Ethics
• Christian Ethics is intolerant and breeds
intolerance.
• The Roman Catholic Church finally abandoned
the position that “ERROR HAS NO RIGHTS” at
the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)
• Anti-Semitism was also a major disease of
Christendom.
Criticism of Christian Ethics
• Toleration came into the ‘Christian’ world
largely through the influence of those who
were appalled by Christian intolerance, and
Christians learned through the sceptical
tolerance of a man like Voltaire to distinguish
tolerance from an indifference to truth.
Criticism of Christian Ethics
“Christianity is the most
ridiculous, the most absurd
and bloody religion that has
ever infected the world”
-Voltaire
Criticism of Christian Ethics
• Christian ethics is immoral because it works on
a system of rewards for good behavior and
threats for bad; and not on doing what is right
simply because it is right and for no other
reason. The question of rewards has already
been mentioned and seen to be overdone.
Criticism of Christian Ethics
• Instead of leading to self-fulfillment Christian ethics is
repressive.
• Most modern psychological analyses of human
growth and development advocate as an ethical
norm an altruistic, autonomous character. They do
not look to Christianity to produce it; rather they
think it leads to defensive and restrictive behaviour,
and to a static social conformism which is connected
to further criticism.
Criticism of Christian Ethics
• Christian ethics keeps people at an
immature level because it leads to stock
moral reactions regardless of
circumstances.
• It prevents people from learning from
experience and many immature people are
‘religious’.
Criticism of Christian Ethics
• The traditional teaching has been that it is
reasons which justify moral judgements,
and conscience has been the name given
to the power of reason and discernment
brought to bear on moral issues.
Thank You!

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