Movements in Christian’s Ethics

February 8, 2018It is commonly supposed that there is a vital difference between ancient ethics and modern morality. There appears to be a vital difference between virtue ethics and the modern moralities of deontological ethics, however, one acknowledges that both ethical approaches have more in common than their stereotypes may suggest. But why should we bother about ancient ethics at all? What is the utility of comparing the strengths and weaknesses of the particular approaches? The general answer is that a proper understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of virtue ethics and modern moral theories can be used to overcome current ethical problems and to initiate fruitful developments in ethical reasoning and decision-making.

There are at least two main criteria that each moral theory must fulfil. First, the criterion of justification which involves the fact that moral theory shouldn’t contain any contradictions. Then the second, criterion of applicability which includes that moral theory should solve concrete problems and offer ethical orientation. But they’re many traditional moral theories are unable to meet the second criterion and simply fall short of the high demands of applied ethics to solve the complex moral problems of our times. The main point is that the traditional moral laws are not sufficiently well equipped to deal with completely new problems. The definition of moral law is: (in some systems of ethics) an absolute principle defining the criteria of right action (whether conceived as a divine ordinance or a truth of reason).

When Kant speaks about the moral law he says “essentially referring to that sense of obligation to which our will often responds. We all know the experience -- we are sometimes pulled in a certain direction, not because we desire to act in that way, but in spite of our desire to act in the opposite way.” Which speaks to me. To me it says, we do what WE think is right even though our friends, partner or even family would say it’s wrong. So what is true moral law? In theology, there is much discussion of the uses of the law. The first is the political use, in which moral law is used as a solid basis for deciding what makes good or bad law in the political arena. The second use of the law is the pedagogical use of the law, in which the law is a teacher. The law has a third use as a principle or as a guide. It shows us what is right, helping us to be discerning in the tangled jungle of moral decisions that we have to face. Because of the church’s focus on the second use of the law, this third use has often been forgotten. Ethical principles held primarily by the followers of Christianity have influenced the development of U.S. secular law. As a result, Christian moral law and secular law overlap in many situations.

For example, murder, theft, prostitution, and other behaviors labeled immoral are also illegal. Moral turpitude is a legal term used to describe a crime that demonstrates depravity in one's public and private life, contrary to what is accepted and customary. People convicted of this crime can be disqualified from government office, lose their license to practice law, or be deported, but now a days you can get passed that because of liberals want to accept all of the illegal immigrants. From reschering where moral law stands in today's society I gained a new way to look at life. I’m not thinking about the way a “christian’s” moral and a “secular” moral law are similar. The moral law is doing what is morally in all ways.