Religion and Ethics

Posted by Nathanael Szobody on

Morality must be defined as those actions which sustain and improve life. In an atheistic framework this can be the only definition for society. For outside of the survival of the species there is no standard for actions.

For the one who believes in God, morality is that which sustains life. But there is a different definition of life. Life is defined as a communion with the presence of God. For all things come from him and, in him, hold together. Therefore if actions are to be ordered for the good of all things, they must be ordered in a manner that reflects God’s presence.

The only way one can make a dichotomy between deontological ethics (ethics based solely on what God says) and teleological ethics (ethics which are purely practical and look to the outcome of one’s actions) is if one has not a working definition of ethics or of God.

All things come from God. In and of themselves they are nothing but empty shells, for they were meant to be filled with God

Nathanael Szobody

https://paradoxicalmusings.com/author/admin/

Husband, father, and working for Christ's kingdom in Chad.

Comments ( 2 )

  1. Dad
    But in certain theologies, such as that of Aquinas, there is no dichotomy between deontology and teleology, for law-oriented ethics must also make room for love-oriented ethics, which is a teleos. If not, one has to negate part of the ethical law of God, i.e., "the end of the commandment is love from a pure heart." In practical terms, life, as it is, is often complicated enough that one needs more than codified deotology, one needs a principle of motivation that helps decide in ambiguous moral situations. Hence, deontology's need for teleology, and teleology's need for deontology to define what love is. Why dichotomize what God has inextricably joined?
  2. Nathanael
    Exactly, and herein lies the Christian's call: to take the true and good observations made by the world, i.e. that ethics must have an eye to the end, and demonstrate that the truth of the gospel not only explains why this is the case, but also gives the larger meaning and purpose of ethics. In effect, the gospel explains why ethics must be teleological, for the telos can only be known deontologically; because God is the end of all things, the author of all creation and the definition of love itself. As Christians, we can, in fact, tell the world why it is that what they observe to be true is in fact true--when it is true.

    In a world that is increasingly pagan in its quest to become one with the energy of life, the message of the gospel cannot be more pertinent. As it was in the day of Paul, so it is today: the world cannot ignore the love of Christ as seen in his followers. They talk of ethics, but when little christs live as one as they abide in the love of him through whom and for whom all things were made, the debate is transcended.

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