Is This Ethical Behavior, Part 2 ?

Question

Following on my question about the Boy and Disneyland -

Can an action be considered good or bad without considering the motivation of the person involved?

Consider a politian who donates money to a children's hospital so that he can get on TV and promote his campagin?

Or consider a husband who brings home flowers and candy because he wants sex?

Or a person who funds a new library but requires that it be named after him?

Of consider a person who follows God's commandments so that they can get into Heaven and avoid Hell?

All those things might be good behavior but would they get an "A+" rating as compared to a good behavior that is made without thought of reward (or punishment)?

Answer 1

There is a prime difference.... children do very little that is not externally rewarded. But, somewhere along the line of growing up, we either internalize integrity, or we do not.

As an atheist, I believe that many adults do good and right things, not for external reward, but for internal satisfaction.

To me, that is the prime difference... so... are we "grown up?" or are we like children waiting for the reward?

Answer 2

I don't think it's A+ behavior unless you do it from the heart. My husband brings me flowers all of the time, because he knows they make me happy, so I get the reward.

If he did it to get some it would be like him bringing food home so that he can eat. It's going to happen one way or the other so on that point there is no reason to waste your money to get that reward.

For Christian's we are taught that the way you get to Heaven is by displaying certain behaviors and I do believe that most people don't praise God because he woke them up this morning, but because they want that final reward of making it to Heaven. The loop hole is that your heart has to be good and you have to live your life in his path.

Most of the people in the Bible who gained the most from God, praised him and lived their lives for him even when they were in dire straits. Job is the perfect example, his heart was pure in his praying and worship and although God made him suffer to prove his purity, he was rewarded because he never wavered in his belief.

Many current day Christians may not make it because they have only praise so that they can get that final reward and not because it is the right thing to do. So many Christians raise hell Monday-Saturday and make it to church on Sunday and act like nothing happened the other 6 days. But God knows their heart and can see what others don't.

So the bottom line is reward is good if you do what you do purely and not with the intent of gaining something in return for your sevice.

Answer 3

It depends. Can you call an action bad if it produced good long term effects? If a wife feels loved and appreciated, are flowers, even self serving ones, all that bad? Or if a community of low income children are able to asess a new library because of a self serving man is it all that bad?
At the same time are we as a society producing a bunch of greedy self serving individuals because of our what's in it for me attitude?
Good question-I have no answer.
As far the ten commandments - well you can't (it's impossible) to earn your way into heaven-grace is free so I don't see the comparison between this scenario and the others.

Answer 4

Knew that was where you were headed. Why don't we murder, because God said it was wrong, or because we have respect for other humans and life in general. The latter would be a moral, the former would be purchasing morality. I don't think that someone who does something good to get something was being good. The motive can mean everything. We can't see motive, sometimes we can only guess but without it, all actions are neutral and lack a "good" or "bad" designation.

Answer 5

People doing good things, for whatever the reason, is good. People that do good things, not for reward or fear of punishment, is a very happy, lucky person. Why are some people happiest, doing good for no reason than doing good and easing suffering? Why do some people need rewards or fear of punishment to do good? Did God make us differently that way? Why are we different? If someone does good for no reason, except that doing good makes them happy, does that mean they are better people?

Answer 6

If you want the answer from a spiritual perspective, I grew up with a religious upbringing that made me familar with Bible verses. So hear are some verses which may help clarify the Christian perspective on this:

Philippians 2:3-4

3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.


Matthew 6:1-4

Giving to the Needy
1"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.


1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Love
1If I speak in the tonguess of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.


1 John 3:16-18

16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.


Luke 10:26-28

26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'[a]; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[b]"

28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."


Romans 13:8-10

Love, for the Day is Near
8Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. 9The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet,"[a] and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."[b] 10Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Answer 7

If good comes out of it then I think it is good.
If the only thing keeping Christian from running amok then we must keep them in total fear of God, for our own safety if for no other reason.

Answer 8

We don't get to Heaven by obeying the Ten commandments. We get to heaven by accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior.

Answer 9

NO