your thoughtful responses?
thank you
2007-07-07 09:04:10 · 34 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I don't see how you can seperate ethics from faith in God, if only from a purely practical standpoint. If there's no one to make you "pay" for breaking the laws, what good are they? (That's a rhetorical question, btw, just in case somebody missed it). For me, ethics, doing good, and having faith in God are all the same thing. I do good because it's right, and also because it's what is expected of me as a person of faith (I'm Jewish). I don't need a reward; just the knowlege that I'm doing the right thing.
And to answer my own rhetorical question: If there were no god, then society is the one that metes out punishment.
2007-07-07 09:13:05 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
If I had a magic wand, and could impart either an ethical behavior upon someone OR a real faith in God, I'd give them the faith.
A person could be the most ethical, moral, caring, giving individual on the face of the earth - bring lots of joy and happiness during their lifetime here - and then spend all of eternity in hell.
- OR -
A person with REAL faith in God will end up in heaven AND behave in a moral, ethical, caring, giving way while here on earth. Note that in the bible itself, we are told that there will be many people who CLAIM to be Christian, but who will not enter the kingdom of God - these people didn't actually have faith. Jesus said of some of them "Why do you call me Lord, and not do the things I say?"
Real faith will cause a person to act Christ-like. Behaving ethically is not an upgrade. It comes with the original package.
2007-07-07 09:13:58 · answer #2 · answered by teran_realtor 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is IMPOSSIBLE to have Faith in a Divine being and NOT have a sense of Ethics. Anyone who says otherwise does NOT have REAL Faith in God(ess). If you have TRUE faith then you will automatically seek to do the ethical thing in your life out of sheer LOVE for the Divine.
It IS however, possible to be completely 100% ethical and still NOT believe in a Divine Being. Ethics TRANSCEND the concept of Faith. A person who does NOT believe in a God(ess) will STILL do the RIGHT thing simply bexause it IS the right thing to do. Such a person is NOT concerned with the idea of "reward - punishment" but merely wishes to do things simply because they ARE the right thing to do.
So, based on what I just said, perhaps ethics IS more important. however, one should NOT discount Faith as well.
Brightest Blessings,
Raji the Green Witch
2007-07-07 10:43:32 · answer #3 · answered by Raji the Green Witch 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You shall Love the Lord your God with all your Heart, Mind and body. If you are a Christian and trying to walk in God's will for your life then ethics will be very important part of your life but nothing is more important than your relationship with God.
2007-07-07 09:25:40 · answer #4 · answered by Curtis 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well, a good question it is.
When I want to make a friendly relation with a friend, neighbor or anybody, the first thing I will realize is his/her ethics, I will not realize his faith in GOD, I even don't care if he/she has a faith in GOD (regardless my preference of having faith in GOD).
What I am trying to say here is that having ethics is the foundation to which you can build faith in GOD and other things.
Without ethics, there is no faith in GOD.
GOD bless you
Sincerely
Randy
2007-07-07 09:35:08 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Believing that God - our multi-dimensional field of reality that is responsive to consciousness - is going to "save" you in some way, come through for you etc. will happen if you purely believe/have faith.
You can be an unethical, worthless piece of s---- and it will still work if you have faith. The only catch is that a person who lacks ethics and yet "believes" he is deserving (of whatever) always destroys himself. Otherwise the world would be in worse shape than it is.
2007-07-07 13:50:20 · answer #6 · answered by MysticMaze 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you have faith in God and follow the path He wants you to walk-ethical behavior comes naturally. At any decision point in your walk with God, He will lead you in the right direction. Of course you can make your own choice to behave unethically but that will make your life more difficult and create problems where none need exist. Following the will of God makes life much simpler and easier.
2007-07-07 09:36:30 · answer #7 · answered by Country girl 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Having ethics is much more important than having faith.
2007-07-07 09:20:13 · answer #8 · answered by xx. 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well they are both important... One said here that he has ethics coz of his very faith in the Lord... while others, regardless of how strong or none their faith in the Lord is, might still have ethics because they just choose to live their life in such a way that they won't harm or be disrespectful to their fellows...
Ethics is somewhat a more universal thing that all people are rightfully expected to have because it basically affects how we treat one another or our behavior in various life situations...
2007-07-07 09:15:47 · answer #9 · answered by Senhorinha Louca 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Ethics - how you treat people - are more important than what you think about the existence of God -- and I believe God would say the same.
2007-07-07 09:16:00 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋