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My father has always reminded me that religion plays a big role in one’s morals. Of course that only applies if a person is religious and has a religious background. There are a lot of religious people in this world, and if one were to ask them where their morals came from, they would say that it is based on their religion. So what is it that makes these two things so similar and distinct? Iris Murdoch, author of “Morality and Religion,” discusses how morals and religion need each other in order to work. Morals without religion is nearly impossible because; religion influences our morals, religion allows to set better morals for one’s self, and ideally morality is essentially religious.
Morals are usually the standards by one which lives in, whether them being good or bad. However, how about when religion influences ones morals? Religion isn’t or it doesn’t work for everyone, and that’s okay. But, there are many people out there that religion influences their morals; and the most common reason for that is that religion was influenced into them and into their morals as a child. Iri...
“An idea (concept) of virtue which not be formally reflective or clarified bears some resemblance to religion, so that one might say either that it is a shadow of religion, or religion is a shadow of it” (Murdoch 363). Virtue and morality are not necessarily interchangeable, but religion and virtue both have a duty in common. Duty may be performed without strain or reflection of desire, which means your duty, or responsibility, should be performed without hesitation. “Dutifulness could be an account of a morality with no hint of religion” (Murdoch 364). Religion’s demand for morality and being good trumps a person’s decision to fulfill a personal/independent call to duty.
The primary issue that was addressed in the Journal article, “Moral Reasoning of MSW Social Workers and the Influence of Education” written by Laura Kaplan, was that social workers make critical decisions on a daily basis that effect others. They influence their clients’ lives through giving timely and appropriate funding to them and their families, through deciding should a family stay together or should they have a better life with another family, or connecting the client with appropriate resources that can enhance their lives. The article addresses data from an array of students from various universities. The researcher posed these questions; “Would social workers use moral reasoning (what is right and what is wrong) more prevalent if it was taught through an individual class during your MSW graduate studies, or if you obtain any other undergraduate degree, or if the ethic course was integrated in the curriculum?”
Iris Murdoch starts her argument by stating that “there is only one way to acquire religion and that is through being taught it as a small child” (363). She sees religion as something that can only be attained when one is a child. She then claims that “people who take up religion as adults are merely playing at it” (Murdoch 363). By stating this, the question of whether there can be morality without religion comes into mind. If religion is needed to have morals and religion can only be attained as children that would mean that adults who weren’t raised religious don’t have morals since they are only “playing at it”. But if religion doesn’t define whether people have morals then that shows how religion isn’t necessary for someone to be moral. Murdoch is basically stating that people who take up religion as adults don’t truly know the meaning of faith and religion yet that doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t have any morals. A writer that complicates Murdoch’s claim is Basil Mitchell, autho...
In Western society and culture, religion and morality have often intertwined and they have reflected their values onto each other. Today it is sometimes impossible to make a distinction between the two, since their influence has transcended generations. In modern Western culture, religion and society preach conformity. In order to be a “good” person, one must conform to the values imposed by the church1 and state.
There is a significant difference between government and religious morals even though both are ethical authorities. These two moral authorities conflict with one another while both are to help people make sou...
Elizabeth Anscombe argued that the taking of an innocent life as a means to an end is always murder. In her understanding of morality, it was intention, not outcomes, which determined the moral value of behavior. In so reasoning, she found it reprehensible that one would make the argument that any ends could justify the using of a human life as a tool for accomplishing a goal. She does not argue for pacifism or an abstention from killing, as Anscombe writes, “. . . one human being deliberately to kill another is not inevitably wrong.” Instead, she asked that the focus be removed from the outcome all together. The means by which an outcome is reached holds the only moral significance. That is to say, if someone were to have her own person
Some people think that the religion is God-given and flexible for all times, but the other see it as traditions that change with time. Folkways can change to mores which are habits and traditions that are used to make moral judgments. Sumner believes that sometimes mores and folkways can be harmful and dangerous (24). Therefore, a person may think that what was right for ancestors may not be right these days now. Thus, most religions’ main goal is advocating to have good morals. Some believers feel that to have morals, they should follow their religion’s commandments. Additionally, thinking that there is an afterlife, which is the Day of Judgment and heaven and hell, morality becomes more desirable. Some religions teach that this life, which we are living right now, is nothing but a test for your morals and how much you successfully followed the required commandants. A person is evaluated by his actions and they are ones that determine one’s place in heaven or hell in the afterlife. As a result, people act morally for the benefit of their
The morals of society concept is exemplified by the Judeo-Christian religions. These religions base their moral principles on their respective religious texts that they believe to contain God’s will.
Religion has a great influence on people, providing faith and direction to each individual while controlling a co...
The relationship between religiosity and morality are contingent on one another. Researchers show that growing up in a religious home can indicate positive growth with good morals. There are always exceptions to that theory though. Plenty of so called “religious people” are far from possessing good morals. If one has good morals, it may not necessarily mean one is a religious person. Although, many people containing good morals practice some type of faith or worship a higher power. A person who is truly religious will carry good morals. However, one who carries good morals possibly does not always believe in a religion.
Religion is a collection of belief systems, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to spirituality and moral values. (Edit spacing) Moral values are the standards of good and evil, which govern an individual’s behavior and choices. It is our moral values that dictate what another person is to be perceived as good or evil. Most of the time, these are considered in black and white views with no regard for the various shades of grey. In the grey area, we will find a true person. The moral code, we follow determines whether one should commit homicide or make the decision to do the “right” thing. The paper found on this topic revolves around the Southern region, but further research was done to understand the Northern take on religion to better grasp the United States as a whole. It is believed that the South hold God closer to the body than North does in that they believe the Bible is truly the word of God and should be taken literally. “Personal salvation through faith is the only escape from eternal damnation....
Interestingly enough, the moral codes of the world's religions bear a striking resemblance to each other, with only minor variations. Religions as different as Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism all have proscriptions against killing, lying, cheating, stealing, etc. This is not an accident, for reasons we shall explore below.
Morals and Faith should be taught to children in one way or another. Religion is an excellent way for a child to learn both. Be careful when entering a child into religion though. Make sure that what they are learning is factual and inspiring. The only way for a child to blend into today's society is to feel that they have a purpose. Without that feeling kids will tend to give up easily and forget the differences between right and wrong. Parents are supposed to do what is best for the child even if they do not agree. If a parent is not part of a religion they should not deny their child to believe in something that is both moral and will bring them into faith.
Sometimes religion defines what is good or wrong. For a Christian religion supports people should love one another. Therefore, it influences people to understand the importance of staying together. In addition, other religions define the value and framework that helps in identifying what is bad or right. They teach the concepts of good thoughts and deeds in the society. The structures are defined in relevant resources like holy books such Quran and the Bible. In other groups, morality and religion are inseparable because moral behaviors are parts of their beliefs. Religious leaders act as an example to the members of the community. Also, some religious families where the forefathers were morally upright, individuals in the same background tend to support good morals (Doetzel
Iris Murdoch not only gives her views on how morality and religion go hand in hand but what makes something morally right or wrong. Jacobus explains Murdoch's text when he says, “She ends with an interesting discussion of the relationship of two contradictory forces in the universe: good and evil. As she states in a rather paradoxical fashion: ‘Discord is essential to goodness’ (para. 7).” As children we are all taught to make and have opinions on everything that happens in our life. The way we are raised shapes our opinions even if we want to believe it or not but just because a person has an opinion on something does not mean someone who has a different opinion is wrong. Society shapes us differently. Society plays a huge roll in this, society tells us how to act, dress, and even think. The people in society and our opinions tell us if something is good or bad.