Religion and Ethics Overview

Religion & Ethics

• Both personal and communal
• Explain how individuals live or how society should be order
• Ethical Culture is the shared values, beliefs, and practices within an organization or community
• Encourage ethical behavior and decision-making
• Includes shared norms and expectations that guide an individual's actions

Religion and Ethics

• Many religions have moral frameworks
• Core ethical principles include compassion, justice, and honesty
• Often derived from sacred texts and teachings
• Shapes community values and identity
• Offers guidance for personal and societal ethical dilemmas
• May have distinct ethical systems
• Secular ethics focus on human reason and shared experiences
• Can be influenced by religious morals

Universal Ethics

• Beliefs and rituals of religions are different
• Ethics of religions are almost identical
• The Golden Rule ("Do unto others as you would have them do unto you") appears in many religions in similar language
• Religions that don't share beliefs or rituals may share the same vision of human virtue

Ethical Culture

• Ethical culture is an ethical, educational, and religious movement founded by Felix Adler in 1876
• Focused on eliminating different beliefs and rituals to focus on the ethical teachings
• Has less than 10,000 followers

Felix Adler's Ethical Culture

• Emphasized the concept of "ethical culture"
• Focused on promoting ethical behavior and moral development outside of traditional religious frameworks
• Nurtured individual moral growth through education and community engagement
• Advocated for a set of ethical principles that transcended specific religious beliefs
• Emphasized active participation in societal improvement
• Argued for a rational basis for ethics, focusing on human experience and reason rather than divine command
• Created a welcoming environment for people of diverse backgrounds

Why separating religious ethics from religious ritual and belief wouldn't work

• Many religious ethics are part of religious rituals
• Religious rituals often contain ethical wisdom
• Example: the Jewish Passover meal is both a ritual and an ethical commentary on the importance of freedom
• Another example: Hindu practice of meditation is part of tranquility and patience
• Another example: The tea ceremony in Zen Buddhism is both ritual and a way to teach hospitality
• Ethics are taught through sacred texts and stories
• Ethics are universal but taught within specific religions