CAPSTONE ESSAY
Ryan Stewart
Ethics 101
12/14/2020
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The society today has been exposed to a wide range of ethical dilemmas, and this has
called for a wide range of arguments on the possible solutions to the dilemmas. Ethics, which is
the concept of knowing what is good and right, has been the guiding principle for all Christians
worldwide. The Christians have relied on the Bible as the sole provider of solutions to all the
problems that they might experience throughout their life. From this course, I have specifically
been able to gain insightful and relevant knowledge concerning Christian ethics, for example,
Godly divine or the divine command theory and the mana made ethics such as ethical egoism,
natural law, and utilitarianism. The paper will provide a comparative analysis of the two theories:
divine command and human-made theories, and show which theory is stronger. The paper further
discusses how a Christian would approach race and racism, which was also discussed at length in
this course.
The topic of ethics has gained momentum in the current century, with several
psychologists and sociologists increasingly developing an interest in analyzing the concept.
Through these analyses, they can provide useful information on how society can use the different
ethical theories to overcome the dilemmas which are becoming prevalent in society. Therefore,
ethics has been one of the contributing factors towards the abrupt and timely change in behavior,
which has gradually picked momentum in the community. The Christians have also been able to
increase their understanding of the Bible's different concepts through the concrete analysis
provided by the sociologists. Through this, the Christians have learned how to coexist with
others peacefully and how to accommodate the other faiths.
The course also provided relevant information on the concept of whether Christian ethics
are relative or absolute. From the readings on this course, ethical relativism is the theory that
believes that a particular society's norms determine morality. Therefore, morality depends on the
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beliefs and culture of a given society. From this, it is clear that since different communities
possess diverse cultures, morality is also different in the given societies; thus, what might be
right in one community, might be wrong in another society. On the other hand, ethical absolutism
believes that moral questions can be judged based on a particular set of absolute standards. From
this, certain actions are considered right while some are considered wrong regardless of the
context of the act. Such communities are often led by rules and regulations that stipulate what is
wrong and what is right; thus, Christians can easily follow those considered right.
Divine command theory
Religion has been the comprehensive system used by Christians in conducting moral
reasoning and also making ethical decisions. The Christians are being guided by religion and
specifically the Bible on their decisions in their daily lives. Through this, Christians have been
able to solve certain problems that they have experienced. For example, if a Christian is accused
of falsely, the individual would pray and find solace in religion, thus being hopeful. Several
people worldwide depend on religion in finding the best ethical decision to take; thus, they will
be able to make decisions that are binding to the dictates of the Bible. Divine command theory is
used by religions worldwide. However, it is crucial to note that the different religions differ in
culture and certain beliefs; therefore, applying the theory may also differ from religion to
religion.
From the theory, God is the source of all principles which are to guide the Christians.
From this, for one t believe in Divine Command theory, they must first believe that there is a
God who informs their decision-making process and ensures that they make an acceptable ethical
outcome. Therefore, all Christians must believe in God to fully depend on him whenever they
have been faced with any difficulties. Christians can increase their belief in God by attending
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church service, crusades, and individually reading the Bible. Therefore, as a Christian, I find the
divine command theory the best and enables Christians to overcome ethical dilemmas fully. All
Christians, therefore, should frequently read the scriptures whenever they are faced with any
ethical dilemmas. The interpretation of some of the scriptures is usually ambiguous. Therefore,
such scenarios require the assistance of more experienced Christians who fully understand the
Bible.
The divine theory also states that there is God, and as Christians, we have the moral
obligation to obey him. God is the source of everything, blessings, success, and even curses, and
to ensure that we as Christians find favor in God, it is our responsibility to ensure that we follow
everything that he wants us to do. Whenever Christians are faced with challenges, they are
supposed to enhance prayer and at no point should they question God's existence. In current
society, people often question God's existence whenever they have been faced with any
challenge, for example, misfortunes such as the death of a loved one. Therefore, Christians need
to ensure that they have unwavering faith in God. Through this, God will always favor them and
help them towards overcoming ethical dilemmas.
The importance of ethics and morality have also been captured greatly in the divine
command theory. The theory stipulates that the good acts are to be rewarded in the afterlife,
thereby promising a good afterlife for those who normally do good to other people. From this,
Christians are always motivated to treat each other equally to have a good life after death. At the
same time, the perpetrators of the bad acts are also promised everlasting punishment in the
afterlife, and this also motivates Christians in taking actions that are considered good, for
example, helping the poor, feeding the street children, keeping the churches clean and also
spreading the word of God. Through this, Christians will be able to have a good life after death;
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thus, morality is greatly enhanced in society. Therefore, the notion of punishment reinforces to
the Christians the necessity of making ethical decisions that are based on the commands of God.
From the theory also, I have gained knowledge of the ways of understanding God's will.
One way is through individual conscience, enabling one to make an ethical decision based on
what they believe is morally right. Individual conscience enables Christians to read the Bible on
their own and make informed decisions concerning different debates that touch on Christianity
and God's belief. Therefore, individual conscience will be necessary for helping me overcome
certain challenges in life by ensuring that I make the appropriate decisions that do not conflict
with what the Bible says. The religious authorities can also be another way of understanding the
will of God. By attending the church services and crusades, one will know the will of God from
the preaching, which will help ensure that the person lives a good life.
Reading the Holy Scripture can also be a way of understanding God's will, and this can
be done at an individual level or group level. The scriptures will help communicate God's will to
the Christians, and they will therefore develop the skills of handling different issues relating to
their belief. Through the scriptures, the Christians will be able to enrich themselves with the
knowledge that will help them cope with the most difficult scenarios in life, for example, the loss
of a loved one. By reading the scriptures, all the Christians will make informed and ethically
accepted decisions, thus ensuring that they live a life accepted by God. Christians are hence
urged always to read the scriptures anytime that they are experiencing difficulty in life.
Therefore, the divine command theory will help ensure that the Christians live a life accepted by
God and are in line with God's commands. By being exposed to the theory, I changed a few
moral beliefs that I found to be conflicting with what a Christian should emulate.
Human-made theories.
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The human-made theories, which have also been extensively captured in this course, also
help ensure that a Christian lives a morally accepted life. The theories aim to ensure that all the
humans in the society are accorded equal treatment and that freedom of speech is guaranteed.
Through this, Christians will easily practice their desires, which helps them ensure that peaceful
coexistence is evident in society. The human-made theories include ethical egoism, natural law,
and also utilitarianism.
Ethical egoism is a moral theory that outlines the selfishness in people's behaviors. The
theory asserts that people would tend to favor and pursue their self-interests ahead of everything
else. I have easily related the theory to what happens in real-life situations where most people
tend to favor their interests at the expense of other people's feelings about moral decisions. In
today's society, most of the decisions people make are always unpopular and bends towards their
tastes. For example, today's leaders would tend to favor their immediate relatives when
distributing the available job opportunities, and this denies the other more qualified and
competent members of society such opportunities. The theory denies people the opportunity to
do the right thing since everyone will be interested in fulfilling their interests, thus limiting
society from growth.
A society based on this theory also possesses a high possibility of being individualistic,
which has a wide range of consequences, especially when the community is faced with certain
problems. The society would lack the common ways of solving any form of conflict that might
arise between them. An egoist will not advise another person to be an egoist since it works
against the first egoist's interest. Thus, a community that is characterized by egoistic individuals
is likely to experience exploitation of all kinds. However, societies should develop mechanisms
that minimize the prevalence of egoism. Through these methods, society will embrace sharing
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and love amongst the different members of the community. Such a community will experience
growth since the ethical dilemmas would have been extensively reduced.
Another form of human-made theory that I also gained insightful knowledge on in this
course is utilitarianism. According to the theory, what produces the greatest overall amount of
pleasure is to be considered morally right. Therefore, humans need to weigh the consequences of
individual actions, which will help develop the most appropriate conduct rules. The society
members can benefit from the theory by aligning themselves to those behaviors that have
previously been linked to success. Through this, the society will be able to make drastic steps
towards ensuring that all the members fully exploit their capabilities. The theory further suggests
that any means that arrive at the end are acceptable, confirming that the end justifies the means.
Natural law is also another theory that was discussed in this course under human-made
theories. The believers of the natural law believe that there is a natural order to the human world,
and therefore all humans need to be guided by the existing natural law. The natural order is also
viewed to be good, and all humans should not violate the order. Even though the divine
command theory is stronger than the human-made theories, both the theories help ensure that a
Christian lives a good life and establishes good relations with God. Therefore, Christians should
blend both theories to ensure that they can meet all God and society's desires. To avoid the
ambiguity of certain ethical practices, Christians should be guided by religious leaders. The
freedom of speech is also helpful to the Christians since it provided Christians with the
opportunity to belong to a religion of their choice.
Race and racism have been a topic of discussion for a very long time by Christians and
other religions. Racism is the discrimination of an individual based on their skin color: either
black or white. Racism has existed worldwide for quite a long time since the times of slavery.
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The religious leaders have since taken a strong stand on racism and are leading campaigns to end
the vice. Through this, they have advocated for a society whereby everyone is treated equally and
without any form of discrimination. God created all humans in his image and likeness, and this
means that everyone, irrespective of their color of skin, is equal before God's eyes. Therefore,
Christians should be at the forefront of advocating for a society where equity and equality are
practiced. Through this, discrimination in society will be reduced immensely, and all humans
will portray brotherliness.
The different scriptures in the Bible also help in strengthening God's work. The Christian
should hence use God's word as their controlling authority, and all the ethical decisions they take
must be in line with the demands of the scripture. As Christians, we have the moral obligation of
ensuring that racism is eliminated from the community. The divine theory shows clearly that all
Christians need to show love to everyone since our God is a God of love. By exhibiting love, the
Christians will coexist with others peacefully, even those with different religious beliefs. God's
work of continuing with his work will also be enhanced, thus making the world a better place,
which was God's intended purpose. God created humans to continue with his works of creation
and take care of what he created. Therefore, human beings can engage in activities such as tree
planting in a bid to keep the environment clean and protect it from human encroachment.
Christians can engage in anti-racism activities aimed at reducing the prevalence of the
vice in society. The Christians can organize sensitization campaigns and seminars aimed at
educating the public members on racism. Through these forums, the society members would be
able to receive adequate information and knowledge regarding racism, which would help
positively change the thinking pattern of the people. The divine command theory studied in this
course is crucial in ensuring that the Christians can live according to God's commands and in a
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way that promotes equality and equity. There have been claims that Christians should not engage
themselves in contentious issues such as racism, with the proponents of such arguments asserting
that the Christians should channel their energies towards spreading the gospel. However, it is
important to understand that the church plays a significant role in ensuring that equity prevails in
society and that it is the church's role to give society a sense of direction.
To conclude, as extensively illustrated in this course, Christian ethics have positively
impacted my decision-making skills. I have been able to obtain a wider range of information
regarding different ethical dilemmas in society, which has greatly influenced my decision-
making. Ethics enables Christians to ensure that all their actions conform to the existing rules
and regulations and the scriptures. Ethical practices promote harmonious coexistence in society
while ensuring that all the members of society treat each other with love. The course has,
therefore, equipped me with relevant information to help in my future life and inform my
decisions.The freedom of speech will also be helpful to me since I would be able to boldly resist
any form of exploitation in society while at the same time also sharing my religious beliefs with
other people without any fear of condemnation.
