All religions of the world believe in universal truth, dedication, commitment, observance of moral obligations, helping others, respecting the humanity, social justice, avoiding malpractices etc. I think Ethics Course should include the elements from the religious teachings because the students are not only acquainted with these teachings but are also ready to absorb such teachings in their life. So delivery of the Ethics Course will become easy and successful. Some may object the problems in a multireligious society. But I am sure there is no difference in ethical teachings of different religions. In a multireligious society the common examples may be easily found to be embedded in the course. What do you think?
Dear Ahmedani, religious beliefs and the behavioural norms inspired/dictated by those beliefs do not necessarily align with ethics. There are such things like inequality of the sexes, freedom of speech (and of opinion and its expression), discrimination on religious and other basis, etc. that are very much part of various religions' canons and practices. Not to mention that the universal truth, as you call it, as defined by any religion is by default only a(untestable) hypothesis from scientific point of view, and hence not an established truth. Teaching comparative religion may well be beneficial but I see no benefits in embedding religious teaching in to that of ethics.
Thanks Dear Antony for your valuable comments. I think detailed study of religion will reveal that all religions give us code of life as well as codes of ethics. The questions you have quoted in your post are duly covered in the religious beliefs. If you kindly go through Ten Commandments, you will find ethical lessons in broader sense http://www.godstenlaws.com/ten-commandments/
Likewise Examples quoted in Bible covers aspect of life in detail e.g. http://www.globalreach.org/english/images/L6160EN_L03.pdf
http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Bible-Verses-About-Living-By-Example/, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethics_in_the_Bible, http://www.openbible.info/topics/business_ethics
Likewise Quarn also gives a complete code of life and answers all questions. So I think detailed knowledge of religion may be helpful in teaching ethics to the students.
http://www.aaiil.org/text/had/manhad/ch30hq.shtml
http://www.deenresearchcenter.com/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=fXrgnDfaoiE%3D&tabid=97&mid=817
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/quran/2008/08/ethics_and_morality_part_1.html
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/quran/2008/08/ethics_and_morality_part_2.html
Here I don't want to focus any religion but want to establish that all religions of the world touch minute aspects of the ethics to make this world a better living place. Our search and research may be helpful in finding such pearls from religion/s while designing curriculum on Ethics Course.
Dear Ahmedani, it is true that at least some religions, including those you have kindly referenced in your previous post, cover some universal ethical norms. Yet, to my knowledge no religion has 'invented' any of those ethical norms by itself and indeed all religions have borrowed/adopted principles and norms of ethics already in existence in to their teachings. It would therefore by unjustified to associate religions, whichever they may be, exclusively with authority and/or ownership of said ethical norms (or rules of behaviour). If you look at anthropological and human behaviour research, there has been mounting evidence that suggests we humans have evolved a hardware (our genome and epigenome) expressing these universal ethical norms from birth. There is no evidence to suggest morality and ethics pertain only to religious beliefs and the adherence to them.
Dear Dr. Antony. Thank you very much for the agreement that " some religions cover some universal ethical norms." I too agree with you that " no religion has 'invented' any of those ethical norms by itself and indeed all religions have borrowed/adopted principles and norms of ethics".
This is because all religions are divine and their teachings corresponds to improve the wrongdoings of the concerned communities or societies. Here I don't want to open a religious discussions because we are science students supposed to discuss only about logic and facts above from our emotions. Here I want to make point that we should look around and find if the religion provides some fundamentals about Ethics or Ethical Standards. If so, then what is a harm if some good ethical standards are opted from religion/s because such teachings would be easily digestible and accepted by students.
Muhammad,
I could not disagree any stronger.
More people have been killed in the name of whoever than all the wars combined. Religious persecusion, the demeaning of women, the rejection of alternert live styles, and the demand for money hidden by the word tithing. Patrarchy is universal in religions, social hearchies are also universal in religions, sexism is as well.
At the end of the day, religion is nore more better a ethical study than Nietzsche's "will to power" is. If you would like to to religius meaning brought into ethics courses allow me in point out all the contridictions between talk and practice then we can have a class discussing what ethics truly is and the false notion that these universials you speak of are any more "spirtual" than my shaking your hand and saying hello my brother.
Religion "basses the buck" it claims peace of mind, bidy, and "soul" are recived from "out there some where" rather than you and I having tea. It claims all answers are to be found "above" when they are found by our looking each other in eye. Religion argues humanity must turn outward and recieve guidence when the human heart knows already.
Muhammad, I argue the real path to happiness it not "out there" but in here, inside us, we have just forgot, misplaced to road map, or been so conditioned by religon that "its not inside" its out there.
I wish you well my brother
Douglas
Hello,
I would respectfully request an explaination from the person who down voted my answer and the justifcation? Was it my typing, (Iknow it,was flawed but hit add insead of my edit).
Thank you,
Douglas
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