Life is full of choices on a daily, hourly basis. We can either do the right thing, or the wrong thing. It is all up to us. We have free will, compliments of God. We are completely free in this world to do whatever we want, good or bad.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia definition of Ethics:
Ethics (from the Ancient Greek ?????? or "ethikos" meaning "Theory of living") is one of the five major branches of philosophy, which attempts to distinguish that which is right from that which is wrong. Ethics differs from morality in that morality allows more leeway for individual interpretation whereas ethics tend to be more global. The Western tradition of ethics is sometimes called moral philosophy. Ethics in plain words means studying and analyzing right from wrong; good from bad.
The Golden Rule:
The ethic of reciprocity, or the "The Golden Rule," is a fundamental moral principle found in virtually all major religions and cultures, which simply means "treat others as you want them to treat you." It's universality suggests an innate human altruism, and is arguably the most essential basis for the modern concept of human rights. Principal philosophers and religious figures have stated it in different ways:
"Love your neighbor as yourself" - Moses (ca. 1525-1405 BCE) in the Torah, Leviticus
"What you do not want others to do to you, do not do to others." -Confucius (ca. 551–479 BCE)
"What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow man." - Hillel (ca. 50 BCE-10 CE)
"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." - Jesus (ca. 5 BCE—33 CE) in the Gospels, Luke 6:31;Luke 10:27 (affirming of Moses);Matthew 7:12;
"Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you" — Muhammad (c. 571 – 632 CE) in The Farewell Sermon.
Part of the Lord's Prayer:
Forgive us our [debts], as we forgive our [debtors]. (Some translations of Matthew 6:12 have debts or trespasses, while Luke 11:4 has sins)
“Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 19:19; 22:39) (Mark 12:31) (Luke 10:27) (Romans 13:9) (James 2:8)
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 7:12)
“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:31)
“The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Galatians 5:14)
Christianity:
Ethics is, from a Christian standpoint, nothing more than choosing to do the right thing in any situation over the wrong thing. God gave us the freedom to choose the right path or the wrong path. To follow good instead of bad. He also gave us the information of the consequences of those choices. As long as this earth lasts, there will always be the battle that we all fight between good and evil. Temptations will surround us on a daily basis, and it is our own free will to resist them or not resist them.
Thus, your future is really up to you. We send ourselves to Heaven or to Hell, depending on the choices we make in this life. And even when other's choices have caused us great pain, suffering and sorrow, because of the wrong choices they made that affected our lives, the key is how we react to their wrong choices.
God Fights Our Battles For Us:
We can either be destroyed or we can learn and grow from the problems that come our way. God promises that if we choose the right way, He will honor that and walk us right through it. Not only that, He promises to go before us and fight the battle before we even get there.
If you need help in an ethical situation, please do not hesitate to contact me by doing one of the following:
Patricia Jones, M.A.
Pastoral Counselor
Dr. Cloud has written an excellent, "Yeah But" book. Integrity is a fun, easy book to read as well as a sobering, difficult book to read. It isn't a business roadmap book. Instead it is more of a lifestyle enhancement guide that can help you achieve personal satisfaction different from great financial wealth -- and professional satisfaction/success.
When we first skimmed the book we said "yeah but" quite a bit because we couldn't fault Dr. Cloud's key points and discussion. You have a tendency to read and agree with the six essential qualities for success that he outlines and explains then experience or rationalization steps in and says..."yeah but if we had done that awhile back when were in this situation, we would have been nailed!"
That's why we strongly encourage you to read Integrity in a different way than you might most books if you really want to get the author's message (and we believe he has a message for everyone in the industry!).
Skim the book, put it down and leave it alone for a week or two. Then pick it up and read really read the book with the idea that you're going to understand the key reality issues and can use them to enhance every aspect of your life.
Integrity really is a must-read!!!!
Book Description
One of the most important theologians of the twentieth century illuminates the relationship between ourselves and the teachings of Jesus
What can the call to discipleship, the adherence to the word of Jesus, mean today to the businessman, the soldier, the laborer, or the aristocrat? What did Jesus mean to say to us? What is his will for us today? Drawing on the Sermon on the Mount, Dietrich Bonhoeffer answers these timeless questions by providing a seminal reading of the dichotomy between "cheap grace" and "costly grace." "Cheap grace," Bonhoeffer wrote, "is the grace we bestow on ourselves...grace without discipleship....Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the girl which must be asked for, the door at which a man must know....It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life."
The Cost of Discipleship is a compelling statement of the demands of sacrifice and ethical consistency from a man whose life and thought were exemplary articulations of a new type of leadership inspired by the Gospel, and imbued with the spirit of Christian humanism and a creative sense of civic duty.
