as abortion and war. Some say they can be justified in some circumstances, while others say that they can never be.
One reason for these differences is that we do not agree about the standards we should apply when deciding whether an action is right or wrong.
Think about how we decide things. We tend to make a choice based on the one or more of the following:
n Emotion: how we feel about doing it. n Common practice: if everyone else is doing it. n Authority: if we are ordered or forced to do it. n The situation: if the circumstances seem to demand that we should do it. n The consequences: what we think may happen if we do or do not do it. n The law of the state: whether it is legal or illegal. n Our religion: whether we are faithful to its teachings or not.
It is because morality can be such a complex and confusing area that many people have traditionally turned to one or other of the world’s religions for guidance.
Each religion offers advice about how to live a good life. This is why they all agree on the Golden Rule.
The Golden Rule
‘In everything, do unto others as you would have them do to you’ (Matthew 7:12).
The Golden Rule means three things: 1. We should avoid selfishness. 2. We should respect one another. 3. We should treat one another with compassion.
However, the world’s religions do not agree on precisely how the Golden Rule should be applied. They differ among themselves on issues such as abortion, capital punishment, euthanasia and war. This is why each one has its own religious moral vision.
REMEMBER! A religious moral vision is the particular understanding of right and wrong that each religion has.
The members of a religion are expected to put its religious moral vision into practice through the things they say and do.
