BIBLE AND MORAL ISSUES NOTES

TOPIC 1: THE ROLE OF THE BIBLE IN THE LIFE OF A CHRISTIAN

1. Revelation
 The bible is a revelation
 It reveals to us the truth we need to know about our salvation
 In the bible we are taught what God is really like
 It also reveals to us about creation of man. Man was made in the image of God
 It also reveals about the fall of man that brought the curse of God for
disobedience upon the world.
 The bible also reveals God as the merciful one. In his great love he plans
salvation. For God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son
whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
2. Food For Souls
 Just as our bodies need food to be health and grow so is our soul.
 By contemplating god and his glory, Christ and his finished work. Our hearts are
filled with good things.
 And as we read of the promises of God and believe them, we are strengthening for
the Christian race.
3. Guidance
 In our day to day lives we need Gods guidance and this is achieved through
scriptures.
 We pray to him and he directs us through the principles laid down in his words.
4. Equipping For Service
 We must read the scripture in order to have spiritual knowledge, so that we can
be able to minister to our fellow Christians.
 The more we know of Gods word the more we will be in a position to instruct,
encourage or rebuke our fellow believers.
5. Language For Prayer
 It will help us to know how to pray and praise God.

TOPIC 2: VALUES MORALITY AND ETHICS

 Morals refers to the principles of right and wrong.
 Ethics refers to the principles guiding human behaviour.
 Values refers to one’s judgement of what is important in life.
EXPLAIN HOW MORALS, ETHICS AND VALUES SHAPE OUR ATTITUDES IN
HUMAN CHARACTER AND CONDUCT
Impact on human character
 They shape personality traits (e.g. kindness, responsibility)
 Influence relationships (e.g. empathy, trust)
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  Guide decision-making and problem-solving
 Develop emotional intelligence
Impact on conduct
 Moral principles guide action and choices
 Ethical considerations influence decisions
 Values- driven behaviour promotes integrity, honesty.

TOPIC 3; VARIOUS APPROACHES TO DECISION MAKING (NORMATIC ETHICS)

1. Ethics of doing
 It declares an ethical task of human being towards the question of moral status
of particular acts.
 It most concerns about what a person should do
 It attempts to construct standards of conduct, generally by following one of the
two basic strategies deontological or teleological ethics

2. Teleological reasoning (consequentialist)

 Telos means end or purpose
 Those who support teleological theories argue that ethical rules are not laid
down by God and that there are no universal ethical principles.
 Instead, actions are to be judged right or wrong on the basis of the results they
produce.
 In another words the end justices the means.

3. Deontological reasoning
 Places special emphasis on the relationship between duty and responsibilities
and focuses on logic and ethics.
 Here an action is considered morally good because of some characteristics of
the action itself not because the product of the action is good.

4. Situation ethics
 This approach considers to take the most loving course of action even if that
should mean disregarding traditional ethics.

5. Ethics of being
 Ethics of being means being good morally
 It considers what stories can be told to constitute a good person
 E.g. the story of a good Samaritan, the story of a woman caught in adultery.

TOPIC 4: THE CHRISTIAN VISION OF INTEGRITY

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Personal Integrity
 Involves the supreme responsibility to tell the truth
 It considers the actuality of reflection on what you say regardless of their outcomes
 Has to do with truthfulness
 Integrity means living up to one word, delivering on promises made.

Personal Ethics defined:

 These are ethical principles that a person uses when making decisions and behaving
in both personal and professional settings.
 These ethics influence various aspects of a person’s life and help individuals develop
their work ethic, personal and professional goals, and values.
 Individuals use their ethics to determine between right and wrong and influence how
someone behaves in challenging situations.
 Each person’s code of ethics varies, but many people share common ethics such as
honesty and respect.

Why are personal ethics important

 Allow leaders to more effectively lead their teams; when a leader regularly follows a
respectable code of ethics their team is more likely to follow their lead and feel more
confident in the contributions they make to the organization.
 Instill a sense of trust and support in leaders; leaders and other professionals who
regularly behave in the same way no matter the situation is more likely to be trusted
and supported by colleagues and employees. Individuals who follow a sound ethical
code are easier to believe in and are more likely to establish credibility among others.
 Give individuals a solid basis of which to determine the most appropriate action in
any given situation; when a person has solid personal ethics, they are better able to
make decisions and take action in situations that may otherwise seem challenging.
 Improve the decision-making process; a professions ability to make decisions is based
on their personal and professional ethics and what they believe to be good or bad
 Support motivation: Individuals with strong ethics are often easily self-motivated and
willing to go the extra mile to accomplish a task or goal on time and in the correct
manner.

Differences between personal and professional ethics

There are a few key differences between personal and professional ethics. The primary
difference is that a personal set of ethics refers to an individual's beliefs and values in any
area of life. While professional ethics refers to a person's values within the workplace

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Examples of personal ethics
The following are examples of a few of the most common personal ethics shared by many
professionals:
 Honesty
Many people view honesty as an important ethic. This ethic transfers from an
individual's personal life into their professional life and ensures they are truthful in all
scenarios.

 Loyalty
Loyalty is another common personal ethic that many professionals share. People who
have a personal ethic of loyalty demonstrate trustworthiness and fidelity in all of their
dealings and can be trusted by others to maintain their loyal behavior no matter the
situation.

 Integrity
Integrity refers to a person's commitment to upholding their moral principles in any
situation and is an important component of trustworthy and sound relationships both
in and out of the workplace. People with integrity are reliable. responsible. and hold
themselves accountable for their actions.

 Respect
People with sound personal ethics demonstrate respect for those around them both at
work and in their personal lives. They respect others autonomy, rights, and interests,
and do not discriminate based on someone's religion, sex, or race.

 Selflessness
People who are selfless put others first and do not act in selfish or self-serving ways.
They consider the needs and situations of others and prioritize these needs before
their own.
 Responsibility
Someone with a strong moral code is willing to take responsibility for their actions
and make changes or amends when necessary.

How to identify your personal ethics

The following are steps you can take to identify your unique personal ethical beliefs so you
can improve upon them and demonstrate them in your daily life:
1. Get clear on your priorities. Knowing what means the most to you can help you determine
your personal set of ethics. For example, if you regularly put others first, you likely have a

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personal ethic of selflessness. Make a list of your personal priorities in life and see if you
can connect each priority with a unique ethic.
2. Write down your goals. Having a concrete idea of your personal and professional goals
will help you establish your unique ethics. For example, if your goal is to maintain honesty
and integrity in everything you do, these are likely two of your personal ethics. services to
their clients, customers, or stakeholders. Professional ethics cover a wide range of
professions, including medicine, law, engineering. accounting. teaching. and others. Each
profession has its own set of ethical standards that are designed to guide the behavior of its
members.

Meaning of Professional Ethics

Professional Ethics means conduct of behavior and practice when carrying out professional
work, e.g. consulting, researching, teaching, and writing. These are standards or codes of
conduct set by people in a specific profession.

Definition of Professional Ethics

The professional ethics of an organization are the moral principles or standards that govern
the conduct of the members of that organization.

Objectives of Professional Ethics

 Protection of the Public
Professional ethics aim to protect the public by ensuring that professionals provide
services that are safe, competent, and ethical. This includes maintaining
confidentiality, avoiding conflicts of interest, and providing services that are in the
best interests of the clients.
 Promotion of Professional Values
Prof. Ethics promotes the values that are important to a profession, such as honesty.
integrity. respect, and responsibility. By adhering to these values, professionals can
build trust and credibility with their clients and the public.
 Maintenance of Professional Standards
Prof. Ethics helps to maintain the standards of the profession by establishing
guidelines and standards for ethical behavior. These standards are designed to ensure
that professionals provide services that meet the required standards of quality and
competence.
 Prevention of Unethical Behavior

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 Prof. Ethics aims to prevent unethical behavior by providing guidance on how to
identify and address ethical issues. By being aware of potential ethical dilemmas,
professionals can take steps to prevent unethical behavior before it occurs.
 Accountability in Professional Ethics
Prof. Ethics promotes accountability by holding professionals responsible for their
actions. This helps to ensure that professionals are held accountable for any unethical
behavior and that they take steps to prevent such behavior from occurring in the
future.

Importance of Professional Ethics

 Ensures Responsible and Ethical behavior
Professional ethics define the principles and standards that guide responsible and
ethical behavior in a profession. By adhering to these principles, professionals can
ensure that they act with integrity, accountability. and responsibility, which can lead
to positive outcomes for themselves and their stakeholders.
 Promotes Trust and Credibility
Adhering to Prof. ethics can help professionals build trust and credibility with their
clients, colleagues, and the public. This trust and credibility can help professionals
establish and maintain long-term relationships, and it can also enhance their
reputation in their profession.
 Encourages Ethical Decision-making
Prof. ethics provides guidance for ethical decision-making, which can help
professionals make of their clients. colleagues, and stakeholders. This can help
prevent ethical dilemmas, conflicts of interest, and other ethical issues that can
negatively impact their profession.
 Fosters a Positive Work Environment
Prof. ethics can help create a positive work environment by promoting respect,
professionalism, and cooperation among colleagues. This can lead to better
communication, collaboration. And productivity, and it can also improve employee
morale and job satisfaction.
 Promotes Social Responsibility
Prof. ethics can promote social responsibility by encouraging professionals to
consider the impact of their work on society and the environment. This can lead to
more sustainable and responsible practices that benefit society and the planet.

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