Virtue Theory: Is it Virtuous?

The final secular ethical theory on want to talk about is the theory of Virtue. Proposed by the infamous Greek philosopher Aristotle, the virtue ethic in a nutshell is that humans act in some way to attain some good. The higher the good, the better.

I like Aristotle's point of view, but I think it has to be elaborated on a little more. He was focused on the idea of Politics being the master science for practicing virtue, and the first principle of politics is happiness. I think that God makes it so much easier for us. The best away to attain the best good is to act in a way that is line with the will of the one true God. To act in this way is sure to bring happiness; happiness in this life, and happiness in the life to come.

The reason I like Aristotles point is because it is more salient, more attainable for the common man to act in an ethically superior way. He just doesn't go far enough. He has the end, to attain the good of happiness, he just doesn't have the means, which is through the power and love of God through Jesus Christ. It would be interesting to hear his perspective now; his time was a couple hundred years before Jesus came on the scene.

The Universalism of Kantianism

In my studies of philosophy, I have always noticed that viewpoints in philosophy goes from one extreme to another. In ethics, one extreme is Utilitarianism, which is discussed below. The other end of the extreme I believe is the theory put forth by the Immanuel Kant, which I will regard as Kantianism. Kant was a polar opposite in regard to the Utilitarianism put forth by Jeremy Bentham. In essence, Kant put forth in imperative that regarding acting ethically in universal terms. If an action cannot be right (or wrong) in any thinkable scenario, it is not to be accepted as a rule. For example, if I make a universal rule that it is wrong for a human to kill another human, there is not circumstance that can be an exception to that rule. If I kill in the heat of passion, premeditated, in war, in self-defense, it does not matter. I have no justification for killing anyone, because I have made a rule against killing.

It's funny, I find that the major downfall of Kantianism is its lack of flexibility. I think to a degree you have to find some sort of flexibility in your viewpoint. I think universals are difficult at best to achieve. Its funny, the very things I am critical about in line with Utilitarianism (it has so much flexibility it is relative), I am also critical about Kantianism for the opposite reasons (it is not flexible enough). I think the next position takes a bit of a middle ground that I think is necessary to bridge the gap between these striking viewpoints.

The Utility of Utilitarianism

The beautiful thing about an Ethics class based in a Christian perspective is that it is necessary to talk about the secular ethical theories. I am a philosophy minor, so topics of philosophical theory are of interest to me. I have been charged with my thoughts on utilitarianism.

The leading proponent of Utilitarianism is a man by the name of Jeremy Bentham. In a nutshell, without having to go to the work of citing someone, my understanding of utilitarianism is based on the greatest good principle; achieving the greatest good for the greatest amount of people is the best route to take. In its crudest form, it is the goal to gain the greatest amount of pleasure, and the least amount of pain.

Utilitarianism is a neat idea, but it falls short in the field of subjectivity. What brings me great utility may come at the utility expense of another. It places pleasure and pain on a relative scale; there are no absolutes to reference to, just cause and effect along the scale of pleasure and pain... It doesn't sound too promising to me.

Utilitarianism can't hold its weight against a God who promises the ultimate pleasure... eternal life. The tenth chapter of John (my paraphrase) states that Jesus came to give life to its fullest measure, something that utilitarianism cannot promise. Needless to say, Jesus is the way.

Doing the Drudgery

Drudgery... even saying sounds so dreadful. Drudgery as defined by Oswald Chambers is "work far removed from anything having to do with the ideal-the utterly mean grubby things". Sometimes the work put before a person is just plain dreadful, so insignificant, so menial, so gross, so "beneath me"... it takes a lot, and the right frame of mind to be able to do it. Chambers talks of some work of drudgery Jesus did: the washing of a bunch of dirty fisherman's feet (tax collectors and political zealots too). Jesus served as a leader, which is unheard of, but also served in a way that was completely beneath him as a teacher. This is not the first time Jesus has turned thinking upside down... first comes last, to lead you have to serve... dichotomies and contradictions indeed. Jesus gets sleeve deep in the drudgery of washing feet... and he calls us to do the same. Audio Adrenaline came out with a song several years ago that speaks of an attitude necessary to work in drudgery. The song is so aptly named "Dirty":

Tired of being clean, sick of being proper, I want to live among the beggars and dig out in the dirt, step outside the walls we built to protect us, don't be afraid to get some mud on your face, come on come on everybody, come on come on and serve some one. Let's get dirty, let's get used, no matter where you come from, if your beaten up or bruised, let's get foolish, let's get free, free to be the one thing, you were meant to be, let's get dirty. You might get a bruise, or some blisters on your fingers, you might start to question or wonder what it's worth, you might slip and fall from the burdens that you carry, but you can't have this treasure till you dig it from the dirt.

May we all go out and get Dirty among the drudgery.

Struggling to Stick With It

I have found journaling to be the most difficult component of my course of study. It is so easy to completely space out and forget to do it. I find myself almost on a nightly basis, saying "I will get it next time, I'll just do it in the morning." Two weeks later, and I have dropped the ball greatly!

So with this in mind, I recommit my efforts to maintaining my journal. This day I am charged to write how the New Testament informs moral reflection. I believe that the biggest informant of moral reflection is the person and life of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ turned the world upside down when he summed up all of the law and prophets with a commandment of Love. The love that Jesus Christ speaks of can easily guide moral actions. It seems so simple, but it isn't much more difficult than Love. All you need is love.

Reflection On Deuteronomy 6:4-9

In this journal post, I have been asked to reflect on a passage of Scripture. It comes from Deuteronomy 6:

⁴ Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. ⁵ Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Followed by this closing thought from my lesson: Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is an interesting summary of the law. It affirms that the people gathered before Moses should love God completely, obey the commandments, and teach the commandments to their children. This passage gives us a threefold perspective on the quality of life indicated by the Old Testament. This is worth reflecting upon as we study ethical living.

It seems so simple, right? love God, obey his commands, and pass them on. Do this and you will have a good life. Why does it seem that life gets so complicated that we stray so far away from this simple formula? It is a wise individual who can continue to keep this simple formula active in their life, and find balance in the moral life. It is my hope as I continue in this course that I can continue to come back to this simple concept of walking in step with God.

Resources to Enrich the Soul and Mind

In this journal entry I am charged with listing and prioritizing resources that enrich the soul and mind. The first one that pops into my head is the Bible. I think the word of God should be the keynote to enriching the soul and mind. Also prayer, speaking to God. Relating to that is devotionals, especially the writings of my homeboy Oswald Chambers. Other ways to enrich the soul and mind are through education and worship, which can be gained at Sunday Morning Church services, or during a small group meeting. Other enrichment ideas are music, fellowship with family, friends and other believers, exercise, laughing, contemplating, silence... This list could go on and on. I guess I can make it into a top ten.

1) Prayer - direct dialogue with God.
2) Reading the Bible - Contact with the word of God.
3) Worship - Praising, honoring, serving God.
4) Education - learning more about God and his son Jesus Christ.
5 Devotions - Reading the works of others elaborating on God.
6) Fellowship - Fostering relationships among others.
7) Silence - Less me, more God.
8) Contemplation - Why do I choose to believe what I believe and why is it important?
9) Laughing - A simple pleasure of life taken for Granted.
10) Exercise - Clears the mind, refreshes the body, promotes overall health of the individual.

There you have it, my top ten list of ways to enrich the soul and the mind.

Ethical Reflection: Round 5

This is my final passage that I have selected for Ethical Reflection. It is old testament, It comes from the 8th Chapter of the Solomon's Song of Songs:

⁶ Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm;
for love is as strong as death,
its jealousy unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire,
like a mighty flame.

⁷ Many waters cannot quench love;
rivers cannot wash it away.
If one were to give
all the wealth of his house for love,
it would be utterly scorned.

This is one of my favorite passages of scripture. It speaks of another aspect of living an ethically moral life; the aspect of how one treats his/her spouse. I find that this is a powerful example of the way that God has designed love to be in the context of a marriage. It burns like a blazing fire, and rivers cannot put it out. I know that Solomon knows about rivers, I'm sure he was familiar with the big rivers like the Euphrates, the Nile, even the Jordan River. All of these were powerful rivers, but rivers could not wash away the passionate fire that is love. I hope and pray that for each person who reads this, they have or will some day experience the passionate love that God designed to exist between a man and a woman.

Ethical Reflection: Round 4

I thought I would kick it old school with this ethical reflection, from Deuteronomy 10:

¹⁴ To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. ¹⁵ Yet the LORD set his affection on your forefathers and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations, as it is today. ¹⁶ Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. ¹⁷ For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.

I like this passage because it speaks of the internal versus the external. The Israelites were "world-famous" for showing their physical connection to God, yet internally they refused to have an intimate relationship with him. Their bodies were physically circumcised as a representation of their election as God's people, yet their hearts were far from him. I think the ethical reflection here is that as a Christian it is important for both the internal and external self be in line with what God has in mind for me. If I am in God's will, if I am loving God and others, then my heart truly can be circumcised.

Ethical Reflection - Round 3

So here is my third passage that I think reveals ethical reflection. It is found in the 5th Chapter of Hebrews (NIV):

11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

I have to admit that this is one of my favorite passages. I use this frequently when talking to my small group... we even had a milk jug that referenced this passage. Another story for a different day. But I feel that this is a good passage to portray moral, ethical reflection. It is the idea that learning & growing are key to distinguishing between what is good a bad moral conduct. It is the constant use and training that allows one to distinguish between right and wrong, not some inherent ability. This illustrates that sometimes moral actions must be learned; for example, I may never realize a stove is hot until I touch it, or until I learn that when something is hot you should not touch it. Learning about a stove helps me distinguish that it is a bad idea to touch it when it is hot. In this case, I don't have to learn by my mistake, I have been acquainted with the teaching of heat and stoves. In the same way I can become acquainted with the teachings of morality and righteousness. Through learning, I can distinguish between good and evil, and not have to worry about falling into a sinful mistake and learning the hard way.

Ethical Reflection: Round 2

Here is my second shot at a passage the informs ethical reflection, from Galatians Chapter 5:

¹⁶So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. ¹⁷For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. ¹⁸But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

¹⁹The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. ²⁵Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

I think this passage does a great and simple job of revealing ethical reflection. In his writing, Paul spells out rather clearly the conflict that exist between life in the spirit and life in the sinful nature, noting that they cannot coexist in the life of an individual. These two contrasting ways of life have their consequences, and Paul details that clearly.

The passage certainly is a cause and effect way of looking at moral actions. Paul obviously gives us the choices and outcomes, but so effectively portrays the right choice to make. I think this is a good example of Ethical reflection.

A passage that informs ethical reflection round 1

So for the first journaling assignment, we are asked to choose five passages that might inform ethical reflection. I have decided to do one each night until I have the five done (five journal posts; sounds great).

The first passage I have chosen comes from Philippians 2 (NIV):

¹If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ²then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. ³Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. ⁴Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. I think this passage is a good beginning point for some ethical reflection. Ethics has to do with morality, the correct way of acting in situations. What a better way to act then to be humble, looking out for the interests of others. Paul gives each person the ability to look out for others, without forsaking themselves. The key point for ethical reflection is that we should not be so absorbed with ourselves, so prideful with the way we live. Instead, we should humble ourselves and be willing to take care of each other in one accord, in one fellowship. It speaks highly of the character of Paul, one willing to forsake his own well being for the sake of other's salvation.

Welcome back for Living Ethical Lives

Greetings to all four of you who might take a gander at this blog:

Well it is that time again, time for another course of study module to come around. I have to admit that out of all the requirements that are due for the course of study, the journal component is the one I have the most difficulty keeping up with. For example, the class started last Monday, and this is my first journal post... 10 days later. Needless to say, I feel that I need to do a better job of this component!

This new course is titled "Living Ethical Lives". It brings a hope to the relativity that you find in secular Ethics. Secular Ethical Morality is relative to the individual: What is good for me may or may not be good for the guy sitting next to me. Theological ethics is grounded in the person of Jesus Christ and his word found in the holy scriptures. This doesn't mean that there aren't individual opinions and differences (have you seen all those denominations?), but that there is not a defeatist foundation of relativity. Our ethics are grounded in the grace of Jesus Christ!

With all this in mind, it is my hope that you will join me on this journey of ethical reflection. It should prove to be an interesting ride.

Jayson - Written in Cursivy letters

Who am I a slave to?

It's true, I am a slave. And as much as it may appear, I am not a slave to my wife. As Paul writes to the church in Rome:

"What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! Don't you that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are the slaves of the one you obey- whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? (6:15-16)"

The truth is that each one of us is a slave. Whether it is to the sin of the world that leads to death, or the righteousness that flows from the side of a crucified Christ that must be accepted for anyone to receive life to the full. I am happy to say I can boast with Paul:

"But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness (6:17-18)."

Thanks be to God indeed.

The heart of a teenager

I had the wonderful opportunity to talk with teenagers about issues that they were going through. I have to admit that I am amazed at how similar my life is to these young people. No, I don't mean I act like them... all the time... but I can see my personal life, my personal struggles, are the same things that these young people are dealing with. I struggle in my prayer life, I struggle in my devotional time, I struggle in my priorities. I find myself so often so exhausted from everything that I have committed myself to that I have no energy to give to the God, who should be the most important part of my life. It is so easy to fall into the trap of saying "things will slow down in a little bit, I just have to get through this week... or this month... or this year... or this decade. The discipline necessary to prioritize God in my life is lacking for sure. I know that there is a battle going on right now for my time, and if I don't take control and discipline myself, it can and will spin quickly out of control for me. I cling to Moses' guidance on the word of the Lord, and know that this way of viewing my relationship with God can help me.

"These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)."

I guess the question is this: can I make this things so ingrained in my life that they are a natural part? That is the question that remains to be answered. I hope for my sake and my family's sake that the answer will be a resounding yes.

God Everlasting

I have to admit that I am exhausted. It has been a long week so far, and I can see the tasks at hand piling up. I find I am lacking on the energy or the time to get things taken care of. But I know that you God are everlasting, that you do not grow tired or get drained out. You are the one everlasting God, creator of all things, who will see me through my fatigue. You will help me to finish the race, to rise up on the wings of Eagles, to run and not grow weary. You will see me through, and I praise your name for that. Continue to bless my time and my studies I pray.

My Covenant

As part of my Course of Study, this is one of my Journal Prompts:

Write a covenant between you and God as you feel led and directed by God.

Wow... How do I go about writing an agreement with you God? What can I possibly do to make an agreement I can keep? I know that I am not perfect, but I am hoping that I can make a covenant with you that I am capable of keeping. Am I allowed to have a "screw-up" clause in this agreement? I am hesitant to come to terms with something, because I know that in my humanness that I very well may not be able to keep my end of the deal. I guess the covenant that I want to make with you is that I commit to try to my utmost to walk in your ways, and lead my family in that same direction. I covenant that I will strive to follow your commands, that I will work to build and maintain a committed relationship with you. Overall, I covenant that I will strive to serve you in all my ways, acknowledging you as only one who can save me. With your help, I commit to keep this covenant with you. Amen.

Love Hurts

Yes, the words of the great band Nazareth are flowing through my ears:

"Oooh Ooh Love Hurts..."

These words seem to be even more clear to me in light of the words of Mother Theresa. I received this from a friend, and thought it a good thing to think about:

"Love, to be real, must hurt. If you want to truly love the poor, you must share with them. If you want poverty to disappear, share it. A gentleman asked me, "What must we do to eliminate poverty from India?" I answered, "We need to learn to share with the poor." That is what I want to share with you. We cannot share unless our lives are full of God's love and our heart are pure. As Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor of heart, for they shall see God." Unless we are able to see God in our neighbor, it will be very hard for us to love. Since love begins at home, let's love each other at home. Jesus said, "Love one another as I have loved you." He loved until it hurt. Jesus' love is so overwhelming that you and I can love Him and find life. We can love Jesus in the hungry, the naked, and the destitute who are dying. We can love him because our prayer gives us the faith we need to be able to love. If you love you will be willing to serve. And you will find Jesus in the distressing disguise of the poor."

I find a lot of times I don't really have a concern for the poor. I am so busy trying to live my life, to accomplish my goals, to set out for the task at hand, that I rarely take a break to even think about the "least of these", let alone to do something, to go into action. I find this statement "we need to learn to share with the poor" seems so simplistic, but also so incredibly compelling. Loving hurts, but it is not as hard as it may seem. The important part is that one has the willingness to try in spite of the hardships and pain that such a task entails. Again,

Ooooh, Oooh, Love hurts.

The calling of a missionary

I just got done reading one of my favorite devotion books, My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers. The story has it that Mr. Chambers allowed himself to experience death from a ruptured appendix because he refused to take up a hospital bed that could be used for a soldier during the war. Talk about a man among men! Today's reading stated that the missionary is not sent because of the need, because of the task at hand. The missionary is sent because it is Jesus doing the sending. The Missionary goes because God calls them to go, not because the need is such that a person can meet it. The call to mission comes from behind, not ahead. Its an interesting perspective I think. In my life I am ready to see the need, meet it, and move on unchanged. Am I willing to see beyond the physical, emotional, spiritual need, and see the source of my calling as Jesus himself? Am I allowing the call of ministry to change me, and does that change in me change the place I minister at? It all starts with Jesus first! Amen and Amen!

Journal for Ministry

So I must say it has been a while. Once full time school kicked off last year, it seemed like the time for blogging was long gone. Although I have found a rebirth, one that I should have realized a long time ago. As part of my Course of Study for Ministerial Development, I am required to journal on a regular basis about the things I am learning, insights I have gained, and challenges I have endured. Sometimes these writings are on prompts, sometimes they are out of my reading or daily devotion. I will share my journal insights with you (you being anyone who takes the time to read this blog) on a (hopefully) daily, regular basis. The first is a reflection on a prayer:

"Thank you, Lord, for changing your mind! Because, if you didn?t, we wouldn?t have a prayer!"

This is in reference to one of the many encounters between God and Moses. God had finally had enough of the nation of Israel and them following their own ways. God told Moses, "That's it, I've had it, and I am going to destroy these people, and start my people from you." Moses pleaded the case of the Israelites "God, don't forget the promise you made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." So God decided not to destroy Israel because Moses interceded on their behalf. I feel the same way about my life today. God has every right to blot my sinful life out of existence. I am a sinner through and through. But it is through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that the justice of God was fulfilled, and mercy was extended to my life. Now Jesus sits on the right hand side of God, interceding on my behalf, & his Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, the Advocate, intercedes on my behalf as well, giving me the opportunity (if I choose) to be righteous and declared clean before God. I love the truth in this prayer, that God was willing to relent his just punishment on all of humanity by sending his son. I am so thankful for that, and now I do have a prayer indeed.