"Ethics vs. Morals"

ETHICS VS. MORALS: R.C. Sproul, who may be heard on a local radio station, in a series of messages discussed the different between morals and ethics. He points out that “moral” comes from the word “mores” which is the cultural or sub-cultural standard of right and wrong. The word “ethic” on the other hand is a more transcendent word, not influenced by the culture or the subculture. His concern is that we have blurred the distinction between the two.

For example, in Roman culture it was morally acceptable to abort babies, and to put children born with birth defects along females babies out in the weather to die of exposure. However, Christians governed by ethics would go out and pick up those children and care for them and raise them. One culture lived by morals, the other by ethics.

Leaving religion out of the argument for a moment, notice that the Roman Empire declined and eventually disappeared. Notice as well that the Kingdom of Heaven, populated by people of higher ethical standards and attendant behaviors lives on.

One set of people were governed by the morals of those around them. Others were governed by the ethical standards of the eternal Word of God and the eternal God of the Word. This brings about two questions that we do well to prayerfully consider.

1. “Am I living by God’s ethics or the cultural/sub-cultural morals around me?”

2. “Are the people from whom I take my thought, attitude, position, and behavior cues, living according to God’s ethics or the cultural/sub-cultural’s ideas of morality?”

When criticized as being outdated and irrelavent take heart brothers and sisters. The individuals, peoples, organizations, churchs, institutions, and yes, countries (e.g. the USSR) that are morally relevant, if they are not in decline soon will be. However, those who live by the Word of God and the God of the Word—those of Christian ethic will live on.