BelondaHoward.Topic 7 Paper.LDR800
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Laws, Morals, Ethics, and Religious Beliefs
Belonda Howard
College of Doctoral Studies, Grand Canyon University LDR800: Ethical Dilemmas and Stewardship
Dr. Kwapy
May 10, 2023
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Laws, Morals, Ethics, and Religious Beliefs
Personal behaviors and influences are shaped by four external forces that guide society’s views of appropriate behaviors. Laws, morals, ethics, and religious beliefs set the foundation for what is considered socially appropriate and acceptable behaviors. Although they set the foundation for socially appropriate behaviors there are similarities and differences amongst them.
Morals, ethics, and religious beliefs have no legal binding yet is respected due to public influence and viewing (Gheorghiță, 2021). Morality is the ability to perform real everyday actions directed toward the greater good. It is portrayed by accepted norms and rules, as well as specific habits that allow us to function in society (Marek & Walulik, 2021). Laws are orders by a sovereign that oversee human activity created for the better good of society. Ethical values and morals recognize right versus wrong and set the foundation for what outlines appropriate behaviors and actions (Gary, 2020). The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast laws, morals, ethics, and religious beliefs. This paper will also demonstrate how each of these forces influence personal behavior. These four external forces help to maintain order and promote good intentions, motives and purpose (Gheorghiță, 2021).
Laws, morals, ethics, and religious beliefs serve as the foundational skills for acceptable behaviors deemed appropriate in society. Similarities between Laws, Morals, Ethics, and Religious Beliefs
When determining right or wrong or good versus bad, the four external forces all play a role. There are similarities amongst laws, morals, ethics, and religious beliefs. Each of these forces is utilized to create an environment or organization that is conducive to living and displays
socially acceptable behaviors. Morals, religious beliefs, and ethics are nonlegal binding forces that express the guidelines for acceptable behaviors (ElBassiouny & Sloan, 2018). Individuals
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have their varying sets of morals, religious beliefs, and ethics but they all focus on providing the rules that govern a particular set of people to live positively. Laws and morals both explain how individuals in society must act and provide requirements on expectations and requirements of individuals (Gheorghita, 2021). Religion enforces moral and ethical behavior through the mindset of right versus wrong along with teaching the foundations for appropriate behaviors as displayed through the actions and mindset of an individual (ElBassiouny & Sloan, 2018).
Differences between Laws, Morals, Ethics, and Religious Beliefs
Difference amongst laws, morals, ethics, and religious beliefs can cause mindset shifts or leave an individual feeling indecisive on right and wrong. The difference between ethics and morals can occur within a mindset shift. When an individual feels slighted or emotions are at an all-time high, the views in morals and ethical realms changes. Often emotions become a barrier between morals and ethical behaviors. People act off emotion causing morality to be questioned (Campbell et al., 2023). Laws deal with the outward display of actions while ethics and morals regulate the internal actions that contributes to the decisions of why an action was completed. Laws are monitored through law enforcement while morals and ethics are governed by the people in society. Actions can be seen as legal in the eyes of the law but unethical or morally incorrect by society’s terms (Gheorghita, 2021). Religious beliefs are seen as controversial due to the many beliefs and is not always clear as the law. Religion can be up for interpretation at times creating differences in reasoning and morals in individuals. Different religions have different beliefs causing a difference in how values and morals are perceived (ElBassiouny & Sloan, 2018). Religion is taught through the studies of the bible or whatever the point of worship. Religion, moral, and ethics are all interpreted in a variety of ways depending on the values of the organization or group of people.
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Behavioral Influence of Individuals
Behavioral influences are shaped by several factors such as religion, laws, personal values and morals along with ethical standards of a society. Starting off as children, people are molded by the morals and religious beliefs of family and the ones around them (Emiroglu, 2020).
Their views of what is deemed appropriate is shaped by the models and religious influences surrounding them or within their organization. Research has shown that individuals with a strong
religious upbringing place a substantial importance on upholding social norms and displaying positive behaviors (Casidy et al., 2021). Through development as children to adulthood while observing the actions of those around, individuals begin to adopt morals, values, and ethical attitudes. In adulthood, individuals begin to continue to expand their circles to interact and associate with like-minded people (Emiroglu, 2020). Being a part of an ethical organization that demonstrates appropriate behaviors
guided by morals and follows the laws of society influences individuals to follow the policies and expectations of the organization (Lin & Shek, 2022). Personal Behavioral Influence
Personal behaviors are influenced and guided by the four external forces which are laws, morals, ethics, and religious beliefs. Starting off as child, individuals are molded through parental displays of actions, thoughts, feelings, and religious upbringings. Individuals begin to develop their religious upbringing as a child where they learn biblical background knowledge to guide their reasons and motivations for morally correct behaviors. Religion helps to develop values, meaning and purpose aligned to the betterment of oneself (Emiroglu, 2020). A strong religion background helps to keep morality and ethical behaviors in line. Doing what is morally correct or just, always help to continue the mindset of living in harmony (Marek & Walulik,
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2021). Knowing that laws are meant to be followed and if broken leads to consequences, helps to
motivate lawful behaviors. Thinking before reacting and understanding that laws are created for the better good of the citizens helps to deter illegal activity (Gheorghita, 2021). Conclusion
The purpose of this paper was to compare laws, morals, ethics, and religious beliefs and demonstrate how each of these forces influence personal behavior. There are not only laws that establish the rules of behavior in society, but morals, ethics, and religious beliefs as well serve as
the foundational skills for defining acceptable behaviors that are deemed appropriate in society (Gheorghita, 2021). There are close connections between law and morality knowing what is right
versus wrong which helps to deter socially unacceptable behaviors. Without laws, morality, religious beliefs, and ethical working together, individuals would be negatively influenced causing a rise in unethical and unjust behaviors.
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References
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evaluation of ingroup and outgroup targets.
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(1), 69–80. Emiroglu, B. (2020). Construction of social identity and religion.
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(39), 92–117. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.35826/ijoess.2699
Gary, C. J. (2020). Imagine there’s no ethics: The case for ethics as the moral underpinning of our laws and our practices.
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Gheorghiță, N. (2021). Law and morality: An apparent contradiction.
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Lin, L., & Shek, D. T. L. (2022). Association of normative moral character and prosocial behavior – Moderators of personal moral character and sociodemographic factors.
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Marek, Z., & Walulik, A. (2021). What morality and religion have in common with health? Pedagogy of religion in the formation of moral competence.
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Spike, J. P. (2020). Is there a right and left when the question is about right and wrong? – The irreducible difference between ethics and politics, religion, and morality.
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