Ethical Behavior 

More than two decades ago, the late, great soul singer, Lou Rawls belted out the lyrics: “What’s the matter with the world, has the world gone mad; there’s nothing wrong with the world, it’s the people [who are] in it.” The relevancy of these words is timeless. Since the beginning of humankind to the present, human behavior has always mirrored the degree to which society was healthy or unhealthy. A constant occurrence has been the co-existence of ethical and unethical behavior, thus reflecting a tale of two cultures in one society: good v. evil; just v. unjust; right v. wrong; and honor v. dishonor. These cultures are not mutually exclusive; that is, some of the same individuals who almost always exhibitethical behavior are not void of demonstrating unethical behavior. This is best explained by the religious statement that is quoted frequently: No one is perfect but he Father.

In this article, a healthy society is defined as one that is grounded in and operates out of a code of ethics that dominates the behavior exhibited by its members in their everyday life experiences. An unhealthy society is dominated by the unethical behavior of its members in their human experiences. This code of ethics is rooted in ethical principles. These principles have existed since the beginning of time and they transcend time, thereby dating back to the authentic Father of Christian ethics: God. Thus, a violation of these ethical principles is also a violation of the Will of God. The supreme declaration of ethical principles can be found in The 10 Commandments: (Exodus 20.3-17;Life Application Study Bible: New International Version, 1991) 1) Thou shall have other gods before me; 2) Thou shall not make for yourself an idol; 3) Thou shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God; 4) Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy; 5) Honor your father and your mother; 6) You shall not murder; 7) You shall not commit adultery; 8) You shall not steal; 9) You shall not give false testimony; 10) You shall not covet. Since these ethical principles are under the aegis of Christian ethics, the question non-Christians may raise is: Can I exhibit general ethical principles if I live out each commandment except those which specify God or gods (#s 1, 3 and 4)? It is clear that the adherence to seven of the Ten Commandments allow for ethical behavior to dominate; however, from a Christian ethical point of view, three of the most important commandments are still missing.

Universal ethical principles are rooted inthe science of moral conduct, moral values and moral principles. Paul and Elder in their book: Understanding The Foundations of Ethical Principles (2006) write: The ultimate basis for ethics is clear: Human behavior has consequences for the welfare of others. They purport that how we treat others will either enhance their well-being and the quality of their lives or it will diminish them. They go on to say that key to understanding the functions of ethics is to know and live by the creed that everyone has an ethical responsibility to respect the rights of others, including their freedom and well being, to help those most in need of help, to seek the common good and not merely their own self-interest and egocentric pleasures, to strive in some way to make the world more just and humane. This explanation of ethics adds credence to the old adage: We are our brothers [and sisters] keepers. Inherent in striving to live this type of ethical life is the desire and ability to forgive. Forgiveness is a cornerstone to ethical living. We must forgive ourselves for any wrong we have done to others; we must forgive others for any wrong they have done to us; and, we must ask others to forgive us for any wrong we have done to them. For only through forgiveness on these three levels can we free ourselves of baggage that can prevent us from becoming the best ethical person we can become