What Influences My Ethical Thinking...

I think the foundation of my ethical thinking is tied to my Christian world view. In the earlier posting about the two girls facing the abortions, I found myself struggling because my opinions could be seen as judgment. I do not believe it is right to judge others for their weaknesses or mistakes. This is not only part of my world view, but it is part of my daily life. I do not judge others, because I do not want to be judged. There are enough things that I have done in my life that I am sure that others could judge as right or wrong. I may not be proud of some things that I have done or wish that I had the opportunity to do it over and do it differently. I think it is difficult to judge others when you do not have the responsibility to live with their decision. The other major part of my world view is that I believe that we have a responsibility to each other. Another way to say this is that I believe I am my brother’s keeper. This idea was reinforced to me when I read Martin Luther King’s, Jr. “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”.

 

In the abortion video I found myself more interested in understanding the pain and suffering that the young women were going through, verse trying to determine if what they did was right or wrong. Another part of my world view is the idea of stewardship. I spoke earlier in my blogs about being a steward of the environment and the natural resources. I believe that we do not own the planet, but we are here to care for the planet. I strongly believe that we have a responsibly to leave the planet in a healthy state for future generations. As I think more about what I have learned in this class, these three things not to judged, to be your brother’s keeper, and to be a good steward of the planet, are what shape my current ethical thinking.