Module 1Why be Moral, or Ethical Issues in your Discipline Frank D.

Felker Grand Canyon University Professor John Wise CoursePHI 305 16 October 2011 Ethical Issues for a Christian Scholar Ethics and morality are at the very center of Christian Studies. It is not necessary for a person to be either ethical or moral to study Christianity; it is not even necessary to be a

Christian. In all reality, a person that chooses to spend several years studying this discipline is, in most cases, intending to put those studies to use; and is, in fact, a professed Christian. This being the case, what particular issues might arise that would affect the student more so than in any other discipline? How the scholar treats other people; and how he, or she, conducts their personal life; these two soon become very large issues. Social Ethics Man is a social animal and desires approval from his peers in order to be comfortable and content in his surroundings. When a person tells another that they are attending college, it almost demands that they be asked about their major field of study. When the reply is Christian Studies, the student immediately opens up their life to scrutiny. How a person treats others is, in all probability, the most noticeable of all the traits that a Christian is judged by. After all, is it not one of their Gods highest commands to, Love your neighbor as yourself? If we consistently disparage others, cheat (or cheat on) others in some fashion, or persist in causing others pain, mentally or physically; suddenly, even the most reprobate of our acquaintances are looking at us with a jaundiced eye; and the value of our company has dropped to nil. At that point our social comfort zone has also dropped dramatically. Most people, Christian or otherwise, tend to set a very high value on the Golden Rule, Do unto others as you

Module 1Why be Moral, or Ethical Issues in your Discipline

would have them do unto you. When it comes to this adage, a professing Christian is, and should be, held to higher standards of empathy, compassion, and kindness toward others. Personal Ethics Now that we have drawn the assumptive conclusion that the students of Christian Studies are, for the most part, professing Christians; we can move on to the second most observable trait, personal morality. How we maintain our own moral and ethical behavior can be very closely akin to how we maintain our personal hygiene. If it is not kept to an acceptable level, we will soon find that others will begin to avoid us. Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (II Timothy 2: 22, NIV) This is Pauls admonition to Timothy, a young and aspiring preacher/teacher of the Gospel. This is timeless advice for all Christians, especially those desiring to lead and instruct others. It behooves us to bear in mind; those who look at us as students of a Christian God expect to see a person of Godly behavior. A Christian student who attends binge parties, patronizes houses of prostitution, or even revels in gossip, is no more acceptable (or believable) than a Veterinary student that attends dog fights. Conclusion Students of all disciplines will find issues that arise in their chosen field of study. For the student of Christian Studies, the two issues mentioned will be more closely scrutinized and demanding than in most of the other fields. This is appropriate and should, by no means, be a deterrent to following this admirable endeavor. Not all are called to the in-depth study of God and the church that was founded by His Son, Jesus Christ. We have, in effect, become standard bearers of our beliefs and should joyfully meet all demands and issues that present themselves as a result.

Module 1Why be Moral, or Ethical Issues in your Discipline

Maintaining high standards can be difficult, but we are not without recourse or assistance. We should, as Paul so aptly put it in his Epistle to the Ephesians, Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devils schemes. (Ephesians 6: 11, NIV) We have also been given Gods own manual for living, the Bible. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (II Timothy 3: 16-17, NIV)

Reference The Holy Bible (2005), Life Application Study Bible, NIV, Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. & Grand Rapid, MI: Zondervan