Right and Wrong in the Christian Context According to Webster, ethics is "the science of moral duty." He further describes it as "the science of ideal human character." The word in Greek means "dwelling" or "stall," as in a safe place to live (our word "morals" comes from the The implication is that humansdepend on right choices for security. For a Christian, andindeed for many non-Christians, Jesus Christ is the onlyperfectly ethical person. He is the perfect man, alwaysmaking right choices, and to believe him to be flawed is toabandon Christianity completely. Upon this fact andfoundation, we have a second belief that we are to allow Godto transform us into an image of His Son, Jesus. Jesus callsus to follow him, become his disciples and inherit eternallife. If Jesus is the ideal human being, and we are calledto imitate him, then we are called to an ethical life.What is the Basis for Christian Ethics?Christian ideas of right and wrong originate in revealedtruth, i.e. they stem from what God has taught us throughJesus and the prophets and Apostles. This primarily meansthe Bible for some, although as Catholics we accept asequally true the teachings of the Apostles handed downthrough the bishops and known as Tradition. For both theBible and Tradition, we believe we must obey because theteachings come from God, not because they are wise, willensure a long life or prosperity. Christian ethics may becontrasted with Utilitarianism, whose adherents simply "dowhat works." Utilitarian ethics allowed the Holocaust,slavery, and totalitarian Communism. Because Christians donot believe humans made themselves or occurred "naturally,"we do not believe we are free to do whatever suits us. SinceGod is the author of life, He also determines the standardsof behavior for those members of His creation with freewill.How Does Free Will Fit In? What Is It?Free will is a gift from God. It means human beings havebeen given the ability to choose between right a...
