Do Ethics Correlate with Religion?

In this paper I will look at the role a specific religion plays in the shaping of one’s ethics. In particular, I will examine how ethics are shaped in a religion other than my own. I chose to interview Paul Leonard (Leonard, 2014). He is a member of the Catholic Church. Paul is 33 years old and lives in Santa Ana, California. I was not raised in any religious tradition so any religion is different from my own. I will share with you a bit about the religious practices, method of indoctrination of members and traditions that Paul explained to me. Through my interview I was able to get some insight as to how Catholicism impacts the ethics of this particular Catholic. My conclusion after looking at all of the facts is that basic ethics were not tied to Catholicism. However, more specific ethical rules are guided by the Catholic Church.

There are many thoughts about how ethics are instilled in a person. Some feel that it is through religion and upbringing while others feel it is the result of a natural progression and awareness of wrong and right. I recently interviewed Paul Leonard (Leonard, 2014) about his religious experiences and how they relate to his ethics. I was surprised how in line our ethical stances were despite being of two separate faiths. Paul and I seem to have developed our ethics in much the same way despite such different spiritual backgrounds. Both Paul and I attribute the majority of our ethical values to our experiences and trials rather than our specific spiritual backgrounds.

As a Catholic, Paul is required to attend mass each Sunday as well as six other holy days of obligation. These days are The Ascension of Our Lord, The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, All Saints Day, The Sol...

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...illing seem fairly universal among Americans. However, I have been surprised to learn the various differences in how we come to make our ethical decisions and how many interpretations of right and wrong there really are.

In conclusion, I would say that my belief that ethics are not necessarily connected to religion has been confirmed. Paul explained to me that despite the fact that he was raised in a devout Catholic family he doesn’t credit his ethics to his religion but rather to his life experiences. It seems that a lot of Paul’s personal growth came through his exploration of different religions rather than it being cultivated by one specific ideology. I was surprised however, by how many differences I have with the ethics of my classmates and how many similarities I have with the ethics of Paul Leonard.

Leonard, P. (2014, April 5). Personal interview.