Ethical Foundations in a Multicultural

Introduction

The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue (ten words), are a vital focus of the Christian ethical tradition. The same Decalogue has been placed in the generation of laws in general; the Ten Commandments are applied to public life and offer a vital framework for making wise decisions in life according to Markl (2013). The Decalogue has been a source of uprightness and honesty to Christians and non-Christian. It is because the Decalogue has been used to represent the prototypical rule-based approach to ethics. In this study, the focus is on depicting what a multi-culture, religion and democratic society is, and how can the moral requirements of Decalogue be applied in these societies, how the Ten Commandments could not be applied in in Multi-faith- Cultural Democratic Society, and finally, how aspects of the such, rest on Sabbath, Murder and Perjury are held in high esteem within all faiths.

Can the Ethical Demands of Decalogue Be Applied?

British society is a multi-cultural society made up of different faith systems and organizations, but most of all, a democratic society (Kotzian, 2011). Such a community learns to embrace one another, tolerate one another and depend on the ethical demands of the Decalogue. The Ten Commandments in specific influences and applies the law to the public life, and offer a significant framework in making wise decisions.

Jaworski (n.d) on the The Moral Insight of The Decalogue, the Decalogue is extensively applied in the law that governs the British Society. The first one is the political application, whereby moral codes are utilized as a solid basis for determining what creates good or bad laws in the political circus. The second application of the law is the instructional application of the law, whereby the code is a tutor. In the past, educators would ensure that the learners were focused on their studies, disciplining them if they were not. Same case applies to the law that is developed from the Decalogue, convicts individuals of their sins, exposing them and aiding them to realize their sins more clearly via the rules established.

Faith societies could be using the same moral standards outlined by the Decalogue. Further, their faith holds similar principles and ethical standards that conform to all faith societies that exist in the globe. Hester (2015) identifies that the Decalogue offers law as a guide, depicting what is right, aiding individuals within that particular society in discerning in the chaotic jungle of moral decisions that individuals have to face. These principles are outlined by Chan (2012) include;

Respect your father and mother.

You must not commit murder.

You must not commit adultery.

You must not steal.

You must not give false evidence against your neighbor.

You must not be envious of your neighbor's goods. You shall not be jealous of his house nor his wife, nor anything that belongs to your neighbor.

British society as a liberal democracy it is, applies the theoretical and practical actual beliefs, practices and association inconsistent with the fundamental moral preconditions as outlined by the Ten Commandments researches Markl (2013). The society has identified that the family is the bedrock association within political society, the site where the virtue of freedom is first and most decisively developed. It is the command to honor your parents. It is the admission of the status of role; parent nurturing children to form a character that will enable them to take care of themselves.

Robson et al. (2010) on the issues of a multi-cultural society depict that the commands against murder, stealing adultery as well as bearing false witness deliver individuals from bondage from worse tendencies of not being human. These commandments are universal not only in British societies but several more democratic societies across the globe. They are meant in protecting life, family relations, property as well as reputation and promises. They are intended to promote social coordination as well as competition vital for the prosperity of liberal democracy.

The inability of applying Ten Commandments in Multi-faith- Cultural Democratic Society

While there exist so many societies that have constructed their rules and regulation based on the Ten Commandments, there exist democratic societies that have not applied them to create a just community. In a construct of a democratic society, there are individuals that believed that the Ten Commandments are not in any way linked to it asserts Friedman (2006). It is a depiction of an ideology that democracy arises from a Greek word meaning think-then-solvent. It simply means that democracy is not biblical, basing its creation on the Ten Commandments.

According to Banks and Ledbetter (2004), the globe as it is perceived contain multitudes of prosperous and harmonious societies with different ethical and moral systems. Many individuals that are not religious who have learnt that morality arises from the experiences as well as preferences of actual individuals, not abstract fundamentals or an absolute legal order. The moral besieges- cultivated via the upbringing of people, annealed by the society, and enlightened by specific encounters, talents, as well as innate abilities- guide people’s characters. Therefore, it is a choice to be morally upright or not, it can be motivated by empathy as well as compassion in the relationships individuals form with one another and determined more in individual deeds than in words.

Ghorbannia (2016), discovers that in the Arab world, the Ten Commandments are not applied anywhere is the development of laws and rules that govern the Arab society. The Ten Commandments are extensively applied on Christians and Jews societies and not in the Arabic and Asian societies and several others in the world. These societies that do not use the Bible to define their co-existence with other individuals, and they do not reference to the way of life to the Bible, where the Ten Commandments are lifted from.

Davis and Galligan (Eds.) (2011), argue that the Arabic society uses the Holy Qur'an, which gives us direction in such manner, is Allah's uncovered message to mankind. It contains sections relating to confidence in the unity of Allah, and in the Prophet Muhammad as His last detachment. It is known as the "Furqan" (segregate), since it uncovers the qualifications between good and evil, and truth and deception. The Qur'an reveals insight into moral and good standards, and portrays how people must direct their undertakings among themselves. The refrains managing moral standards incorporate issues, for example, relational connections, Muslim temperance, and the method of direct to be received in social and professional interactions. Muslims accept that these standards are intended for the whole human race and for individuals from varying backgrounds and financial foundations.

How aspects of the Decalogue, rest on Sabbath, Murder and Perjury are held in high esteem within all faiths

Within all the religions and faiths, it has been identified that all have held these aspects of; resting on the Sabbath day, do not commit murder or perjury are thought highly of. Faith in this include; Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Shmita, Buddhist, Hinduism secular traditions and others religions. According to Glynn (2017), each religion has set of principles that have common to others in regard to how they perceive the society should be like, if man has to co-exist with others. You will notice that across all the faiths, the Sabbath day is that particular day in a week they set aside to rest, and most importantly worship together in hastening their faith.

For example, Finkelman (2004) depict that the Christian faith regard the Sabbath day as a day set aside to rest and Worship, and was commanded by God to be kept holy as God also rested on the last day after he finished his creation, and emphasized in the biblical commandment; ‘Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.’ Newbigin et al. (2005). identify that the Islam faith regards Friday as their Sabbath day, and commemorates the day Adam was created. The Buddhist rest day occurs every seven or eight days in regard to the four phases of the moon; crescent, half moon, gibbous moon and full moon. During that time, believers cleanse themselves of the defiled minds, leading to inner peace and joy. Several of other religions set aside a particular day as a Sabbath day or period.

Same case applies to the rule against murder and perjury, different faith have condemned the acts against each other of same faith or the human race in general. In the Christian faith, bearing false witness against a neighbor and killing of another person are greatly condemned in the Bible as it is the fifth and ninth commandments. In the Islam faith, Johnson and Vriens (2014) identify that murder is considered a great sin and depict in the Koran that “God upholds the sanctity of life as a universal principle, and do not kills one another for God is merciful to you.’ The same laws are common in several other faiths like Buddhist, Judaism and other secular faiths.

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Conclusion

The ethical or moral standards set by the Decalogue might seem to be aligning or favoring a particular faith society of Christian. Still, several other faith societies would agree and align their customs, beliefs, culture and principles with these commandments. They protect individuals from infringing fundamental freedoms linked with the liberal democracy of British society.

References

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Chan, Y. S. L. (2012). The Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes: Biblical Studies and Ethics for Real Life. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Davis, T. W., & Galligan, B. (Eds.). (2011). Human rights in Asia. Edward Elgar Publishing.

Finkelman, P. (2004). The Ten Commandments on the Courthouse Lawn and Elsewhere. Fordham L. Rev., 73, 1477.

Friedman, D. A. (2006). Why Governmental Decalogue Displays Endorse Religion. TM Cooley L. Rev., 23, 109.

Ghorbannia, N. (2016). The Influence of Religion on Law in the Iranian Legal System. Mixed Legal Systems, East and West. London: Routledge, 209-12.

Glynn, A. (2017). Morality versus Religion: Insights from Martin Luther. Available at SSRN 2954057.

Hester, J. P. (2015). The Ten Commandments: A Handbook of Religious, Legal and Social Issues. McFarland.

Jaworski, W. Rules and Virtues: The Moral Insight of The Decalogue.

Johnson, T., & Vriens, L. (2014). Islam: governing under Sharia. Council on Foreign Relations, 25.

Kotzian, P. (2011). Public support for liberal democracy. International Political Science Review, 32(1), 23-41.

Markl, D. (2013). The Ten Words Revealed and Revised: The Origins of Law and Legal Hermeneutics in the Pentateuch. The Decalogue and its Cultural Influence (Hebrew Bible Monographs 58), Sheffield, 13-27.

Newbigin, L., Sanneh, L., & Taylor, J. (2005). Faith and Power: Christianity and Islam in'Secular'Britain. Wipf and Stock Publishers.

Robson, N. Z. M. H., Razack, A. H., & Dublin, N. (2010). Ethical, social, and religious issues in a multicultural society. Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health, 22(3), 271-278.