Explain why blurring the boundaries between ethics, tradition, religion, and law is a problem

Question

What will be an ideal response

Answer 1

When a community is homogenous, the boundaries between ethics, tradition, religion, and law can be blurry. In those communities the laws often reflect the traditions and religious values of the community. Our duty to obey the law becomes one with our religious duties and our community traditions. This is often the case in any nation that does not carefully maintain the separation of Church and State. At one time throughout the United States one could find towns and cities that had ordinances prohibiting pornography, violent video games, sodomy, interracial marriage, public dancing, gambling, and selling alcoholic beverages on Sundays. The majority of people in those communities may have regarded these statutes as sensible, given their personal ethical values and religious convictions. But these kinds of statutes are regularly struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court, and not because the Court is opposed to religion or to ethics. Rather, the Court is upholding a higher principle. The U.S. Constitution is grounded in a set of ethical principles like freedom of speech, personal autonomy, and equal rights under the law. Although there may be adverse consequences, the Supreme Court often rules that the power of government to encroach into our private lives should be limited. As in the Supreme Court, ethical decision making on the basis of core beliefs and ethical values must always weigh the relative prominence or importance of those principles. Duties can conflict. Not every principle is of equal significance. Just because a given principle fits one's own lifestyle, is traditional, or is consistent with one's upbringing does not mean that it ought to be or that it must be imposed by law or by majority vote on everyone else in the community. If uncertain about this, reverse the situation. Imagine yourself being dropped into a community where you did not share the traditions or religious values. You would still want to be an ethical person, respect other people, and obey the law, but you would resent having additional religious obligations or traditional duties imposed on you.