Ethics Workbook I: World History Chapter 8 Christianity and Islam

 The next topic in this Ethics course is Christianity and Islam you can find it in the  Ethics Workbook I: World History Chapter 8

Christianity and Islam 

  

 Another powerful ethical teaching, which emerged during ancient Roman times 

was Christianity. Christianity is a religion in the same tradition has Hebrew Judaism. 

We read about the Hebrew law in the Old Testament, and learned that it was strict and 

unbending. Christianity was an extension and variation of this tradition. Christianity 

added a New Testament to the Bible. This book has some important new ideas that we're 

going to learn about. 

 Remember the Old Testament commandment, “Thou shall not kill?” Let's 

start by looking at the New Testament variation of it from the Book of Matthew. 

You have heard it said thou shalt not kill, and if 

you do you will be punished. But I say to you that 

whoever is angry at his brother without cause will 

be punished, and whoever speaks hatred to his 

brother will be punished, and whoever calls insults 

will be punished. 

Matthew 5, 21-22 

Is it as wrong to utter threats and insults as it is to actually do an act of violence? Think 

about and be prepared to discuss this. Try to use some present-day examples of how 

certain words, and even thoughts might seem to be as wrong. 

This discussion will ignite students. Let it go naturally. 

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 

 This also introduces us to the idea of intent, or the reason why a person does 

something. Christianity takes the reason why you do things very seriously. Here is 

another quote from Matthew: 

A good tree bears a good fruit, but a corrupt tree 

bears evil fruit. 

Matthew 5, 17 Ethics Workbook I 

What to do you think this means? Do you agree? 

Let's look at some more comparisons. 

You have heard it said an eye for an eye and a 

tooth for a tooth, but I say don't fight back against 

evil; if someone hits you on the right cheek, let him 

also hit you on the left. 

Matthew 5, 38-39 

You have heard it said that you should love your 

neighbor and hate your enemy but I say love your 

enemies and do good for them even if they hate 

you. 

Matthew 5, 43-44 

 We first saw the idea of getting revenge on your enemies as being wrong 

expressed by Socrates who believed that it was wrong because it only leads to more 

violence. The Greeks replaced revenge with public laws. Christianity also sees it as bad 

and for a very similar reason. But Christianity’s answer is different. Evil is overcome by 

good, not by laws and punishments. 

Do you think that this will work? What strength does its have? How might you argue 

that this is the only way to overcome evil? Can you apply this idea to an everyday 

situation? 

Parables 

 A parable is a short story that has an ethical message in it about what's right and 

what's wrong. We saw this teaching technique used all through history. Remember 

Aesop’s Fables or the Ramayana. The New Testament has many important parables. 

One of the most important is called of the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Prodigal means 

wasteful, so it's a story about a wasteful son, and his relationship to his father and his 

brother. After you read, or listen to, the story, try to figure out what the moral message 

in it is and explain it in your own words.