OpEd:
Ethics vs. Morals – An Exercise in Proper Word Choice
September 3, 2009 by Kyle BradyTags: Agnosticism, America, Atheism, English, Language, Religion, Word Choice
As required by the FTC, a Full Disclosure is available - this piece adheres to the Code of Ethics
Any modern debate inevitably includes the quality of “rightness”, in both arguments for and against the topic in question, and is often presented using “morality” as a base descriptor. While the word “moral” can be a synonym of “ethical”, it is often not used or intended to be defined in this fashion, with the speaker instead implying an inherently subjective view that intersperses strictly secular activities with unnecessarily religious aspects. This affront to secular life, especially in the Western World, must end.
In the religious definition of “morality”, the speaker is subjecting their views upon another person, action, or object, describing this object of their criticism from an internalized and personal viewpoint, rather than objectively analyzing the situation based on common, widely accepted ethical criteria. Where the criticisms have strict ties to religion, such as a religious leader giving advice on spiritual action, this is completely appropriate; however, when this specific word choice is applied to common, secular situations, such as politics, healthcare, or interpersonal behaviors, this is entirely unacceptable.
The assault on secular life by religious institutions and their followers is not new, nor will it cease in the foreseeable future. But with the recent, and inexplicable, rise of Christian fundamentalism in America as an extremely vocal and volatile minority, this battle is taking on heights not seen in half a century. This is not to say that religion itself is inherently negative, but that its ideas and principles have their own place within society, either kept separate from the public or completely internalized within a practitioner. What is difficult to swallow, however, is the evangelical nature of many modern day Christians, who do not approve of religions other than their own and wish to either convert or condemn those who are not their spiritual brethren.
Besides the obvious issues that arise with the condemnation of one religion for another, an extremely vocal minority drowning out the voices of others, or the judgment that is subsequently cast upon outsiders, word choice and usage is a major problem. The English language grows, changes, and morphs by virtue of its viral nature, and humans are naturally inclined to reuse words that are common in their own interactions of others, which illuminates the growing problem: when an individual with a certain religious affiliation uses morals, rather than ethics, in discussions of common activities, the word choice becomes instantly associated with the topic in the mind of the other party, and the chances of its repetition increase significantly.
It is by this very method that phrases such as “Obamacare is immoral” become commonplace among certain population segments, where a slight rephrasing as “Obamacare is unethical” would be more appropriate – completely disregarding the illogical nature of the claim in the first place, of course. To many, this is not an issue of concern since they are themselves religious and see no issue with such a word choice. But among those who are strictly secular - including atheists, agnostics, and others - or those who are sympathetic to their interests, it is of great concern.
These nonreligious individuals already receive a large amount of criticism and prejudice because they choose to base their existence in rational thought rather than speculative fantasy, and do not appreciate the inequalities dealt to them in everyday life: advertisements for churches are approved, while secularist advertisements are not; religious symbolism is present in almost every facet of American government, despite the claim of being a secular nation; deferential respect is demanded of those with theist beliefs, but is not a reciprocal.
When an unbiased word without hidden theist meaning can be applied rather than one laden with such meanings, the one without a religious tinge must be chosen - this is an issue of political correctness, religious sensitivity, and intellectual propriety. The continued reference to morality by journalists, reporters, and other public figures is merely exacerbating the issue, quickly becoming just another dagger stuck in the hearts of those who do not share the devotion of the theist population of America.
Kyle can be found on Twitter and MySpace, or reached via email.
