The Relationship Between Religion and Morality.
Religion and morality are ideas that people "throw around" too freely, and I can say I am speaking from my own observations. I can actually tell of instances where a child has stolen something at school, hit someone, or told a lie and those of the church going class have stated that" If he just had some church, he would have known better." This statement expresses the fact that many people choose to just accept the widespread ideas about one's level of morality being defined by the amount of religion the person possesses. In my view, morality can "stand alone" without the influence of religion and still have good effects.
In my view, lessons in religion and morality start in the home and should naturally be taught by one's parents. These lessons, whether they focus on religion or on morals, supply the child with an idea of what their parents believe. The relationship between religion and morality is simply this: parents must teach their children some form of morals and, if they are religious, instill strong ideas about religion into their lives. This will give their children something to believe in and though it may sound callous, something to fear. Mark Clayton's essay "A Whole Lot of Cheating Going On." and Anthony Brandt's "Do Kids Need Religion?" were two essays that I thoroughly enjoyed as they raised questions that I have posed to my parents, my religious leaders and to myself over many years. The essays also focused on religion and morality, which are two issues that in my opinion are intertwined and do reflect and relate to one another.
As a child, I vividly remember my parents warning me of the consequences of bad behavior. I was taught that if I followed the rules set forth by my parents, elders, and God, I would live a righteous life and would join Him in a better place when I died. At the same time, I was taught that if one behaved badly, illness, death, and misfortune would plague their lives.
