Ethics, Morality and Toothpaste

A recent edition of the Times-News presented the results of a Josephson Institute survey regarding dishonest habits in young students. Stealing from a store or from friends, lying to save money or to parents about something significant, cheating on tests and plagiarizing assignments were presented as being on the rise in teenagers. Beyond these bullet items were some other interesting results. The article reported that, “Despite such responses, 93 percent of the students said they were satisfied with their personal ethics and character, and 77 percent affirmed that ‘when it comes to doing what is right, I am better than most people I know’.” Similar results can be observed in almost every aspect of life. Ethical behavior in business is a serious problem, most clearly evidenced by outrage in recent corporate CEO compensation disputes. From executives to employees, people in the work force are stealing from their companies, cheating, embezzling funds, and lying. At home, lying, cheating on spouses, divorce, domestic violence and strained relationships still present problems for law enforcement, school officials and the fabric of family life in general. In the sports world there is a constant parade of athletes at the college and professional level being suspended for breaking team or league rules, participating in off-the-field fights or crimes, violating substance abuse policies and in-fighting or refusing to participate in practices or games.

In response to the student survey results the following solution was proposed: “We have to create situations where it’s easy for kids to do the right things. We need to create classrooms where learning takes on more importance than having the right answer.” While I believe those involved in these issues and who have devoted their lives to these causes mean only the best for the affected individuals, I would respectfully disagree with the diagnosis of the problem and the solutions presented. In my opinion the cause of ethical and moral problems is due to a heart condition, and the solution is a heart transplant.

Students answering in the affirmative to questions about their participation in lying, cheating and stealing also answered that they were satisfied with their personal ethics and character. That belies a belief that lying, cheating and stealing are somehow the right things to do, albeit on a situational basis. Saying that these behaviors are somehow caused by a lack of awareness or societal pressure and that solutions to the problems are education or an attempted removal of pressure situations is to deal in externals. I recently heard a word picture that went something like the following, ‘Life is like a tube of toothpaste, when the pressure is on what’s on the inside comes out’. The problem with us is that in our hearts, we desire to do what we know to be wrong. In response we change our environment, increase our education or increase the severity of consequences. That is tantamount to changing the label on the tube or putting on a fancier cap; the externals have been changed but the same toothpaste ends up on the brush. When a student doesn’t know the answer to a test question and the pressure is on to perform well on the examination, cheating comes out as a response. When a business executive makes a mistake that could cost the company thousands of dollars and the pressure is on to keep his or her job, lying comes out as a response. When a person sees a product they want and the pressure of having what everyone else has is on, stealing comes out as a response.

How is a person’s hearts changed so that right behavior comes out in response to the pressures of life? I believe the answer to this question is found in the person of Jesus Christ. Jeremiah 17:9 says “The heart of man is desperately wicked, who can know it?” In Matthew 15:19, Jesus says, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah in Matthew 13:15 when He said, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.” If we turn to Christ and are healed then Galatians 5:22 and following describes the behavior that will follow: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” We have worked on changing the appearance, shape and functionality of the tube for long enough; why don’t we leave the outside alone, turn to Christ and let Him change the toothpaste inside?