Clash of Cultures
WHEN THE SOURCES OF MORAL VALUES DIFFER
THE ROOT CAUSE OF EXTREMISM
Moral values differ from society to society,
because each society has a different source
for its moral values. What may be a moral
act according to you, may not be moral to
somebody else.
O
NE IMPORTANT THING IN THE
study of emotional intelligence is moral
values. There are many different sources
of moral values.
The moral values prevalent in some societies
reflect the law of the land. Some other cultures
are deeply influenced by the religion practised by
most people in that society.
For example, compare the moral values
practised in London, the United Kingdom with
those of Rawalpindi, Pakistan. London is located
in a secular country, whereas Rawalpindi is
in a Muslim-majority country. In London, two
consenting adults can enter into an intimate
relationship without the requirement of marriage
because this is not against the ethical code of
the society. In Rawalpindi, any sort of physical
relationship between an unmarried man and
woman is forbidden because of the influence of
religion on the culture.
Some people reject the moral values of the
society they live in; rather, they depend on their
family traditions as the source of their moral
code. When it comes to justifying certain acts
which may seem unethical according to the
moral values of society, they might say, ‘This is
how things are done in my family.’
So there is not just one single source of
morality - and this is where the problem lies. To
have precise understanding and awareness of
emotional intelligence, we need to first recognise
what moral values we have adopted.
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Most religions have strict, inflexible moral
codes, so those invested in a religion are unable
to see beyond the limits set by their religion.
Your belief system is the hidden factor
dictating your emotions. It is responsible for
bringing rage and fury into your emotional state.
Clips of fanatic Muslims in Luton, the United
Kingdom, have surfaced on the internet. In
the clips, these fanatics were calling for the
imposition of Sharia Law in the United Kingdom;
they were harassing non-Muslim women for
wearing what they considered to be indecent,
non-Islamic outfits. Had they been rational
people, they would have realised that their
religious laws do not apply to anyone outside
of the religion and that they have no right to
pressure anyone to adopt their ways.
Humanity is valued above all in secular
countries. According to a secular moral code,
no matter what religion someone practises,
they should be afforded basic necessities of life.
Generosity and rationality are part of modern
secular morality. In the present scenario, why
should we follow a religion when it is taking away
humanity from human beings?
The uprise of fanatic ideologies, the spread of
extremism and the prevalence of hatred that we
see today is all due to a conflict in morality.
In secular cultures, moral values change
with time. For example, attire that used to be
considered indecent a hundred years ago
is no longer frowned upon. When we look at
MESSIAH HERALD / ISSUE 05 / JUN 2017