Ethics
1. What are the values inherent in this faith tradition?
2. What is the source of these values, morality, ethical behaviour?
3. What is considered right and wrong?
4. What behaviour is expected within the faith community from the individual? Community?
5. What moral code is expected?
6. How have moral codes informed the lives of the people of faith?
7. What religious response are there to contemporary moral and ethical issues such as euthanasia, sex and abortion, crime and punishment and war?
The core values of Sikhism come from GodWord used to describe a personal transcendent Being. God is Sach (true, real) and so the aim of life is being sachiara (authentic, truthful, real). The godly show God's qualities as a calf shows us something of the nature of a cow. The quality of loving kindness (meeta) is a fundamental one to describe social relations. The basic qualities humans need to serve God are fearlessness and truthfulness.
Sikhs consider that all people know what is true since God dwells within us as a reflection in a mirror and fragrance in a flower. God's Hukam (DivineThat which is holy Will) is written in our very being.
It is right to focus on God and be godly. A person who does this is called a gurmukh. The opposite is a manmukh (self-centred person). It is wrong to deny God and focus on our own doubts (haumai). By battling their own nature humans lose mastery of themselves and become a slave of five basic emotions - pride, anger, lust, greed and attachment.
Sikhs believe that a person should develop their relationship with God. This will reflect itself in godly conduct with other people. The community should work efficiently to expand God-fuelled loving kindness in social interactions rather than doubt-fueled selfish acts.
The Sikh Rahit Maryada (Code of Conduct) establishes a framework for spiritualA word with many religious connotations, often used to describe a multiplicity of phenomena that would include inner, reflective or emotional experiences, and those aspects of life that give it meaning and depth or which are profoundly moving or aesthetic. practice which emphasizes moral acts as the basis, purpose and reflection of spiritual progress.
Within the Sikh tradition, there are no moral codes as such since the emphasis is not on specific rites, such as ritual acts of charity.
For Sikhs, voluntary euthanasia would be wrong as life belongs to God. However, non-voluntary euthanasia might be acceptable since the person could not survive without constant medical intervention. With regard to sex and abortion, only sex in marriage is acceptable since marriage is a reflection of commitment that two people feel for one another and sex is an expression of that commitment. Abortion should not take place unless it is beneficial for the mother, for instance, her life is in danger.With crime and punishment ,the purpose is primarily reparation. The model is that Sikhs who breach the Sikh Rahit Maryada (Code of Conduct) confess their shortcomings and are awarded community serviceReferring to either an act of worship or working for a cause. As for war, several of the Gurus took part in wars. The basic principle is that armed conflict is only acceptable when all peaceful methods have failed. There is no enemy in the combat - what is being opposed is the oppression being resisted. Therefore, when any person is wounded they should be helped. Bhai Kannayya performed this noble service during the wars of the Tenth Guru, Guru Gobind SinghThe name given to all male Sikhs, literally meaning 'lion' Ji. Moreover, no one should be attacked once they have surrendered. It would make use of indiscriminate weapons, such as weapons of
Websites
http://www.singhsabhacanada.com
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