First, faith in God has an upleveling effect on behavior, because the faithful want to be good and obey God's laws, in order to please Him. This motivation is partly based on fear of authority, perhaps -- since it is assumed that omnipresent God sees all and knows all. It's like "Big Brother is watching" all the time. But more than that, the motivation to be good is partly based on love. And since God is in everything and everyone, love of God really improves the way His lovers act towards everyone.

Second, faith-inspired hope improves the behavior of the faithful. Despair erodes morality. To those without hope, the effort to behave well hardly seems worthwhile. Thus, positive trust in universe possibilities and spiritual principles evokes in us players on the stage of life a more SPIRITED and ETHICAL performance.

Not only does hope inspire us to TRY for better, but it provides the wherewithal to succeed. In the old Catholic formula, "faith, hope, and charity," we find an illuminating example of the relationship between faith, hope, and moral action. A faithless man is hopeless, and without hope, he mopes. In contrast, a man who has faith and hope enjoys the security and confidence that leads to beneficence -- which is to say, CHARITY. Faith begets hope, and hope begets charity. None of the three exists without the other two.

Third, by relieving compressive fear, faith allows consciousness to expand. With expanded consciousness comes increased sensitivity to others, and accordingly, a more ethical response to life.

Close Window