Moral Decisions

 What is a moral decision? Are such decisions based on inherited factors or are they culturally determined?

One can define morality as “principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior.”  A moral decision is one that is choosing what is right as defined by one’s ethical beliefs or faith.

 

C.S. Lewis would tell us that we all are born with a moral law – a knowledge of what is right and wrong. This is expressed across different cultures – so in some ways they are culturally determined, but the common moral law we share is evidence of God’s presence in our creation.

 

That said, I don’t think our moral decisions occur in a vacuum. Our intellectual abilities and how our brain functions have an impact on our decisions. The health and state of our bodies impact those decisions, as well.

 

So, short answer, God’s gift of moral law, our inherited brain function, our body’s health and function, and our culture all impact our moral decisions.