...head: ETHICS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE 1 Facing Ethics in Criminal Justice Through a Christian Worldview Jordan Kopko A Senior Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation in the Honors Program Liberty University Spring 2011 ETHICS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE 2 Acceptance of Senior Honors Thesis This Senior Honors Thesis is accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation from the Honors Program of Liberty University. ______________________________ Stephen Parke, J.D., L.L.M. Thesis Chair ______________________________ Charles Murphy, Ph.D. Committee Member ______________________________ Shelah Simpson, M.A. Committee Member ______________________________ Brenda Ayres, Ph.D. Honors Director ______________________________ Date ETHICS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE 3 Abstract The purpose of this thesis is to express the need for young men and women in law enforcement to endure ethical dilemmas through a Christian worldview. Ethical dilemmas and moral struggles in the criminal justice field are described in detail throughout the thesis. In the decision-making process during an ethical dilemma, an officer with a Christian worldview should make better decisions with the added guidance from the Holy Spirit. This thesis delves into the different aspects of ethics including reasons why some police officers make immoral decisions. The ethical issues in criminal justice have been a problem in law enforcement for years...
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...suffering. When Susan asks Richard if she should abort the fetus or give birth to a baby with Down syndrome, Richard replied that human beings should increase happiness and decrease suffering in this world, and therefore he would suggest that she abort, though he also stated that she must make this choice for herself. Richard emphasized the lifelong suffering of both the child with Down syndrome and Susan as the child’s caretaker and stated that it may be immoral to bring a baby into the world if she knew the kind of suffering the child would experience. In fact, Richard suggest that perhaps the most ethical course of action would be to prevent this baby from living a life full of suffering. How would Susan respond? What decision should she make if her baby would suffer with Down syndrome, yet she wants to have a baby? Abbreviated Abortion Ethical Dilemma Essay Ethical dilemmas are complicated situations where people have to choose alternatives of two moral principles that are in conflict, which constitute the sense of what is right and what is wrong. All over the world, people face ethical dilemmas whether these dilemmas are described as personal or professional dilemmas or whether these dilemmas are minor or serious that results in negative consequences. Upon facing ethical dilemmas, people use their...
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...Robin Cypress CWV 101 April 26, 2015 Professor Bob Greene Abortion – From A Christian’s Perspective The ability to bring a life into the world after having carried and nurtured it in your womb for a woman is considered a gift and blessing to most, however there are times when the decision to bring a life into the world is clouded by another issue such as rape or fetal abnormalities at which point it becomes an ethical dilemma as to whether to bring that life into the world or to end the pregnancy and the life of the child. This paper will address the ethical dilemma, core beliefs, resolution, evaluation and comparison from the Christian perspective that should be considered during this process. Living life is a gift that God has given each of us and regardless of the circumstances to how we came here or what will be faced along our journey, until God decides to end it, He is the only one who should be capable of making that choice. Ethical Dilemma From the moment that a pregnancy is confirmed, feeling of the first movements, hearing the heartbeat, seeing them waving from the sonogram, to the actual birth, bringing a child into the world for many is an exceptional experience. It is not until you are faced with the possibility that something is wrong with the child such as a lifelong medical condition that you face a difficult decision as to whether to keep the child or terminate the pregnancy. For some the decision is an easy one because they feel within...
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...Confounding Ethical Dilemmas All children are brought into this world and deserve to have an adult act in their best interest. There are several factors that influence the way that their caregiver makes decisions about the child’s education, religious teachings, and health care (Purtilo & Doherty, 2011). Religious beliefs can affect the decision-making process regarding the type of medical care that the parent is willing to let physicians perform (Purtilo & Doherty, 2011). An example of this are individuals that practice the Christian Science religion (New York Times, 2016). This religion teaches the parishioners that all illnesses are caused by fear, a disconnection from God, and mental factors (New York Times, 2016). Parents of children that practice Christian Science believe that when their child is ill that spiritual healing will cure the child (New York Times, 2016). The parents will have an expert spiritual healer from the church come to help them cope and figure out the mental roots of the illness (New York Times, 2016). The case of a child that has divorced parents that are not in agreement about medical treatment for a seriously ill child creates an ethical dilemma (Purtilo & Doherty, 2011). The dilemma that the physician faces is whether to withhold treatment per the mother’s request due to religious beliefs or provide treatment per the biological father’s request (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2016). Health care professionals should override religious beliefs when...
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...care professionals, nurses are anticipated to foster a moral compass by which they navigate ethical dilemmas that may evolve in nursing practice. These dilemmas may present in every aspect of their practice. The worldview and philosophy of nursing is influenced by one’s personal, spiritual and cultural values. At times one’s personal values, world view and philosophy may contradict with each other and that will generate an ethical dilemma. The American Nurses’ Association (ANA) has adopted “The Code of Ethics” which is intended to provide standard guidelines that are essential to the ethical discharge of the nurses’ responsibilities. When facing ethical dilemma in nursing practice, nurses’ personal ethics in combination with the code of ethics enable them to make personal and social decision. This capability prompts them to act on suffering patient’s needs. In this essay, the writer will be discussing personal, cultural, and spiritual values contributing to nurses’ individual worldview and philosophy of nursing and the moral and ethical dilemma being faced in their profession. Values Contributing to Individual’s Worldview and Philosophy of Nursing My personal moral compass is contributed by various inspirations, passions and values. A person’s origin has a strong impact on their personal, spiritual, cultural values and beliefs. The author was born and raised in India in a Christian religious background. We have a culture of respecting each other, especially elders and parents...
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...Ethical Dilemma: Before going into any discussion and solution I would like throw some light on what is Ethic, how it came into concept and what does Biblical point of view is related to it. Going by definition Ethics means “a set of moral principles, especially ones relating to or affirming a specified group, field, or form of conduct”. In this case we are dealing with two types of Ethics: corporate and individual. But that doesn’t mean that it changes the basic meaning of Ethics for them. Coming on to Christian / Biblical point of view, in a nutshell it clearly mentions that our sole purpose of existence is development of this world with mutual harmony, fellowship and humane attitude and by not following that we are committing a sin against god. A Christian worldview leads us to believe in moral absolutes, miracles, human dignity, and the possibility of redemption. So keeping both Ethics and Christian / Biblical point of view in my mind one can easily figure out that ethics is nothing but an extrapolation of Christian view be it corporate or individual. Corporate sectors adapt the ethical values from Biblical point of view to a writ which is compulsory as it is a formal world. But it doesn’t mean that they disagree or deviate from it. Now let’s take a look at the case provided. Some of the points that I would like to highlight are: 1. The coffee was spilled in a car that was not moving neither was she in the driver’s seat. 2. Stella Liebeck, a 79-year-old lady who...
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...philosophy refers to the values for human conduct, considering the rightness and wrongness of actions and motives. As nursing profession is an integral part of the health care environment, the nursing ethics provides the insight to the values and ethical principles governing nursing practice, conduct, and relationships. The Code of Ethics for Nurses, adopted by the American Nurses' Association (ANA) is intended to provide definite standards of practice and conduct that are essential to the ethical discharge of the nurse's responsibility (American Nurses Association, 2012). A nurse cultivates personal ethics through personal, cultural and spiritual values which becomes a moral compass for their professional ethics. Personal ethics in combination with the code of ethics often assist the nurses in personal and social decision making during ethical dilemma. This ability prompts them to better respond to needs of the suffering patient and their own well-being. This paper will discuss the personal, cultural, and spiritual values contributing to nurses’ individual worldview and philosophy of nursing and the moral and ethical dilemma being faced in this profession. Values Contributing to Individual’s Worldview and Philosophy of Nursing Born in a Christian middle class South Indian family, the strict traditional values helped to embed the concept of service, trust, respect, integrity and responsibility through family, friends, education and beliefs. The personal and spiritual belief on the...
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...Ethical Dilemmas Choose only one of the ethical dilemmas below to address in your essay. The questions at the end of each dilemma are intended for you to reflect on. For your paper you must organize your writing using the sections and underlined titles listed on the assignment page. Do not copy the case study into your essay. 1. Pornography Joe secretly enjoys pornography. He gets a great deal of gratification out of viewing Internet pornography and masturbating, though he always acts behind closed doors and believes that his actions have no effect on others. He justifies his behavior by saying, ‘Who am I harming?’ Then he discovers a statistic on the Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking website (http://www.unglobalcompact.org/docs/issues_doc/labour/Forced_labour/HUMAN_TRAFFICKING_-_THE_FACTS_-_final.pdf) stating that 43% of human trafficking victims are used for forced commercial sexual exploitation, of whom 98% are women and girls, and that the pornography business is a multibillion dollar industry (Global Initiative, n.d.). His freedom to view pornography is now at odds with harm to himself (addiction) and others (abuse through forced trafficking and media exploitation). (More information can be found at http://www.lifeissues.net/writers/may/may_17pornographycost.html, which is a report by William May called “The Social Costs of Pornography” provided by the Witherspoon Institute out of Princeton [May, 2010].) How should Joe respond? Should he maintain his lifestyle...
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...The ethical dilemma surrounding gay marriages Homosexuality is an erotic reaction to the sexual desire of people of the same sex. It is not only about sexual intercourse with similar sex as this could be as a result of limited sexual chances or even rituals in cultural practices. Homosexuality has been considered as a mental disorder. Some think it is Satanism. The issue of gay marriages is a hot topic in our country today. Some states have legalized gay marriages while other states still refuse same sex marriages. For instance in march last year, Michigan State legalized same sex marriages and later the same day, the ruling was stayed and later in the month, a central appeal court stayed the ruling for an indefinite period (Koppel & Jones,...
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...Being a Christian in the workplace is very hard with an ever present changing society. However, having a Christian worldview is important in any field of study and workplace. In this essay I will seek to show how the belief that mankind is created in the image of God is Foundational to the Christian faith, and explain how this belief affects the way I interact with people within my chosen vocation. To begin, a person who has a Christian worldview perceives the world from a biblical standpoint. George Barna wrote in Think Like Jesus, “That having a Christian worldview means that you think like Jesus and practice your faith in every aspect of your life” (Barna, 2003). This is how we make sense of the world, through a Christian worldview and living this life style. We choose to have a Christian worldview. We choose to live a life like...
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...Steve Jobs, although no paragon of business ethics, has preached from the scripture of Matthew 16:26, “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Rink, 2012) This sagacious verse simply translates to question how can someone profit or be advantageous when acquiring the world if you damage or lose your character along the way. What is worth more than your soul? This wise question can help one in determining their own code of ethics by balancing what is right, meaningful, and most important to them. Knowing and understanding your ethical views is vital while on the journey of achieving their goals. Ethics is “the moral principles that govern a persons or group’s behavior.” Similarly, business ethics, or corporate ethics is “the critical, structured examination of how people and institutions should behave in the world of commerce” (MacDonald, 2012). We all have our own code of ethics, which is what drives each and every action that we take, whether in day-to-day activities, or in larger, business- related decisions. Ethics, to me, means how you treat others, and should be guided by the golden rule: treat others the way you want to be treated. It is about distinguishing the difference between right and wrong, and then choosing the right choice. A good place to start is with the law and then to involve your own morals and values. However, business ethics is more complex. Business ethics deals with how you treat your employees, other companies...
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...play a vital role in all my thoughts, experiences, and life decisions. Putting God first in my life is at times quite difficult. For a Christian, it may be the most difficult thing to do. As an indication of faith it’s probably designed to be difficult. God has immense knowledge to communicate to each one of us, but He must always be put first in our lives if we are to obtain the knowledge. Since I’ve learned to view my life from God's endless perception it has become easier to comprehend what will last eternally and what will be demolished. My faith in a loving and forgiving God plays an imperative part in my day to day life. Throughout my life, being a Christian and living out my faith has been difficult and demanding. The people of this world do not always respect the ones who take a stand and do the right thing. The normal thing to do is to portray the ways of the world. The world encourages you to do what feels right and look out for one’s own self. In law enforcement there are always times when I will have to choose between my code of ethics and the police subculture ways of conducting ethical dilemmas or other given situations. The benefit of being a Christian police officer is that even when I don’t have a partner, the Holy Spirit never leaves my side. Everyday ethical dilemmas can test any individual in every way imaginable. If a Christian officer goes to God in prayer through a certain predicament, they will have a better outcome than the police officer who feels alone...
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...Cognitive Dissonance Paper Psy: 400 July 11, 2011 Professor Adrian Fletcher, M.A. Cognitive Dissonance Paper The scenario of this paper is a young girl is living in a good Christian home. Her current boyfriend is trying to push her to have sex before she believes she is ready for this type of commitment or intensity. She has been taught to wait until marriage to have sex with her new husband. Because of her boyfriends intense pressure she believes she is being pulled to give in to him before they marry. She does not want to disappoint her family by breaking the rules of the household but she truly does love the boyfriend. Does she give into the boyfriend or obey the family ground rules this she has to decide. She also has to realize that if she gives in, there is that underlying chance she could become pregnant from it. The family thinks she is too young to be making these types of decisions. They understand her desire to be with her boyfriend but they encourage her to hold on to her values. She has the opportunity to decide what to do before it is too late. She also understands that her faith is strong but sometimes desires can overtake the reasoning of the faith. She is afraid to make the commitment to her boyfriend because she believes if she does give in, then it would not be right spiritually, and she will be committing a sin not only against herself but also against her God as well. She is torn and cannot seem to get her boyfriend to understand they need to wait...
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...AS Philosophy & Ethics Course Handbook 2013 to 2014 [pic] OCR AS Level Religious Studies (H172) http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/type/gce/hss/rs/index.aspx OCR AS Level Religious Studies (H172) You are studying Philosophy of Religion and Religious Ethics and will be awarded an OCR AS Level in Religious Studies. The modules and their weightings are: |AS: |Unit Code |Unit Title |% of AS |(% of A Level) | | |G571 |AS Philosophy of Religion |50% |(25%) | | |G572 |AS Religious Ethics |50% |(25%) | If you decide to study for the full A Level you will have to study the following modules at A2: |A2: |Unit Code |Unit Title |(% of A Level) | | |G581 |A2 Philosophy of Religion |(25%) | | |G582 |A2 Religious Ethics |(25%) | Grading | ...
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...The Levels of Ethical Authority As Christians, we wonder where we should go for guidance on ethics. Stassen and Gushee in Chapter 4 take a look back at the story of the Jewish family and the holocaust. The situation was whether or not it was ethical to hide Jews during the Holocaust. The family’s strong beliefs in Christian faith and morals make this family’s actions ethical in this situation. During this period, Christians looked to their faith to help them make decisions concerning helping the Jewish people. Christians look toward five sources of authority. They are the “Bible”, “divine guidance”, “a religiously informed moral conscience”, “moral tradition”, and “church leaders” (Stassen & Gushee, 2003, p. 82). There are other sources that some turn to for guidance; examples are relatives, a husband or wife, educators, and companions. The essential point is individuals have a tendency to search for direction when they confront moral predicaments (Stassen & Gushee, 2003). This is done instinctively. When we do not know where to turn in ethical dilemmas, the one person we can look towards is Jesus. We need to look at where Jesus turned when he looked for answers. His answers came from the Bible. “Jesus lived what he understood the scriptures to teach; he immersed himself in them and knew them well” (Stassen & Gushee, 2003, p. 84). Christians must remember it is important that we must look toward the Scriptures as the authority on our ethical decisions. The...
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