What I Really Learned In This Junior Morality Course
This morality class has taught me much about morality on its own, the morality that plays into my own life, and how morality affects the world.
First of all, this class has taught me what morality is and how it appears everywhere. For example, during the “Other Moral Systems” section, I studied and presented a brief overview of Jewish morality. From this study, I learned that not only have such similar ideas existed in other groups besides Christianity, but have existed for thousands of years. What was most impressive about these moral systems was that they are still applicable today. Also, I learned far more about Catholic morality than I ever knew which, as a non-Catholic, was interesting because I had a chance to examine another sect’s moral values and see how they are very similar to my own. Then, through the “War, Medical Ethics, and Business Ethics” sections I saw how morality appears in every facet of life and how morality is a difficult but important factor in the decision process.
Morality is always a vital part in every person’s character, and through this study I have begun to understand how my own morality shapes my decisions, my values, and my entire life. Because of such ideas and practices as the Examen, the OPTION method, and Ignatian discernment, I have actually been able to make recent tough choices (like choosing between Youth Sing Praise and the MUNY, which unfortunately conflict) more easily and with greater confidence. Also, it is important that for any person to be morally upright, they should understand their morality. Studying all sorts of moral systems helped me understand what is right and decent for any human being, which I figure should be good enough for me. Finally, I thought that learning about Jesus’ morality really helped me to consciously form my own morality. As the leader of our religion, I think that it is only right that my morality should be shaped by his own. Therefore, I am much more aware of the Beatitudes, and I try to help those in need. I even think I have made progress on this. By helping the scouts in my troop earn merit badges and work on Eagle projects, volunteering my time to various community service projects over the summer, and other such projects, I think I have begun to live what Jesus wants me to.
Furthermore, I have become more aware of the effects of morality in the world and in everyday life. I notice the effects of bad decision making in the news and how it affects large quantities of men in the deserts of Iraq. I see how morality plays into the life choices of my friends at school, out and about, and at parties. I see moral dilemmas in sitcoms and dramas on television. Most importantly, I see the moral conflicts of my many favorite musicals with a new light and a new understanding of what the characters are faced with. This new awareness gives me more insight into the given situation and gives new poignancy to the situations.
Finally, this study of morality has not only given me an understanding of what morality is, but also of what I can do about it. The section on Medical Ethics specifically revealed the importance of acting before an emergency so your loved ones are prepared. Creating a living will was probably the most important idea I obtained from that section. A living will is a very exclusive example, though, and this section has also helped me to decide how I should act when faced with dilemmas more pertinent to the lives of teenagers. Drugs and alcohol are definitely problems to the teenage world, but I think that with my own moral system, plus what I have learned about consequences and responsibility, I am able to make sensible and responsible choices, no matter what the problem is.
