Morality and Emotion

Ethics and Emotions in Religion.

Ethics, Moral Values and Emotions in Religion

What is religion about, with regard to ethics, moral values and emotions?

• Religion helps people distinguish between right and wrong.
• It teaches moral values that guide behaviour.
• Many religions encourage compassion and kindness.
• Religious traditions often promote honesty and justice.
• Religion can create feelings of hope and meaning.
• It helps people cope with suffering and uncertainty.
• Religious communities strengthen social bonds and solidarity.
• Many religions encourage self-discipline and responsibility.
• Religious rituals can evoke gratitude, awe and peace.
• Religion often connects ethical duties with spiritual beliefs.

Religious morality and emotion through the centuries

Important moral values and emotions during major religious eras, are:

• In ancient Hinduism (c. 1500 BCE onwards), duty (dharma) and respect for cosmic order were central values.
• In early Judaism (c. 1200-500 BCE), obedience to divine law and communal loyalty were emphasised.
• During the classical Buddhist era (from c. 500 BCE), compassion and detachment from suffering became important ideals.
• In the Hellenistic and Roman periods, moral self-control and wisdom were highly valued.
• Early Christianity (1st-4th centuries CE) stressed love, forgiveness and humility.
• Classical Islam (7th-13th centuries CE) emphasised justice, charity and submission to God.
• Medieval religions often highlighted obedience, piety and reverence.
• During the Renaissance and Enlightenment, individual conscience and tolerance gained importance.
• In modern religious movements (19th-21st centuries), human dignity, equality and social justice became more prominent.

Overall, religions show a gradual development from strong emphasis on obedience and group identity toward greater emphasis on compassion, individual responsibility and universal human values.

Religious trends throughout the centuries.

Has there been an evolution or development of moral values ​​and feelings in religion over the centuries?
Yes, although not in a simple straight line:

1. Ancient religions often focused on survival, social order and obedience.
2. Classical religions increasingly developed ideas of compassion, justice and self-improvement.
3. Medieval eras stressed authority, faithfulness and communal identity.
4. Modern eras place greater emphasis on human rights, equality, tolerance and personal spirituality.
5. Older values rarely disappeared; they were often reinterpreted and combined with newer ethical ideals.

Warning

Bear in mind that in the modern societies of the 'Western world', the prevailing culture has replaced religion and moral values ​​with modern cultural values ​​such as individualism, ego-gratification (in all its senses), and narcissism. Over the past century, these 'modern' values ​​have been disseminated primarily through radio, cinema, television, and the music and entertainment industries. Social media have further reinforced this trend. 
Over the course of a century, Western society —as a whole— has become increasingly vain.

Karl Marx discussed in 1844: "Religion is the opium of the people." (shortened).
But nowadays, the paraphrase characterizing today's society should read:
"The entertainment industry is opium for the people.

Today's idols are singers, movie stars, and also social media influencers.
Have they become the replacements for God?

Moral values in major Religions

Religious writings from many traditions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Confucianism, Taoism, Sikhism, and others, repeatedly discuss certain moral values and emotions. The exact frequency varies by text and tradition, but the following lists represent some of the most commonly recurring themes across the history of world religious literature.

The most mentioned moral values in religious history, are:

Ten Positive Moral Values

Many religions favour these kind of good behaviours:

• Compassion – caring for the suffering of others and helping them.
• Love – expressing goodwill, kindness, and concern for others; goodwill toward all beings.
• Honesty – speaking and acting truthfully.
• Justice – treating people fairly and upholding what is right.
• Forgiveness – letting go of resentment and giving others a second chance.
• Humility – avoiding arrogance and recognising one's limitations.
• Generosity/Charity – sharing resources and helping those in need.
• Self-discipline – controlling harmful impulses and desires.
• Faithfulness – being loyal to commitments, people, and spiritual principles.
• Respect – honouring others, nature, and the sacred.

Ten Negative Moral Values

Many religions denote warnings against these bad behaviours:

• Greed – excessive desire for wealth or possessions.
• Arrogance – viewing oneself as superior to others (self-importance).
• Deceit – lying, cheating, or misleading others.
• Cruelty – causing suffering intentionally.
• Hatred – wishing harm upon others.
• Envy – resenting the success or happiness of others.
• Injustice – unfair treatment and abuse of power.
• Selfishness – placing one's own interests above all others (Narcissism).
• Violence – harming others without moral justification.
• Corruption – abusing trust or authority for personal gain.

Emotions in major Religions

The most mentioned Emotions in religious history, are:

Ten Positive Emotions

Many religions encourage these kinds of good feelings:

• Love – deep affection, concern and care for others.
• Joy – happiness arising from meaning, faith, or goodness.
• Hope – expectation that good outcomes are possible, or confidence in a better future.
• Gratitude – thankfulness for life, blessings, or help received.
• Peace – inner calm and harmony.
• Compassion – emotional concern for the suffering of others.
• Awe – wonder and respect before the divine, nature, or existence.
• Trust – confidence in God, truth, or fellow human beings.
• Contentment – satisfaction with what one has.
• Reverence – respectful admiration for what is sacred.

Other positive feelings are: Forgiving, 

Ten Negative Emotions

Many religions describe the following bad feelings:

• Fear – anxiety about uncertainty, danger, (divine) judgement or punishment.
• Anger – emotional response or resentment to perceived wrongs, injustice or harm.
• Sadness – grief over loss, suffering, or separation.
• Guilt – distress caused by recognising wrongdoing, or feeling responsible for the misconduct.
• Shame – feeling dishonoured by one's actions, or diminished because of moral failure.
• Envy – emotional resentment of another's advantages.
• Hatred – intense hostility towards others.
• Despair – loss of hope and meaning during suffering or crisis.
• Jealousy – fear of losing valued relationships or status.
• Loneliness – feeling isolated from others, community, or the divine.

 Other negative feelings are: Sorrow, Ego-satisfaction, ..

Summary

Across the history of Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam, moral teachings evolved from preserving social order and obedience toward broader ideals of compassion, justice, human dignity and personal responsibility. Likewise, religious emotions developed from strong emphasis on fear and reverence toward a greater balance with hope, love, gratitude and inner peace.

Question

Reference

Karl Marx: A Contribution to the Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right (Zur Kritik der Hegelschen Rechtsphilosophie). Journal: Deutsch-Französische Jahrbücher (February 1844).