Life is hard work. There are so many choices and questions.
How are we to know how to live a good life? How can we understand our rights and our responsibilities? How are we to know what is right and wrong or what is good and bad?
At its simplest, ethics is a system of moral principles. These principles affect how people make decisions and live their lives. Our understanding of ethics may come from religions, philosophies and cultures.
Individuals and congregations often confront challenging and complicated questions with moral and ethical implications. Sometimes our values and principles seem to be in conflict with each other.
Every generation faces these challenging questions and choices. Today’s Christians continue to struggle with ethical questions.
I am incredibly grateful for an organization like the Baptist Center for Ethics.
The center was founded with the mission of providing proactive, positive and practical ethics resources for churches and church leaders. These resources help us to confront the hard questions as we seek to live our faith each day.
BCE / EthicsDaily.com has demonstrated the courage to take on the hard issues that we sometimes prefer to avoid.
They have challenged our stereotypes and our prejudices, and they have confronted us with the ethical implications of the Christian faith. Sometimes they force us to see the inconsistencies between our stated beliefs and our actions.
BCE / EthicsDaily.com has taken on the serious issues of our day including poverty, racism, immigration, criminal justice reform and the implications of creation care on the discussions about global warming.
They have provided creative and thought-provoking resources that help church leaders have honest discussions about the ethical challenges of living our faith.
It is one thing to claim the high ground on ethical issues, but it is often quite another to live out those values in the face of personal opposition and power structures that perpetuate injustice.
I am actively involved in my community and state as an advocate for justice and the common good through my work with Churchnet and organizations like Missouri Faith Voices.
The news articles, Bible studies, documentaries, features, columns, editorials and movie and book reviews produced by BCE / EthicsDaily.com are incredibly helpful to this work.
EthicsDaily.com is one of the first places I go when I am looking for resources, and Churchnet has had the privilege of being one of the sponsors for some of their projects.
It has never been a difficult decision for me to provide financial support for this vital ministry. I have often wanted to provide more help than I could.
If you want to make a difference in our world, I would encourage you to support the Baptist Center for Ethics.
It is a voice for justice in our world, and it is an important resource for churches and church leaders. The Baptist Center for Ethics makes a difference in the lives of people.
Jim Hill is executive director of Churchnet – A Baptist Network Serving Churches, based in Jefferson City, Missouri.
An ordained Baptist minister, Hill has served 50 years leading local church, denominational and non-profit organizations. He lives in Jefferson City, Missouri.