Because nations do not thrive by laws alone

BY RICHARD NENNEMAN

From zoning laws to efforts at controlling global warming, communities and nations have turned more and more to relying on the passage of laws as the way to improve different aspects of our lives. But most people will agree that laws alone don't create an ethical society. Even if a law defines certain behavior as criminal and worthy of punishment, the law by itself won't necessarily prevent someone from committing a crime.

That is one reason why no advanced civilization can thrive on laws alone. What really enables a nation to prosper is the ethical behavior of its citizens, as demonstrated by their daily conduct. The term ethics involves the moral choices we freely make, where no law exists to control our decisions. These choices shape everything we do—from the small details to the major temptations. And when they rest on moral principles, our decisions enable society to achieve a higher standard of mutual trust among its citizens—trust that makes that society truly civilized.

About the author

Richard Nenneman, a former editor-in-chief of The Christian Science Monitor, is author of the books The New Birth of Christianity: Why Religion Persists in a Scientific Age (Harper San Francisco, 1992) and Persistent Pilgrim: The Life of Mary Baker Eddy (Nebbadoon Press, 1997).

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