Monday, January 12, 2009

Department of No Surprise: Ethics Edition

NPR headline:  "Religious Figures Take On Public Corruption."

Relax.  That doesn't mean "take on" as in "adopt."  Sadly, of course, it doesn't mean 'take on" as in "do something about," either.

Seems that a pair of Christian and Jewish "ethical societies" have an annual joint meeting, which this year was held in Chicago, making for some good Blagojevich-related publicity.  Their conclusion, as least as dumbed down to a soundbite, is that "clergy, rabbis and professors need to improve their teaching on ethics, with the goal of creating a more moral world."

Really?  Does anybody think that "clergy, rabbis and professors," or the quality of their pedagogy, are the real problem?  It seems to us that a more useful call would be for governors, senators, and businesspeople to spend a little time listening to what the clergy have been saying for lo these thousands of years, and then putting a little of it into action.  (And yes, the clergy should listen to some of its own advice as well, heaven knows).

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