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Situation Ethics = Pig + Lipstick

Would you ever kiss a pig? What if the pig were wearing lipstick? From a distance it might look a little better. But when you got closer, you'd find the same dirty, smelly pig. Situation ethics is just another way of rejecting God's law. By dressing it up with concepts like love and consideration, some try to make it look better—like putting lipstick on a pig.

by Barry Korthuis

You're probably wondering what ethics has to do with swine and makeup. Granted, it's a strange picture. But it is a good way to understand the code of conduct most people have embraced today. Before we get to the pig and lipstick, let's consider a little background on ethics.

Ethics means the principles that determine morality and acceptable conduct. Everybody has ethics, whether they consciously think about their ethical principles or not.

Today people often make decisions on the basis of situation ethics—a belief that instead of accepting absolute, unchanging standards, decisions should be made according to the situation. Situation ethics claims that loving people is more important than rules. Thus, rules can be broken as long as the motive is love.

If situation ethics makes sense to so many people, how could it be wrong? And what could be bad about basing our decisions on love? After all, if love is our motive, isn't that enough?

Here comes the pig

Sometimes the simple continuation of a line of reasoning can help us understand whether such reasoning is sound. Let's assume two people are invited to kiss a pig.

Susie says, "No way. Absolutely not. I don't kiss pigs no matter what they smell or look like."

Bob says, "It all depends. I might if someone bet me money to do it. Of course, it would have to be enough money to make it worthwhile and the pig would need to look good. Hopefully, it just had a bath and might even be wearing lipstick."

This imaginary conversation colorfully illustrates the difference between someone who has absolute values and someone who decides according to the situation. Susie doesn't care whether the pig has had a bath and is wearing lipstick or not. She doesn't care if someone offers her money to kiss the pig. She has a personal rule that she is simply not going to kiss pigs.

Read the full article at www.verticalthought.org/issues/vt20/situation-ethics.htm

Related Information on UCG Sites:

Sidebar: The Founder of the Situation Ethics Movement
Table of Contents that includes "Situation Ethics = Pig + Lipstick"
Other Articles by Barry Korthuis

Ethics:

• _Right Values: Light in an Age of Confusion
• _The Erosion of Our Moral Ozone
• _The Founder of the Situation Ethics Movement