Payne 1 Jocelyn Payne Dr.

Austin 24 November 2012 Phil 2030: Intro to Ethics Documented Essay 2 I am a Southern girl from the Bible Belt that was raised in the church. My father was an alcoholic and my mother was a true God fearing Christian. My parents worked the majority of the time, but when they were home, they argued indefinitely. Their unstable marriage forced my siblings and I to move around every two-three years. There were also personal issues I had to deal with on my own. I was obese and bullying had become quite popular. For over 6 years, I was secretly molested and abused by several male relatives, one whom is my father. I also had the pressure of my fathers expectations. I have always been an A/B average student, however, with age, my father expected more As and less Bs. I was the only relative to know that my brother was homosexual and bared the weight of his secret for years. I now attend counseling where I am able to address all the abuse, anger, hatred and instability that I failed to admit as a child. All of these aspects of my life shaped my moral system and values. Being raised in the church, I was a firm believer in the Ten Commandments. I believed that sex before marriage was wrong. Drinking, smoking, etc. were immoral acts. I believed and blindly accepted everything I was taught in church, until I grew up and experienced life. If I had to choose life or death, I would choose life even if it meant taking anothers life. If I am fully committed to someone who is fully committed to me, I will express my love however I please. If

Payne 2 no prescriptions or other medical advice removes the physical and psychological pain, I will find an activity that will. With these realizations, I am better able to serve God and others. I learned to accept that I will get angry and jealous because I am made in Gods image. Religion has taught me to humble myself and rejoice in serving someone else. Because of my past, I no longer take the Bible literally but use the message as a guide. All of the difficulties faced in my childhood have affected the way I act, react, and think in my adult life. Therapy has helped me accept my nontraditional values and understand my emotions. I am learning to stop blaming myself for the actions of others. I can only be accountable for what I am able to control. I had to learn to forgive to prevent the past from hindering my future. Though my past was painful, I now realize that every event was necessary for me to be happy and successful. I have learned to evaluate my thought s and feelings to achieve the best solution for myself. Understanding and overcoming my troubles will allow me to help others who have had similar situations, which is priority for me. Although I am not the religious Christian many want me to be, I have found a moral system that is unique to me and in alliance with Thiroux basic principles and values. My moral system is logically consistent, able to be taught, and resolves problems. I value life. I have conscious that tells me right from wrong at any given moment. I believe in freedom and practice justice. I am honest with myself and others. I promote individuality. When looking at moral or ethics, everyone must be considered and represented. This is why people have such a hard time with ethical issues and not one ethical theory satisfies the needs of all. Everyone is a unique individual. There is no way to compensate every individual need without having different morals and ethical systems that do not interfere with the basic needs of others. Therefore, we all have to sacrifice some desires, some more than others. We accept what

Payne 3 we can, and try to make the best of whatever situation may come. Life provides us experiences to teach us lessons. It is up to us to learn and apply those lessons. I strive to provide my family with a caring, loving, stable environment in which they can prosper. I hope that I can use this to help others found a moral system that works for them.

Payne 4 Works Cited Brunton, Linda. Personal sessions. 18 Nov. 2012. The Holy Bible: New International Version. New York: Harper, 1983. Print. 18 Nov. 2012. Thiroux, Jacques. Ethics: Theory and Practice. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, 2011. Print.