The ethics, the branch of philosophy that consists in the study of good and evil. The ethical behavior consist in the good behavior. The spiritual gift of rectitude is the definition of the good. The origin of the ethical behavior is the use of empathy that is a faculty of the spirit.
The spiritual gift of rectitude is good judgment (spiritual gift of counsel) and good action (golden rule)
The spiritual gift of counsel is listen, perceive with attention, meditate with intuition and inspiration and decide with creativity. The spiritual gift of counsel is one of the seven gifts of the holy spirit, and has two characteristics: is the precise and the exact, the spiritual gift of counsel seeks the truth.
Examples of the gift are:
- Jesus and the denarii: "Teacher we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?
He saw through their duplicity and said to them. Show me a denarious. Whose image and inscription are on it?
Caesar's they replied.
He said to them: "Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's", Luke 20:21-25 - Jesus and the prostitute:
"Teacher, this woman was caught in the acti of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say? They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them: "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her", John 8:4-7.
The good action is the golden rule, in Matthew 7:12: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"
Example of ethical behavior according to the golden rule in the bible is the parable of the good samaritan, Luke 10:25-37:
"A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by the other side. So too, a levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by the other side. But a samarithan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandage him wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them into the innkeeper. "Look after him" he said, "and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have"
Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?"
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