Outline of Christian Ethics

Outline of Christian Ethics is Q&A book on moral questions of today. The book includes a large number of topics discussed in ethics, including personal ethics (birth, death, sex, work, wealth, the supernatural) and social ethics (politics, society, human rights, family, international issues). 

Moral questions are analyzed from an evangelical Christian viewpoint. The emphasis is on explaining ethical principles from the Bible but arguments on both sides of the questions are examined. Because the author is a statistician, positions taken by the book are frequently supported by actual data from recent statistical surveys.

Stories from chapters of the book:

Here is a fictional story about two doctors. Doctor A asked Doctor B: “I am considering to terminate a pregnancy and I want your opinion. The father has syphilis, the mother has tuberculosis. Of the four children already born, the first was blind, the second died, the third was deaf and dumb, and the fourth also has tuberculosis. What would you have done?” Doctor B replied, “I would have ended the pregnancy by abortion.” Now, if you were the doctor, what would you do? Here is the end of the story. Doctor A said, “If I follow your advice, I would have murdered Beethoven.” The situation above was a real description of the family background of the famous German composer Beethoven. (Chapter 3 on abortion)

The following incident shows how powerful the government can be in limiting religious freedom. In 2009, in San Diego County, California, the county government issued a citation to prohibit a Bible study group in a pastor’s home. The excuse was that it was “religious assembly” and a home was not for religious gatherings under land use zoning. After the media reported the plan, numerous e-mails and phone calls were sent to the county office protesting the prohibition. The county government finally backed down and issued an apology. The lesson is: if the government act unreasonably, Christians better raise their voices and protest or else the next victim of government action could be you. (Chapter 7 on government)

In Saratoga Springs, New York, kindergarten student Kayla Broadus held her hands with two classmates before eating their snack. She recited this prayer: “God is good, God is great, thank you, God, for my food.” The teacher severely reprimanded Kayla, and reported her to the principal who sent a sternly worded letter to Kayla’s parents advising them that Kayla was not allowed to pray in school, aloud or with others. (Chapter 8 on church and state)

If at this moment you receive an urgent phone call which tells you that your house is totally burnt and everything in the house is lost. What is the first reaction that comes to your mind? When John Wesley (1703–1791) heard that his house was burnt down, he said, “The Lord’s house is burnt; I have one less responsibility!” This is truly a Christian mentality of stewardship. (Chapter 24 on wealth)

Endorsements:

Outline of Christian Ethics is a valuable guide for Christians to live a moral life. The book is a rich source of information – better than most books on ethics that we can find in bookstores. Rev. Dr. Jason Yeung, Principal, Canadian Chinese School of Theology at Ambrose Seminary (Calgary)

Dr. Hung humbly called his book an “outline”; yet, the extent of the book is broad and deep. Dr. Hung does not use purely rational and argumentative methods; he employs the method of light-hearted conversation with the reader. Every chapter is introduced with some stories to stir up the interest of the reader. Furthermore, statistical facts are added to strengthen the persuasive power of the points made. The wealth of information contained in this book will help busy pastors and Christians find the necessary information quickly. Rev. Dr. Peter Au, Principal, Canadian Chinese School of Theology at Tyndale Seminary (Toronto)