Analyzing the role of religion in personal morality

Abstract

Do religion and morality have any connections? It is a tricky question. Deeming an action as right or wrong depends on the intentions of the individuals and the circumstances that prompt their behavior (Fitzgerald 95). Hence, the need to show the connection between the religion and societal mores and to what extent religion provides a framework within which individuals can discover the difference between good and evil. It is also imperative to appreciate that people have diverse views pertaining to morality (Bandy 105). Persons without religious beliefs rely on life experiences, the cultural and societal influences to determine what is right or wrong (Michael 66). In the short story A Good Man is Hard to Find, Flannery O'Connor raises crucial questions on morality and immorality, good versus evil and faith versus doubt in a quest to understand the role of religion in personal morality.

Connor highlights the doubts and lack of faith expressed by the Misfit. He asserts that he would have wished to be there to see Jesus raise the dead and perform many other miracles (O'Connor 1390-1391). The Misfit claims that maybe he would have been a better person through seeing Jesus in action. Therefore, O'Connor highlights the questions that a non-Christian may have regarding faith. It is important to know that O'Connor's works reflect the deep faith and ideologies rooted in her staunch Catholic upbringing (Michael 67). Because she suffered from lupus, O'Connor concentrated the themes in her literary works on the realization of her impending death. She depicts her characters as people who undergo epiphanies in the face of gruesome aggression to become better people and their goodness illuminates. The belief in goodness and miracles requires blind faith since there is no confirmation and certainty (Fitzgerald 96). For Christians like O'Connor, faith is the essence of believing in the rules and traditions of religion, and this helps in shaping their moralities.