Standing Upright Here: Global Ethics for the 21st Century

Product Description


I had been a volunteer teacher for years 7-8 in the New Zealand public school system of 'Bible in School', but there was a move, as our country became more secular and multicultural, to eliminate Christian teaching from our schools. I had concentrated on the wisdom literature and parables of the Bible and applied it to the everyday life of my students - basically, situation ethics with the Christian Bible, as well as reason as the authority. On going back to university for more academic qualifications in this field, I discovered that there was no likelihood of any ethical system based on the teachings of any particular religion being universally accepted, so I concentrated on finding ethical principles that were acceptable to the main religions and used them as the basis for consistent ethical reasoning in a multi-cultural society. My book examines these ethical principles and applies them to everyday situations. It starts with a short biography - an examination of my own background and my qualifications for writing such a book.


About the Author


Gwen Francis was born in rural New Zealand six years after the end of World War 1. Her practical experience in parenting, teaching, farming, sport, business, involvement in local and national government affairs as well as youth and community work, added to academic qualifications in ethical and environmental education enabled her to write this book.