Ethics 101: Practical Ethical Guidelines for Daily Living

By Olayinka Dada M.D.

There are so many vices in our world today, including but not limited to falsehoods, indecency, shadiness, heresies, and above all, a lack of integrity. The list can go on and on. It is more or less as if strong morals, values, and reputable character have become irrelevant in today’s day and age. In Ethics 101, Dr. Olayinka Dada, with great effort, attempts to address some of the foundational problems that have contributed to the increase in behaviors that are normally considered unacceptable. This book is engaging, informative, and practical enough to transform and enhance your perspective on ethical issues.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jan 13, 2021
• ISBN: 9781665509091

Olayinka Dada M.D.

Olayinka Dada is a pastor, physician, author, and mentor to many. His dedication to people and his desire to raise leaders are evident in the way he communicates biblical truths. His kingdom work has been marked by grace, servant leadership, and total commitment for more than twenty-five years. He and his wife, Oluwatoyin, are the senior pastors of Restoration House, a vibrant community of believers who are committed to raising leaders of vision, integrity, and power. Dr. Dada teaches the Word of God with simplicity and understanding. He is a seasoned leader, church planter, and teacher. He oversees more than eighty churches as a regional pastor under the Redeemed Christian Church of God. He is happily married, and Timothy, Esther, Mary, and Deborah are proud to call him “Dad.”

Book preview

© 2020 Olayinka Dada, M.D. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 01/13/2021

ISBN: 978-1-6655-0911-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-0910-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-0909-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020923677

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

King James Version (KJV)

Public Domain

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Contents

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1 Why Ethics?

Chapter 2 The Source of Ethics

Chapter 3 Cognitive Biases

Chapter 4 Character

Chapter 5 Conduct

Chapter 6 120 Ethical Pieces of Advice to Live By

Chapter 7 Financial Ethics (Honorarium)

Chapter 8 Ethical Areas to Watch

Chapter 9 Ethics, Excuses, and Misconceptions

Chapter 10 The Impact of Diminished Ethical Behavior

Epilogue Real-Life Ethical Issues

To my spiritual

parents—Pastor and Pastor (Mrs.)

E. A. Adeboye—for showing and living the

highest ethical standards for us to emulate.

Acknowledgments

First of all, I give God all the glory for the grace to finish this book. I am highly indebted to God’s love, wisdom, favor, and blessings.

I also deeply appreciate my wife of more than twenty-five years for her love, loyalty, tolerance, and patience. I love you dearly.

My appreciation also goes to my spiritual parents—Daddy and Mommy Adeboye, the general overseers of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. I appreciate their love, impact, wisdom, and prayers.

I am also grateful to Mr. Ibukun Adeiye for his keen eyes and assistance in ensuring all the basic ethical areas are covered. I thank all members of Restoration House family for their loyalty, commitment, loyalty, and belief in the vision.

Lastly, I celebrate and appreciate our four children—Inioluwa Timothy, Oreoluwa Esther, Adeoluwa Mary-Favor, and Opeoluwa Deborah-Peace—for their understanding and willingness to uphold the ethical standards we teach at home. You are the best!

Chapter 1

Why Ethics?

A lot has changed in the twenty-first century. It seems as though the end is not in sight, as the level of moral decadence in the church and the world continues to rise. Interestingly, many Christians are not different from unbelievers in how they think. I have asked many questions about the reasons for the state of our land, and the answer I keep getting is that there is a lack of knowledge. Nobody seems to care about having a core foundation or a value system of any kind anymore. Good morals are not embraced and celebrated. Those who appear to stand for the truth are termed outdated.

Ethics are simply moral standards and guidelines we must know and follow. They are the truths we must walk toward or the gold standard we must achieve. Ethics define boundaries. Boundaries are necessary to ward off intruders and protect possessions.

Ethics also provide a guide for living. You cannot live your only life in a nonchalant manner. You need to know the dos and don’ts of life. Ethics help individuals avoid living a life of compromise and guide behaviors, especially in gray areas.

Ethics also hold you accountable. You are accountable to God, your spouse (if married), spiritual leaders, and one another. Without accountability, you can easily shipwreck your faith. You need people in your life who can help you grow, prevent you from falling into different sins, and lovingly tell you the truth when you error. You need someone who listens deeply to you, understands you, takes account of your entire story or past, and passes judgment that guides you to remain straight without a judging or critical spirit.

This book will focus on three key foundations of ethics: cognitive biases, character, and conduct. I also highlighted 120 ethical snippets of wisdom that I have found very helpful in my own