Role of Ethics & Morals

"He's a compulsive liar, but he's a (name of religion), so he's fine." This (actual statement) demonstrates how religious exclusivists, and others in the honeymoon phase of their religious / spiritual evolution, believe that as long as you join the "right" (ie their) sect, you're automatically "saved". As long as you're "in with the in-crowd", ethics / morality are optional. If you're not "in", you must be converted or you're damned - black-and-white:

http://mindfulnessforeveryone.blogspot.ca/search?q=ambiguity Though common even among adults, this is an immature developmental level (b or c) in Fowler's stages of faith: http://www.johnlovas.com/2013/11/fowlers-six-stages-of-faith.html

Interestingly, the above "standards" would be universally condemned - perhaps most loudly by religious exclusivists - if applied say to the police force or government: once you're in, you can do whatever you want with impunity.

As we mature, we realize that unethical or immoral behavior actually obstructs our psychosocialspiritual evolution. AND, as we evolve psychosocialspiritually, anything other than ethical / moral behavior feels wrong, unnatural. A critically important aspect of such evolution is a progressive transition from a noisy ego (individual AND group identity) to a hypo-egoic state. We quickly outgrow loud proclamations of our sect's slogans, and focus more and more on carefully integrating & embodying our own evolving, maturing understanding.