Although it is our choice to come to BYU, it is NOT our choice whether or not we wish to sign the honor code commitment. If we don’t sign the honor code agreement each year AND ascertain that 1) We will live by the standards embodied in the honor code, 2) We have been striving to live by them and 3) We will encourage others to live by them and report those who do not live by them, we will not be able to enroll at BYU. In my opinion, the honor code is not our choice. Encouraging students to report roommates or friends who are not abiding by the honor code is not in harmony with our gospel principles.
What about the Savior who teaches us not to “judge not, that ye be not judged”?
In Matthew 7:3-5 it reads:
“And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”
Why does this not apply to the honor code? Encouraging students to report others who are not complying with the honor code perpetuates self-righteousness in the church. A student takes it upon himself to tell his roommate’s girlfriend sitting in the living room at 12:01am that she is breaking the honor code and needs to leave. He goes on to say that she is causing him to break his commitment to the honor. Not only does he concern himself with his roommate’s choices, he admonishes them and places himself in a higher position and feels dignified in his action. He feels that he is doing the “right” thing. The action of condemning another’s behavior and judging our brothers is enhanced through the honor code.
I have felt protection from obedience and keeping my word. I am grateful for the values embodied by honor code and the wisdom of leaders who created it; however, it is not my job to tell another that their choices are wrong or that they need to follow certain rules. Nor do I believe that it should be required that all BYU students commit to it. The honor code should be our individual choice, not our forced obligation.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
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This is an interesting topic, one that we do not discuss enough at BYU. It's an unfortunate feature of Mormon culture, (that's CULTURE, not doctrine) that we sometimes feel we have the right to police the behaviors of others. And I think this part of the Honor Code is sometimes misused as one such mechanism of unrighteous judgment: your one-minute-after-midnight comment is a good example of this. That being said, I think there are certain situations where it is just to report an Honor Code violation, specifically when the violation does harm to the violator himself and those around him. Take for example a student with a substance abuse problem, whether it's drugs, alcohol, whatever. The people living with that student may not feel comfortable or safe living in their own apartment, and this could affect their school performance. And of course the person with the problem is harmed both physically and spiritually by breaking the Word of Wisdom. Reporting them to the Honor Code takes steps toward amending that issue on both sides.
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ReplyDeleteForcing, or coercing, people to live by a standard is not the Jesus way. It takes away free will, and that should be a big no no in any church.
ReplyDeletebesides, if people are forced to obey a code, then there is not honor in it, instead it is plain conformity. And jesus was the biggest none conformer I know.
ReplyDeleteI think the Honor Code is very important to BYU. This school represents the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I think we need to follow an appropriate code of conduct. Why should the church subsidize our tuition with tithing dollars if we are not willing to comply with the church standards? Just like most organizations, BYU has certain rules and regulations. If you feel as if you can't meet the requirements to be an eligible student, then why go to BYU anyway?
ReplyDeleteI want to agree with Erin on this next part. I personally think ratting out your roommates is wrong. It puts the roommates in a tough position if they are just as accountable for a roommate's mistake as the roommate is. I think that what a person does in his or her private life is private business. It should not be the roommate's responsibility to report it if it is not hurting anyone else. However, if this person's behavior hurts or disrupts themselves or others, then I believe they should be reported. I agree with the author that a student shouldn't get up in anyone's face about petty little issues such as someone staying a minute past curfew.
The Honor Code should be something we personally check ourselves against. We need to look to the Honor Code as a standard for our personal lives and something we juxtapose our actions with to see that we are living up to BYU's moral rules. The Honor Code needs to be something personal, a standard which hopefully promotes morality, honesty, and integrity on our part. As Michele said, we are not in a position to judge others. We do not hold the keys of judgment. If they are breaking the Honor Code, it is at our discretion to tell the students' bishop or not, but otherwise, we ought to stay out of people's faces and let them work out their own salvation so to speak and work on improving their own standards.
ReplyDelete"In my opinion, the honor code is not our choice."
ReplyDeleteYes, the honor code is not our choice. The honor code is most definitely a choice made by BYU. But remember- BYU is a private institution with no subsidizing by the government. It can and does choose to impose certain rules on us, and asking us to encourage- I use that word intentionally- others to live by it is their prerogative as well. I can only speak for myself, but I am happy with the honor code. Maybe it will even place a little guilt on me not to break the rules.
Of course self-righteousness will always be a problem. I think the guest speaker we just had put it great- as long as we are acting on principles, and not our personal values, then you're ok, I'm ok, we're ok. If I act from my own special values I've cultivated, then yeah, its self righteousness.