Some people in society tend to establish a connection between integrity and religion. They believe that only religion can transform people or teach and transmit good morals to humanity.
Others, however, object to this perspective and think that good morals have nothing to do with attending church or being known as a member of one religion or another.
On December 18, 2025, students of PEL (Poetic English with Luc) discussed this topic in order to understand the relationship that might exist between religion and the harmony found in society through good morals.
Each week, the PEL Club discusses one or two topics as a way to help members improve their English skills and build fluency in this global language. Over ten students joined the debate, and here we present some of their points of view related to the topic.
Alex Mushalusa, a student from Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, stated that religion is not necessary to know what is right and what is wrong.
He explained the role of different institutions by saying that good values such as honesty, kindness, respect, justice, and empathy are generally taught in society, while religion plays an important role in offering clear guidance, strong motivation, and a sense of accountability.
According to Mr. Hangi Mbafumoja, an English teacher from Beni who enjoys debating and being part of English-speaking communities, both religion and society are needed to establish balance. He mentioned that some actions might be accepted in society but questioned by religion or a specific faith.
“I think laws are determined by society in order to keep harmony, and we should all respect the rules of our community. However, we also need the church, which is the place where we can seek help for spiritual problems. One is physical, while the other is spiritual,” he concluded.
For Miss Grace, a Congolese lady living in Burundi, “we can’t define what is right or wrong by relying one hundred percent on religion, because morality comes from different vital sources.”
She mentioned three main elements that help humanity distinguish between right and wrong:
- Conscience: Everyone has an inner voice that judges their actions. When we do something good or bad, we feel it inside and can tell whether it was right or wrong.
- Culture and society: In our cultures, there are laws and norms that people follow in order to live in harmony. These rules guide us on what we can and cannot do.
- Family: Someone raised in a good family is likely to develop good morals, because families provide guidance that helps children do what is right and avoid what is wrong.
According to her, religion mainly plays the role of reinforcing what we have already learned from other institutions such as family and society.
Most of the co-debaters supported each other’s ideas. However, Mr. Clement Mulindwa highlighted a historical argument showing why religion is not necessary to define right and wrong. He explained that before modern religions existed, ancestors already had a clear sense of morality. They believed in ancestral gods and spirits, which taught respect, honesty, solidarity, and responsibility. People knew that stealing, killing, or lying was wrong because it harmed the community and brought consequences. This demonstrates that morality existed before organized religion.
“Human beings have a conscience. We can feel empathy, understand pain, and recognize that certain actions cause harm. Even without religion, we know that hurting others is wrong and helping others is right,” said Mr. Clement Mulindwa.
On the same topic, Mr. Alain Amani questioned the role of religious leaders. According to him, morality comes from human nature, social needs, and rational thinking. He also believes that some religions can contribute to misleading people.
“I don’t believe that all religions promote good morals. It also depends on the leaders of that religion. If a leader is not morally upright, followers may suffer the consequences, because belief often comes from listening,” he stated.
Mr. Patient also shared a striking example, which I summarized in one sentence during the debate:
“Just because something is legal does not mean it is right.”
He explained how the church can play a pivotal role in guiding society. Laws are created by society, but as humans, we can misguide or be misguided. This is where religion, which claims a divine role, intervenes.
“For example, our Congolese government recently adopted a law allowing abortion. However, according to our conscience and religious teachings, abortion is considered a sin because it involves taking a life,” Mr. Patient alleged.
In conclusion, each institution plays an important role, and none should be underestimated. The family remains the first “church” and the first society where we learn right from wrong. A person can be an atheist and act more morally than a believer, depending on the education and values received from an early age.
By looking at the world,we gonna discover as this one is full of, visible and invisible creatures,so each one has it owns secrets and believings,there are others who knows there’s life after death and others no,even in religions so in the science,for being for those one who support the continuity of life after death,I can say every dead person who was living this Earth had a strong acting behaviors part and a weak one, reason why from heredity or spiritual connection we can suffering from sicknesses, demoniac contract or engagement that was leaving by the did one, for more if someone died by a debt are NM those one who are alive would pay it,so it can be one of case’s judgement can begins,so another one if your father died without buying a compound for you children While he was able to do it,there can places to judge him after his death.