To answer this question, we must first understand what both ethics and morality are. Since ethics is defined as the philosophical study of morality, those who study religion draw their moral precepts from what they believe God says should be done. This perspective is not at all unexpected, because all religions apply a perspective on morality. Morality is defined as beliefs about right and wrong, good and bad beliefs which can include judgments, values, rules, principles and theories. Morals are what help us guide our actions, define our values, and give us reason to be the person we are. According to the US Census Bureau, in 2009, more than 228 million Americans classified themselves as practicing some type of religion. Given that most believe that their religion is the basis of their morals and values, this number would also represent the number of people in our country who associate religion and ethics. The relationship between religion and ethics can be told as how religion is about using experience and critical reasoning to study morality. Many who practice religion believe that it is not necessary to understand why their religion believes in a particular morality because all they need to know is what God says is morally correct. They don't care about the reasoning behind why certain things are morally good, while others are bad. This rejection of critical reasoning, however, can prevent those who feel this way from truly understanding all the details of their religion. The three predominant religions in our culture: Christianity, Judaism and Islam, all have commandments or principles that provide their followers or believers. These commandments or…half of paper…values, judge the actions of others and question the righteousness of our morals. While depending on our religion or background we may have different feelings and opinions about what is right and wrong, it is virtually impossible to go through your entire life without taking part in some sort of exploration of your own morals. While many of us may inherit morals from our families or cultures, it is important to explore why we believe what we believe is morally right or wrong, morally good or bad. Are the morals we receive from our families really ours? Have we had enough life experiences to distinguish our morals from those imposed on us by our culture and society? By exploring these feelings, we are able to make the best possible decisions for ourselves which in turn will determine the standards of our lives.