Piety

Piety is the virtue which disposes a person to show duedeference, honor, and veneration to those who hold a place of excellence, and who have conferred benefit upon him. Piety is paid first to God, the supreme excellence, the giver of all good gifts. Secondly, piety is honor and veneration shown to parents. Further,piety is due reverence and respect paid to kinsfolk, to superior sin Church or state, to one’s government itself and its allies and friends.

Piety, as the reverent respect and honor paid to parents, is usually called filial piety. It is a virtue,and therefore consists in more than suitable outward conduct; it involves the heart and mind and will; it means looking after one’s parents, lending them needed support, making sacrifice togive them care and comfort in their age, and seeing that they are well attended in illness.

Piety is a special virtue which springs from justice.It is specified (that is, given its character as a distinct virtue on its own account) by the fact that a special debt is owed to the principle of one’s being- God first, and then parents. The same virtue extends to those that represent the principle of spiritual and political citizenship, that is, leaders in Church and government.

Piety and religion are two virtues. They never come into conflict, for virtue never clashes with virtue. Yet in performing the acts of virtues, a person may find himself in conflicting circumstances. In such a case, the essential worship of God must not be neglected out of a mistaken notion of piety towards parents. On the other hand, real neglect of duty to parents cannot be brushed aside in the name of religion. Thus, a man would do wrong to defer his baptism because of parental objection. Anda man would do wrong to neglect sick or needy parents so that he might send an alms to a charitable organization, or have means to enable him to attend a religious convention or congress.