Two Reverends have been in the News lately.

Reverend Wright for his controversial and outrageous comments that have caused serious concern to the Obama campaign.

Reverend Sharpton who is threatening to cause serious disruption to the City of New York this coming Wednesday by leading a campaign of civil disobedience in protest of the not-guilty verdict of the three policemen who shot and killed Shawn Bell more than a year ago.

The etymology of the word "reverend" comes from the Latin "reverendus" which means "He who is to be respected. The Church gives that title to any ordained minister.

The philosopher, Emmanuel Kant considered respect as fundamental in Ethics. He believed that we should: "act in such a way that you always treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, never simply as a means, but always at the same time as an end."

To better understand the concept, we should remember that:

1. Respect is to be earned. An individual or an institution must have a long record of consistent ethical behavior, to earn the respect of others.

2. Respect is to be maintained. We can lose the respect of others and our reputation by a single breach of an ethical standard.

3. Respect is reciprocal. We can not expect be respected unless we respect others.

4. Respect requires self-respect. We can not expect to be respected if we do not have self-respect.

Respect is a very important value and fundamental in human relationships.

As Johann von Goethe once said:
"The way you see people is the way you treat them, and the way you treat them is what they become."