Studied by 6 peoplesecular conscience
Conscience is a person's morals and the ability to understand right from wrong. This guides our behaviour. (angle and devil on our shoulders)
catholic conscience
conscience is the voice that guides us to do right over wrong. it is believed to be gods voice and is our sanctuary
positives of conscience
allows you to analyse all parts of a choice you making to ensure the right decision is made. it's an ability to get away and talk to god and seek his guidance.
negatives of conscience
can cause worry, overthinking, guilt and negative thoughts due to thinking too deeply about a decision which can cause people to make bad choices despite the analysis of the decision.
first principle of conscience
form - we are obliged to form our own conscience. Using gods laws before, during and after an event or decision
second principle of conscience
follow - follow sincere conscience judgements. use the golden rule when making your decision
third principle of conscience
decide - deciding on your choice, conscience does not decide for you.
fourth principle of conscience
review - a good end does not justify immoral doings
what questions can you ask yourself when deciding if a decision is moral
what moral principles apply to this action? How do they apply? What should I do?
what happens when we dont make a moral decision
we sin against god
first step in deciding and reviewing a choice
action - is the action moral and does the decision obey gods laws
second step in deciding and reviewing a choice
intention - is the intention for the action morally good
third step in deciding and reviewing a choice
circumstances - the action might be morally right in itself, but wrong in some circumstances
main reasons its difficult to recognise the voice of god
peer pressure, social trends and strong emotions
what is sin
Sin is a deliberate thought, word or deed that goes against the law of god
three questions to deciding if you've sinned
Which law of god did i disobey? Did I know beforehand that it was against gods law? Did I do it on purpose?
how can sinful habits be reduced
The person genuinely tries to resist the habit 2. The person avoids the situation in which they know that the habit is likely to arise 3. The person makes a concerted effort to understand and address the causes of the habit
venial sin
Less serious breaches of gods law
mortal sin
Serious, means you forfeit heaven in accordance to your own free will, deliberate consent and full knowledge
secular freedom
The power or right to act, speak or think as one wants.
Catholic freedom
ability to do as you please in accordance to gods will, using your morals and responsibility to make choices that will benefit yourself and others
two questions to ask when making a responsible decision
do I have sufficient relevant knowledge? do I have sufficient personal freedom?
what does freedom also require
responsibility to make good choices
examples of inner pressures
emotions, habits and temptations
examples of external pressures
social trends, peer pressure and expectations of others
to make responsible choices people must
discover if any pressures are affecting their choices, control internal pressures and external pressures
responsible choices are able to be made with the understanding that
actions have consequences, responsible choices are moral choices and moral principles can be learnt
why people struggle to make responsible choices
lack of sufficient understanding, habits of wrongdoing and strong emotions
what are moral principles
principles or laws given by god used to evaluate whether a thought, word or action is moral
why does morality and responsibility sometimes clash
the responsible thing to do in a situation may not align with your morals or what you think is right
what is natural law
the idea that everyone no matter religion or culture knows the difference between right and wrong
