Conscience:

1
Chapter 3

• Conscience
• Being True to Our Deepest Self

2
In This Chapter

• The Nature of Conscience
• Three Dimensions of Conscience
• Conscience in Christian Tradition
• Conscience and Moral Maturity
• Conclusion You and Your Conscience

3
The Nature of Conscience

• Conscience begins with our basic, underlying
  awareness that there is right and wrong
• Conscience includes everything we do to develop
  our awareness of truth and goodness
• Conscience refers to the judgment that we make
  about right and wrong

4
Components of Conscience

• Definition of conscience
• Moral decision making involving awareness that
  there is right and wrong, a process of
  discernment, and finally judgment
• Inner Voice
• Telling us right from wrong
• Part of who we are not something we have
• Upbringing
• Part of our conscience but not the sum total
• New lessons and experiences will shape our
  conscience in the future

5
Three Dimensions of Conscience
Making choices based on awareness and education
Expanding awareness through education
Formation of Conscience
Understanding that our choices have consequences
6
Dimensions

• Awareness
• Seeking the good with careful thought and
  reflection
• Trying to determine what is right and wrong
• Development
• Building on awareness
• Informed conscience
• Educated and developed through constant use an
  examination
• Judgment
• Making choices based on increased awareness
• Good choices
• Virtuous actions
• Bad choices
• Sins
• Acting contrary to their conscience and purposely
  choose to do wrong
• Mistakes
• Erroneous conscience
• Following conscience with flawed reasoning or
  understanding

7
Conscience and Scripture

• The word conscience is barely used in the Bible
• heart used to describe what led a person in
  decision making
• I will give you a new heart and place a new
  spirit within you, taking from your bodies your
  stony hearts and giving you natural hearts.
• Ezekiel 3626
• Change of heart ? conversion
• Theme of the prophets
• People from sinful ways to practice virtuous
  living
• Jesus ministry
• Focused on the kingdom of God
• Love of God and love of neighbor as the greatest
  commandments

8
Vatican II Conscience

• Second Vatican Council 1962-65
• Ecumenical council, gathering of bishops
• Key Issue
• Promoting human dignity in the face of modern
  trends leading toward dehumanization
• Key Documents
• Declaration on Human Rights
• Church in the Modern World

9
John Paul II Conscience

• Veritatis Splendor (1993)
• The Splendor of Truth
• Following conscience doing what Jesus wants us to
  do
• Involves intense honest searching for the truth
  and acting
• Conscience cannot be understood apart from the
  teaching of Jesus
• As explained and taught by the Church
• Important points on pg. 56

10
Conscience and Maturity

• Lawrence Kohlberg
• Proposed a theory regarding moral development
• Three stages or levels
• Pre-Conventional
• Fear of punishment, promise of reward
• Doing good out of fear
• Conventional
• Adhering to the conventions of society
• Doing good because everyone else does
• Post-Conventional
• Self-chosen ethical principles
• Doing good for the sake of doing good