CHRISTIAN DECISION MAKING

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CHRISTIAN DECISION MAKING

• Steven McCrary

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Learning Objectives

• Summarize "ethics".
• Define God's sovereign and moral will.
• Relate God's sovereign and moral will to ethical
  theories.

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Summary of Ethics

• A Branch of Philosophy.
• Axiology (what is valuable)
• aesthetics (beauty)
• ? ethics (moral)
• The study and application of morality.
• Includes
• Mean and ends
• Actions and actors
• Norms and virtues

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Gods Will

• GODS SOVEREIGN WILL
• God's predetermined plan for everything.
  .
• Secret and mostly hidden.
• Cannot be learned in advance. .
• Cannot be "missed"-should be humbly accepted.
• Leads to God's glory (even the bad stuff.)

• GODS MORAL WILL
• God's revealed commands in the Bible that teach
  men how to believe and live.
• Totally revealed.
• Should be learned for guidance.
• Can be "missed" through ignorance or
  disobedience.
• Conforms to God's character.

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Conflicting NormsNo norms

• Antinomianism
• transcending the ethical or emotivism
• values are subjectively defined by individuals

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Conflicting NormsOne norm (examples)

• Agape (Divine Love) Ethic An act is right when
  there is free and spontaneous exercise of
  responsible love.
• Imitation Ethic Those actions are right that
  reflect character of Christs earthly life.
• Creation Ethic Those actions are right that
  reflect the character of God who made the world
  and all in it.

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Conflicting NormsMany norms

• Generalism-(consequentialism)
• Norms and rules are generally valid, not
  absolute.
• Value is Extrinsic not intrinsic.
• Some general rules should not be broken.
• Non-conflicting AbsolutesNorms never conflict,
  they only appear to conflict
• Ideal Absolutes
• Absolutes conflicts
• Conflicts are resolved by minimizing evil.
• Hierarchialism-some absolutes have more intrinsic
  value than others.

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Decision-making Model
Gods Moral Will
Gods Sovereign Will
Free to Choose
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Gods Will in Decision-makingCompetent to Choose

• Learn to discern matters of command and matters
  of freedom.
• Moral decision-making will obey Gods will.
• Non-moral decision-making be spiritually
  expedient
• Be convinced of your beliefs
• Sound interpretation of Scripture.
• Sound observation of Gods creation.
• Sound logic.
• Allow others the freedom to form their beliefs.
• Let liberty be limited by love.
• Submit humbly to the sovereign will of God.

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Tabular Analysis
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Step 7 Make a Decision

• Decide which of the identified options you would
  recommend or judge to be the ethically best way
  to deal with the issue presented in this case
  based upon which option has the strongest ethical
  reasons behind it.
• Determine how a critic of your position might try
  to argue against it using other ethical reasons,
  and present a rebuttal or counter-argument in
  defense of your judgment.