Moral Discernment

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Moral Discernment

• Deciding for Yourself, not by Yourself

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List of Helps

• Talking to Others
• Consulting the Church
• Learning Applying Principles
• Knowing Respecting the Law
• Learn from Personal Experience
• Recognize Scrutinize Your Values
• Prayer
• Be Humble Have a Sense of Humor

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1. Talking to Others

• What is the most important function that talking
  to others serves?
• Do you talk over your decisions with others?
• Who are the people from whom you normally seek
  counsel?
• Are there other people whom it would be
  beneficial for you to consult when faced with a
  difficult decision?

Remember Deciding for yourself does not mean
deciding by yourself
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Talking with Others

• Has there ever been a time when talking things
  over with a friend proved helpful? If so,
  describe the situation.
• Has there ever been a time when talking things
  over with a responsible adult proved helpful? If
  so, describe the situation.

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2. Consulting the Church

• Church teachings are helpful
• Read the Gospels
• Read Official Church teachings

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Ten Commandments

• Choose one commandment and describe 5
  implications it can have for your own decision
  making.

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3. Learning Applying Principles

• What does it mean to say that principles are the
  wisdom of the ages?
• Bringing moral principles in your moral
  deliberation is valuable
• Do good avoid evil
• Treat others the way you want to be treated

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4. Knowing Respecting the Law

• Laws are important considerations
• Most laws are morally right some are not
• Yet, we live dangerously if we do not respect the
  law as we engage in moral discernment.

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5. Check with your feelings

• What contribution to decision making do feelings
  make?
• How have your feelings influenced your behavior
  in a positive way?
• Why is it important to check your feelings in
  making moral decisions?

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6. Learn from Personal Experience

• We are wise when we learn from past experiences
• Going to a party
• Writing a paper the night before
• How one drink affects me
• What I say to Mom can upset her

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Activity

• From your past personal experiences, give an
  example (positive or negative) of how an
  experience can help you in future decision making
• An experience
• With an authority figure
• With someone from the opposite sex
• With someone very different from my usual
  acquaintances
• That brought forth positive qualities in me
• In which I responded with concern for another

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Recognize Scrutinize Your Values

• Values
• Being popular
• Having a good time
• Making lots of money
• Name 3 influences on your values
• Since our values influence our moral decision
  making, it is important to scrutinize where they
  tend to lead us.

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Examen of Consciousness

• Light Pray for light
• Thanks Review the day in thanksgiving
• Feelings Review the feelings that surface in the
  replay of the day
• Focus Choose one of those feelings (positive or
  negative) and pray from it.  
• Future Look toward tomorrow

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Activity N, p. 159.

• How could talking to others, consulting the
  Church, principles, feelings, experiences, and
  values be applied to the these 2 cases
• Friendship DUI accident testify in court
• Employment campaigning for someone whose views
  are contrary to your own

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Church and Interdependence

• Why is moral decision making not meant to be a
  solitary experience?
• What is the role of prayer in moral decision
  making?
• Prayer
• Communal
• Personal

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Cultivate Humility and Humor

• We are prone to make mistakes
• In humility we need to ask for Gods assistance
• To realize that we are imperfect and not
  omniscient.
• How can humor serve as a helpful addition to
  moral decision making?

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Journey with Jesus

• What is the goal of our journey with Jesus in our
  moral decision making?

We seek to listen to his direction each day
Journey with Jesus must color and shape every
step of the process