Ethical Teachings

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Ethical Teachings

• Christianity - Religious Tradition Study

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Religion and Ethics

• Definition a system of moral principles by
  which human actions may be judged to be right or
  wrong.
• Morals description of human behaviour e.g.
  lying
• Ethics justification for and formal reasoning
  behind human moral behaviour e.g. why lying is
  wrong
• Ethics then is a conscious stepping back and
  reflecting on morality
• Religion gives believers a direction and
  motivation for moral behaviour and a system of
  meaning to support their ethical reflections

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Religion and Ethics

• Religious traditions use sacred stories texts,
  beliefs, individual and communal experiences, and
  authority within their structures to form ethical
  teachings that have significant effects on the
  everyday lives of believers.
• What is considered right and wrong will vary from
  one religion to another but ideally followers
  of a religious tradition will act in accordance
  with its ethical system.
• Religious ethical systems explain and regulate
  moral behaviour of its followers.
• For example the role of Christian ethics is to
  provide a guide for Christians so that their
  daily lives reflect the scriptures...help bring
  about Gods reign

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Christian Ethical Sources

• Christian ethics are based on the Christian
  beliefs about Gods relationship and interaction
  with the world
• The sources of Christian ethics are found in the
  
• Scriptures
• The Natural Law
• Human Experience
• Authorities Traditions within the structures of
  the Christian churches
• The emphasis given to each of these sources
  varies within the different variants of
  Christianity

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Christian Ethical Sources

• Scriptures key passages OT and NT
• Decalogue / 10 Commandments Ex 20 1-7
• The Golden Rule Matthew 22 37-39
• The Beatitudes Matthew 5-7
• Love one another as I have loved you John
  1334
• Jesus ethics in summary
• Repentance forgiveness as the basis of the
  ethical life
• The radical, demanding nature of Gods ethical
  call on Gods reign
• The centrality of the love commandment

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Christian Ethical Sources

• Old Testament- duty, follow commands of God
• Obedience to the law very important
• In the OT people learnt what was required of
  them- were laws on every aspect of life
• Paul stresses that not all OT laws apply to
  Christians for it is no longer the OT that
  saves faith in the resurrection brings to
  Christians the qualities of faith, charity,
  peace, goodness. the gifts of the spirit
  these should direct the lives of Christians
• Christians are saved not through the old law, but
  through Christ

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Christian Ethical Sources

• The Ten Commandments- need to give Christians a
  compendium of moral practice the 10
  commandments were used for that purpose later
  Christians used them as they provided convenient
  headings for summaries of Christian ethics
• They are moral laws or principles normative for
  just and orderly living if we follow them, we
  grow as human beings and our conscience is at
  peace they help to ensure that peoples freedom
  and rights are not violated.
• They contain a number of positive values
  including the need for respect for the life of
  others, for family values, for personal
  integrity, justice the property of others

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Christian Ethical Sources

• New Testament Jesus the foundation of Christian
  ethics the Christian ethical system emanates
  from his life and teachings Golden Rule
  Christian ethics centre on the idea of love,
  concern and respect for all human beings.
• Primary source of ethical teaching is the sacred
  text the Bible, especially the NT.
• Jesus was a moral teacher but he did not set out
  to develop an ethical system however NT
  reflections on his life teachings, especially
  the gospels/Pauls letters, have provided the
  basis for Christian ethics

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Christian Ethical Sources

• Jesus teachings differ from the OT in that they
  do not consist of a set of rules or laws to be
  followed, but rather they focus on the need for
  people to change themselves their
  thoughts/feelings as these are just as
  important as actual conduct action
• Sermon on the Mount Matthew 5-7, sets out in
  detail Jesus own outline of the Christian life
  it presents a positive image of the way that
  Christians should live in the world.
• Jesus called his followers to conversion and
  repentance, a change of heart and preached
  forgiveness eg The Lost Son Luke 15

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Christian Ethical Sources

• Jesus, in his words/actions had a preference for
  the poor marginalised, he kept company with
  outcasts sinners and he called his followers to
  sell what they possess give it to the poor.
• Christian ethics is based on following Jesus
  Christians try to be disciples, imitating Jesus.
• Paul and other NT writers teach about the way of
  life required by Christians
• Colossians 3 12- 14 ..clothe yourselves with
  compassion, kindness, humility, meekness
  patience.above all clothe yourselves with
  love..unity.

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Christian Ethical Sources

• Conscience holds an important place in
  Christian ethics for two main reasons
• 1) it is an important aspect of the Christian
  decision-making process
• 2) it is one of the most indispensable sources of
  authority for Christians
• Conscience is understood as the whole self trying
  to make judgements about who one ought to be and
  what one ought to do or not do when faced with
  ethical dilemmas the Catholic Church teaches
  that God speaks through a persons conscience

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Christian Ethical Sources

• The primary role of conscience is to uphold the
  individuals integrity moral goodness its
  judgements must be followed because they reflect
  convictions and internalised values that set the
  boundaries within which one acts with integrity.
• Eternal / Natural Law question of how people
  could live truly moral lives idea of being
  directed from within to do good works
• The human person it was argued was directed
  towards doing good works by an external force
  this force was the eternal law (which is really
  Gods law) which directed all nature to its
  proper goal

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Christian Ethical Sources

• Natural law is that law implanted in nature by
  the Creator that human beings can discern by the
  light of their natural reasoning the natural
  law points to the right way of acting freely and
  responsibly as a human being.
• Sophocles, Aristotle, western legal tradition,
  the Bible many other authorities throughout
  history bear witness to the natural law.
• Aquinas taught that there is a natural moral law,
  a mirror of the eternal law of God, ingrained in
  human nature it enables a person to recognise
  right, or the good, that which is ordered to the
  natural law

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Christian Ethical Sources

• The second way in which the eternal law could be
  known is through Gods revelation, which has
  taken place through the Scriptures, and according
  to some Christian churches, through tradition
  this is known as the revealed law this will
  give a more full exposition of the precepts of
  good proper conduct than could be obtained
  simply by human reason and its understanding of
  the natural law
• Because Jesus est. his church gave it
  authority, the church was able to formulate an
  ecclesiastical or church moral law these are
  based on natural law, Scripture, the person life
  teachings of Jesus, and on tradition

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Diversity in Christian Ethics

• Christians share common ethical ideals based on
  biblical teaching however different variants
  have some variations in their ethical reasoning
  and the extent to which they give prominence to
  sacred stories and texts (the Bible) and
  authority within religious structures.
• Catholic Ethics
• has drawn its basic principles from the natural
  law they are taught a way of arriving at moral
  truths that are not simply personal opinions or
  subjective impressions
• Examine nature especially human nature to
  discover the purpose of things built into their
  very nature

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Diversity in Christian Ethics

• use reasoning to arrive at general principles of
  morality based on an examination of human nature
• apply these principles to the particular moral
  dilemmas encountered
• The Catholic Church gives a high priority to the
  role of authority within its religious structures
  (the magisterium)
• Catholics are guided by the authority of the Pope
  and the bishops of the world in council with him,
  which is expressed through various councils
  synods.
• In recent years, Catholicism has reaffirmed the
  centrality of the Bible (revealed law) and the
  role of conscience in moral decision - making

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Diversity in Christian Ethics

• Contemporary Catholic ethical teaching centres on
  the dignity of the person evident in its social
  teaching that places emphasis on human rights,
  liberation of the oppressed the development of
  all peoples.
• Second Vatican Council makes it very clear that
  Catholics should act according to the dictates of
  a properly informed developed conscience,
  centred on human dignity, in their moral decision
  making
• Archbishop Pell maintains that conscience cannot
  have the last word in moral decision making
  because conscience is at the service of truth
  the Church possesses the truth in her stance on
  moral issues

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Diversity in Christian Ethics

• Protestant Ethics
• The Protestant reformers saw the Bible (revealed
  law) as the sole authority for Christian living
• Protestant ethical traditions place emphasis on
  Jesus command of love and view the Bible as the
  central source of moral guidance
• Some Protestants consider that they have a more
  direct experience of God do not need the
  intermediate role of Church authority to direct
  their decisions this has tended to result in a
  more individualistic ethic in Protestant
  traditions

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Diversity in Christian Ethics

• Authority tends to be exercised in a different
  way through a synod, presbytery or assembly of
  leaders or consensus of a congregation giving
  advice and guidance, rather than final
  determinations on ethical matters
• The Anglican church speaks authoritatively
  through its General Synod the pronouncements of
  its diocesan bishops
• Australian Lutherans derive their authority from
  their pastors parish representatives they are
  active members of local ecumenical inter-faith
  dialogues

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Diversity in Christian Ethics

• In the Uniting Church, authority devolves through
  the local congregation upwards with increased
  authority to the council of elders, the parish
  and the presbytery (people appointed from
  parishes) above this is the synod or state
  council of the Church, and finally the National
  Assembly, the national council of the church
• The Baptist Church has recently introduced
  committees to take responsibility for various
  aspects of the Churchs life, including ethical
  aspects these committees elect reps for the
  State or Baptist unions, which in turn send
  members to the Baptist Assembly meetings.

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Diversity in Christian Ethics

• Eastern Orthodox Ethics
• Biblical authority (revealed law) is central to
  Orthodox ethics
• The goal of moral living is to become
  participants of the divine nature (2Peter 14)
  the believer should live a life of imitation of
  Christ, based on his command of love and his life
  of self-sacrifice
• It is a family of churches when it comes to
  authority generally speaking each orthodox
  church is hierarchical, with its ultimate
  authority resting in its bishop or patriarch, who
  in turn consults other bishops, the people reps
  of monastic orders.

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Beliefs and Ethics

• Christians, when looking for guidelines in their
  lives, see their main sources of inspiration as
  coming from
• the life and teachings of Jesus as expressed in
  the gospels
• the teachings of the Church
• their own individual conscience, taking into
  account the teachings of Jesus and the church
• These sources give rise to Christian beliefs
  about humankind, the world universe.
• Life has been created by God and is good human
  beings are made in the likeness of God and can
  find redemption and salvation

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Beliefs and Ethics

• While on earth, Christians are called to love God
  to love one another if dont do this may
  jeopardise their salvation.
• Christians also have a stewardship of Gods
  creation (animals, plants non-living things)
  as such there are a number of key principles
  that underlie Christian beliefs about stewardship
  e.g. the goods of the earth are to be shared by
  all it is important to live in a safe and
  life-giving environment..
• Through the resurrection of Jesus, humanity has
  been given the chance of new life here faith is
  vital

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Beliefs and Ethics

• The Bible, together with its values principles,
  is the standard for Christian living and ethics.
  All Christian moral decision-making and
  examinations of conscience are conducted in the
  light of the Bibles teachings. The basis of the
  Bibles authority is the Christian belief that
  the Bible contains revelation from and about God
  and Gods design for humanity.
• The Catholic Church alone espouses Papal
  Infallibility yet this cannot rob Catholics of
  the right to make their own decisions on matters
  of morality- need to act in terms of a properly
  informed and developed conscience, centred on
  human dignity.