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Conscience Formation Chapter 5 YLIC Lecture “May you fight a good fight by having faith and a good conscience. Some, by rejecting conscience, have made a shipwreck of their faith.” 1 Timothy 1:18-19 How can a person make a “shipwreck” of their life/faith because they do not use their “good” conscience? Not only what conscience is but HOW and WHY we must form and inform our conscience in order to live moral lives. The payoff to a good conscience is not only living a moral life, but a happy one as well. Conscience (dictionary definition) •Awareness of a moral or ethical aspect to one’s conduct together with the urge to prefer right over wrong. Yet, we need a more religious (Christian) answer to “What is Conscience?” What Conscience Is Not! • Majority opinion • Just because the group thinks something is okay/good does not mean that it is. • The Walking Dead = Carol or Morgan • Just a feeling • Feelings may not be based on reality. • It’s possible to not know the whole story of a situation. • Superego • Following rules because we want approval as opposed to following because it is the right (moral) thing to do. • Gut-instinct • The hunch … basing decisions solely on this may be faulty • Jiminy Cricket • The internal voice dictating what is right or wrong. • Myth • Control through guilt What is CONSCIENCE?? • A practical judgement of REASON • Helps a person decide the goodness or sinfulness of an ACTION or ATTITUDE • The subjective norm of morality that we must form PROPERLY and then FOLLOW • Subjective = existing in the mind; belonging to the thinking subject rather than to the object of thought Vatican II • Humanity (Man – Person) detects a law which holds him to obedience. • This is the Law of God that inclines us to goodness • In which we are summoned to love Good and avoid Evil. • The voice of conscience speaks to the heart. • To obey the Law of God is what true dignity is. • This Law is fulfilled by love of God and neighbor. As Christians we believe Conscience is … • Awareness of God’s call for us to be what he created us to be. • To Love • To build the Kingdom • To witness to your experiences • Awareness of God’s call to know and do the good, that is, to love. • Can you? Do you? Recognize who you are called to be? • Practical judgement of the intellect. • Putting this to work in the here and now of our lives in order to make good decisions. How Conscience Works Good Habit (virtue) Honesty (the virtue of Integrity) How would a person cultivate this good habit? An honest person does not… • Cheat • Lie • Steal We are NOT taking about situations in which the circumstances may force a person to do this. So if you practice HONESTY you will usually resist the temptation to cheat, lie or steal. Almost instinctively you will choose the good, proper, and moral course of action without being explicitly aware of it. Developing our virtues takes … PRACTICE!!!!! What are your vices? How can you work to correct them? Vice The bad habit, that inclines us to choose the evil rather than the good. The bad habit (vice) of Laziness •Do bad habits take “practice”? •What might laziness lead to??? 2 Important Principles regarding Conscience • You must always form and keep informing your conscience. • You must follow your well-formed conscience. WHY? HOW? WHEN? Instead of just going with your gut… 1. Study 1. 2. 3. 4. Seek advice Pro/Con List Gather Info Use your brain! 2. Elect 1. 2. Choose the right course of action! Pray and Listen 3. Execute (hardest part) 1. 2. Put into action what you have decided Take control of your own actions 4. Review 1. 2. If we have done what is right we can reflect and it will help us the next time. If we have not followed our conscience we can repent and hopefully reform. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “Cowardice asks the question ‘Is it safe?’ Expedience asks the question, ‘Is it politic?’ Vanity asks the question, ‘Is it popular?’ but conscience asks the question, ‘Is it right?’” What are some BIG decisions that you will have to make in the near future? Remember – Conscience asks the question “Is it right?” What is the right thing to do? • You find a wallet with $500 in it. The license is inside the wallet and you know the person to whom it belongs. • There is a big party planned for Saturday night and there will be no adult supervision. • Some of your friends are using gross language as they discuss their relationships with their girlfriends. • Your math test is 6th period and your friend from 3rd period is willing to give you a heads-up as to what is on the test. Pop Quiz (DO NOT COPY THE QUESTIONS) Complete Heading on your own piece of paper. 1. What 3 things should we be aware of in God’s call to us and what he created us to be? 2.