Conscience in Christian Tradition

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Introduction.

`Deep within his conscience man discovers a law which he has not laid upon himself but which he must obey. Its voice ever calling him to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil...'Gaudium et Spes (64). This opening quote from the Second Vatican Council is a good place to start in attempting to explore the complex subject of conscience. It indicates that conscience is something that can be known, based on love and is not just an individual personal thing. Conscience and having a soul are two of the distinguishing features of our humanity that set us apart from other species. Every religious code believes in a higher power and a morality that can be known or deduced by human reason. We are free rational agents capable of making decisions. How we act has consequences. In this essay, I will attempt to define what conscience is. I will then show how it evolves in a human, taking into account some psychological observations. The role of God in conscience is the most important one for Christians. How do we form our conscience in the light of God's teaching though his Son Jesus Christ? Finally, I will examine the Catholic Church's teaching on conscience.

What is conscience?

Conscience is defined in the dictionary as: "the ideas and feelings within a person, they tell one, when one is not doing right and warn one of what is wrong." We hear much about conscience: `the voice of conscience', `the rights of conscience', `informing conscience' and `following conscience'. Everyone is aware that they possess a conscience, but when asked to describe it, most people do not know how. They think of it as a feeling, mainly in terms of guilt, having done wrong, they express it in terms of: `my conscience is both...

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... justify our actions just to suit ourselves, for we will find justifying is easy and our conscience becoming dulled. We could dispense with our conscience, but to dispense with that is to dispense with Love.

For every man and woman has in his or her hearts a law inscribed by God. This conscience is our most secret core and sanctuary. There we are alone with God whose voice echoes in the depths.#

Bibliography

Catechism of the Catholic Church. Veritas. Dublin. 1994

Catholic Bishops Conference. Conscience. Veritas. Dublin. 1998.

Gulla, Richard M. Reason informed by Faith. Paulist Press. New York. 1989.

Hannon, Patrick. Knowing right from Wrong. Gill and Macmillan. Dublin. 1995.

McNamara, Vincent. The Truth in Love. Gill and Macmillan. Dublin. 1989.

Pope John Paul 11. Message for world day of peace. 1991

www.catholic.net Christian Conscience

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