2F: Moral Principles

Question 1

Decalogue

Answer 1

the ten commandments found in the Torah

Question 2

Two commandments

Answer 2

Jesus’ commands to love god and love your neighbour as yourself

Question 3

Agape

Answer 3

unconditional, self giving, sacrificial, universal love

Question 4

Parable

Answer 4

a story with a meaning. one of the main ways that Jesus taught his message

Question 5

Steadfast

Answer 5

firm and unwavering, committed and loyal

Question 6

Iniquity

Answer 6

immoral or grossly unfair behavior

Question 7

Conscience

Answer 7

a person’s moral sense of right and wrong, viewed as acting as a guide to one’s behaviour.

Question 8

William Barclay: “there is no one ______ ______ that can claim to be _________”

Answer 8

ethical system, Christian

Question 9

What do Christians do instead of following an ethical system?

Answer 9

look for clues and ideas of how to act in the Bible (their revelation from god), including examining how god has acted in the life of Jesus

Question 10

What is the main principle for Christians?

Answer 10

agape

Question 11

Why are Jesus’ 2 commandments important?

Answer 11

because they sum up the whole of the teaching of scripture and summarise the Decalogue

Question 12

Quote for Matthew 22:37-40

Answer 12

“all the law and prophets hang on these two commandments”

Question 13

3 verses that describe the love of god and the kind of love envisioned for believers

Answer 13

• John 3:16: “for god so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son”
• John 15:13: “greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (agape)
• Leviticus 19:34: “you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the lord your god”

Question 14

We usually think of love as a feeling, but what does Brettler believe?

Answer 14

love can mean many things - erotic, lust, obedience. (Hebrew: ‘ahav’ = ‘to love’. ref to in song of songs as erotic love)
it’s a verb, an attitude, a commitment

Question 15

What are the 5 moral principles that Christians see in god and Jesus and which they seek to emulate?

Answer 15

1. loving one’s neighbour
2. gods love as a potential model for christian behaviour
3. regard for truth
4. taking one’s conscience seriously
5. forgiveness

Question 16

Key ideas of the importance of love of neighbour

Answer 16

• we must show unconditional positive regard for people
• our neighbour is anyone else, not just those closest to us
• ties with Jesus’ golden rule: “treat others as you would want to be treated”
• one of Jesus’ two commandments
• love is not a feeling, it is an attitude and an action
• love of neighbour also demands love of enemies

Question 17

Leviticus 19:34

Answer 17

“you shall love the alien as yourself”

Question 18

Luke 10:25-28

Answer 18

“‘what must i do to inherit eternal life?’ […] ‘you shall love the lord your god with all your heart […] and your neighbour as yourself’

Question 19

Parable of the Good Samaritan

Answer 19

an injured man is ignored by a Priest and a Levite but is helped by a Samaritan. Jesus tells us to “go and do like wise”

Question 20

Why is loving your neighbour crucial for Christians?

Answer 20

• it is one of Jesus’ two commandments
• second greatest commandment in the decalogue after “love god with all your heart, soul and mind”
• loving your neighbour involves treating others with respect, applying agape love by being selfless and sacrificial to others: whether this means forcing them when they make a mistake or prioritising their needs over yours

Question 21

Key ideas of god’s love as a potential model for Christian behaviour

Answer 21

• we must show unconditional positive regard for people, because this is what god shows us
• the divine initiative: god reaches out to us in love first, we should respond in love
• one of Jesus’ two commandments
• love is not a feeling, but an attitude and an action (Brettler)
• some discomfort possible over the character of god as revealed in scripture. sometimes his love seems hard
• gods love is trinitarian: shown in the love of the father, through the character and sacrifice of the son and through the ongoing comfort of the holy spirit

Question 22

Exodus 34:6-7 and the key ideas

Answer 22

“a god merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love”
key idea; god forgives immoral behaviour but does not clear the person of their guilt and instead looks at the immoral behaviour of future generations

Question 23

1 John 4:19-21 and the key ideas

Answer 23

“those who love god must love their
brothers and sisters also”
key ideas; if we can’t love gods creation, how can we love god? there is a contradiction between loving god and not loving ones fellow believers

Question 24

What does John 3:16 and John 15:13 say about god’s love?

Answer 24

John 3:16: “god so loved the world that he gave us his only begotten son”
John 15:15: “greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”

Question 25

What do Dawkins and McFague accuse god of?

Answer 25

being a terrible model for morality. he is vengeful, vindictive and evil. a god who seems to 'change his mind' in response to human action makes him seem too human

Question 26

What are some examples of gods vengeance?

Answer 26

- destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for their dissolute behaviour - ordered others to be slaughtered for rebelling against Moses - 50000 killed for looking into the ark of the covenant - mass slaughter of Israel’s enemies commanded through prophet Samuel - plague for King David’s sin, thousands of Israelites died

Question 27

How might a Christian defend god against Dawkins charges?

Answer 27

they might say that god did what he did for a purpose

Question 28

Key ideas of regard for truth

Answer 28

- Christians have always considered themselves 'guardians of truth' - by 'truth' they mean the ultimate meaning and value of existence - this truth is communicated through the bible which is an important symbol of truth for Christians - having a regard for truth can mean speaking out against that which is considered wrong or damaging - it can involve 'speaking truth to power', which means being unafraid to criticise authorities if their actions are against Christian teachings of justice and truth

Question 29

1 Samuel 12:24 and the key ideas

Answer 29

"only fear the lord, and serve him faithfully with all your heart; for consider what great things he has done for you" key ideas: Israel should be faithful to god and serve him from their hearts

Question 30

Ephesians 4:25-27 and the key ideas

Answer 30

"be angry but do not sin; let the sun go down on your anger and do not make room for the devil" key ideas: Christians are part of a body, lies damage that body. if we must be truthful to god we must be truthful to others. scholarly quote: "a lie is to stab into the very vitals of the body of christ" - John A Mackay

Question 31

Key ideas of the role of conscience

Answer 31

- conscience = knowing what god wants you to do - the Bible teaches that since humans are made in the image of god, we have an innate sense of right and wrong - we can view situations in a moral light and make ethical judgements based on this: this ability is known as conscience - St Paul taught that even non believers have a sense of conscience - Christians believe their conscience must be informed by the Bible, the holy spirit and church teachings - the Christians goal is to develop a mature conscience; neither too sensitive nor too insensitive (and causing excess guilt)

Question 32

2 Corinthians 1:12 and the key ideas

Answer 32

"this is our boast, the testimony of our conscience" key ideas: the way to a clear conscience is not dwelling on one's accomplishments , but on the grace of god

Question 33

1 Timothy 1:5 and the key ideas

Answer 33

"Love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience and sincere faith" key idea: the true goal of religious teaching is not merely right thinking, but a 'right life'. the central objective of paul's teachings is to foster genuine love which is free from ulterior motives

Question 34

Is it morally right to protest things with which your conscience disagrees?

Answer 34

yes as long as it is in a peaceful and safe way. it can sometimes satisfy a conflicted conscience because you can express your opinion

Question 35

Can it be morally right to hurt/kill people in the course of protesting things with which your conscience disagrees?

Answer 35

No - example of Eric Rudolph who bombed the 1996 Atlanta olympics: said that it was a "moral duty" - it is morally wrong as it breaches the decalogue - god created us overly diverse so there will always be differences between us and we must accept this as we are all each others neighbours - murder cannot satisfy conscience

Question 36

Key ideas of the need for forgiveness

Answer 36

- forgiveness is a prominent theme in the teaching of Jesus - features prominently in the sermon on the mount, the lord's prayer, in his conversations with his disciples and in his words from the cross - for many Christians we should forgive others as god forgives us; again referring to the divine initiative. god reached out to forgive first - forgiveness is seen as a conscious choice made in obedience to gods will - it means letting go of the feelings of anger and hurt caused by the offence

Question 37

Matthew 6:14-15 and the key ideas

Answer 37

"if you do not forgive others, neither will your father forgive your trespasses" - key idea: we cut ourselves off from god if we do not forgive others

Question 38

Is Matthew 6:14 reassuring or harsh?

Answer 38

reassuring: god promotes a healthy mindset of being the bigger person. it also highlights the power of forgiveness along with the compassionate and merciful aspects of it

Question 39

Colossians 3:12-13 and the key ideas

Answer 39

"forgive each other; just as the lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive" key ideas: forgiveness is an action of god and part of his character. believers should forgive each other to maintain unity and harmony. we should forgive others as god forgives us

Question 40

Mary Blewitt’s story

Answer 40

Blewitt says 'forgiveness has no place at all' and cannot forgive anyone after her family was killed in the Rwanda genocide

Question 41

Why does Blewitt think that forgiveness isn't appropriate in the case of the Rwandan genocide?

Answer 41

50 members of her family were killed. innocent children were butchered and suffocated and there was no justice

Question 42

Why might people disagree with Blewitt?

Answer 42

they might say that we should forgive and love everyone because we were all created equal in gods image with the potential to develop into his likeness

Question 43

Blewitt says there cannot be forgiveness without justice and has actively worked for justice for the victims. Why might working for justice be an important principle for Christians?

Answer 43

justice concerns taking responsibility for your actions and personal affairs as well as being fair. justice is the path to reconciliation

Question 44

Do you think that we should always try to forgive?

Answer 44

no - some acts cannot be forgiven - always forgiving people might allow respected harm without any accountability - however, forgiveness is a personal choice and it can lead to personal growth and emotional healing

Question 45

Why might love of neighbour be seen as the most important moral principle?

Answer 45

"you shall love the alien as yourself" - alien = anyone who is outside of their homeland/vulnerable - moral principles such as caring for the poor and needy

Question 46

Why might love of god be seen as the most important moral principle?

Answer 46

- first moral imperative is to “love the lord your god with all your heart, soul and mind" - you can only love your neighbour if you love god first

Question 47

Why might love of god AND love of neighbour be seen as the most important moral principle?

Answer 47

- Jesus wanted his followers to seek the welfare of others, which is at the heart of his teachings - his followers believe that practicing this love is the work god has given them to do on earth

Question 48

Why might love of god be seen as the basis of Christian morality?

Answer 48

- god loved us so we must love god - true love of god = true love of humanity - we must respond to gods love by showing love to our neighbours and keeping gods commandments

Question 49

Why might the 10 commandments be seen as the basis of Christian morality?

Answer 49

1 John 5:3: we must obey gods commandments and his commandments are not burdensome

Question 50

Why might the example of Jesus be seen as the basis of Christian morality?

Answer 50

as Jesus is fully god, his actions must be the basis of christian morality: he accepted all, forgave sins, welcomed outcasts and cared for the weak