christian moral principles Flashcards
what are the three approaches to Christian ethics
- Christians should decide what to do by looking to divine law (the bible or theonomous Christian ethics )
- Christians should look to the bible, but also use their reason (natural law or heteronomous Christian ethics )
- Christian should decide what is best in each circumstance by using their ability to reason, and the law of love ( Situation ethics or autonomous ethics )
explain theonomous Christian ethics
- man is essentially sinful and ignorant so needs God to reveal what is the best way to behave
- so look to the laws of the Old Testament (e.g. the Ten Commandments ) and to Jesus example and teachings in the New Testament (e.g. the sermon in the mount )
- this is a fundamentalist or biblical stance
- the bible cannot be wrong so if we disagree with one of its teaching the we must be wrong as God cannot make mistakes
some followers of theonomous Christian ethics take the bible as the direct word of God. Explain this
- human authors simply wrote down the words of god as he told them, without any interpretation of their own
- this view is popular amongst evangelical Protestant Christians
- might use verses to support their opinions on homosexuality or divorce
what are two problems with the bible as the direct word of God
- the bible appears to contain some contradictions of fact, such as different accounts of Jesus last words on the cross
- if the bible is the direct word of god, it is difficult to understand why it contains so many different styles of writing and interests which suggests some degree on human authorship
some followers of theonomous ethics believe that the bible is the interpreted word of God. What does this mean ?
- it is the source of morally guidance but it doesn’t have to be understood literally
- using their own words instead of gods
- bible was written at particular times and cultures so some parts more appropriate for the past
three problems with the bible as the interpreted word of God
- can lead to disagreements over women in leadership or homosexuality as some argue that the biblical teaching needs reinterpretation for the modern world whilst others believe it holds the truth which should be upheld
- it can be seen to be ‘cherry-picking’, where Christians ignore the parts of the bible they find too challenging to adopt in their own lives
- it isn’t always easy to tell which parts of the bible are meant to be for all time and which can be understood as cultural
explain the problem with theonomous Christian ethics that there is a danger that Christian could take the teachings literally
- e.g. Jesus says ‘if your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out’
- it is clear that this is a metaphor for changing the way you look at things but such teachings mean that Christians must decide which parts of the bible are to be taken literally and which are metaphor
explain the problem with theonomous Christian ethics that there are many contradictions in the bible
- in the Ten Commandments it says ‘Do not kill’, but God supports his chosen people in battle where many are out to death and the bible also advocates the death penalty
- but yet in the gospels Jesus says ‘turn the other cheek’ .
- which teaching do we follow ?
- counter argument = biblicists explain this by saying that Jesus teachings show what life will be like in a perfect world (the kingdom of God ) but in the meantime we continue to live in an imperfect world so need to live by the rules laid out in the bible
- however, this argument also implies that when we read the bible we must use our reason to work out how we can apply Jesus teachings and still follow the laws set out in the Old Testament
explain heteronomous ethics
- the bible was part of a process where different people in different times have been inspired by God
- we continue to be inspired today but need to make very different ethical decisions than in the bible times . E.g. in the field of medical ethics
explain NL as an example of heteronomous ethics
- Roman Catholics use reason when they apply natural law?. They use the hierarchy of law, applying both the bible (divine law) and the primary precepts
- the process of working out ethical decisions is synderesis
- the magisterium is the official teaching of the Catholic Church which is based on the bible and NL which Catholics are expected to obey
Stanley Hauerwas suggest a Protestant ethical heteronomy. Explain this
- there is no magisterium (official church teaching ) in protest and churches
- but he argues that ethical decision should still, be something decided by the church community based on the bible and reason
- he says that the sermon on the mount suggests Christian virtues which should inform our decisions. E.g. we should side with the poor, comfier those who mourn, forgive etc
explain autonomous ethics
- do not see what is right or wrong for Christians is different to what is right for the rest of society
- there is nothing distinctively Christian about wanting to do the right thing
- individuals must decide for themselves what is best when making moral decisions
explain situation ethics as an example of autonomous Christian ethics
- what is right or wrong will depend on the circumstance
- the one thing principle is agape
explain Hans Kung as a support of autonomous Christian ethics
- he argues that Jesus specifically challenged rule based ethics and encouraged his disciples to make their own decisions
- counter with Pope benedict XVI who saw Kung as undermining the authority of the magisterium
critics of autonomous Christian ethics argue that Christian ethics is distinct from other forms of ethics because it is more than just about basing decision in love. 3 points to show this
1 . Christians believe in things like sin, redemption and the afterlife. These beliefs will clearly influence how a person behaves and what decisions they will make
- they also argue that Jesus didn’t come to replace all the laws of the Old Testament, but to show us how to carry them out
- Christian ethics are sometimes at odds with society’s values. E.g. Jesus tells a rich man to ‘sell everything he has and give the money to the poor’, in the Ten Commandments we are told ‘do not covet your neighbours possessions ‘ These clearly contradict our capitalist western values , so it is more than just agape that makes someone a Christian
