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A Level RE > Christian Moral Principles > Flashcards

Christian Moral Principles Flashcards

1
Q

Christian faith provides us with some …

A

moral principles

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2
Q

.There are 3 ways that Christians have identified where Christianity gets its values and codes of behaviour, what are they?

A
  1. The Bible
  2. The Bible, Church and Reason
  3. Love (agape)
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3
Q

Essentially, how is the bible a source of moral principles?

A

.Some Christians say it is the Bible only that we should look for our instructions about how to live
.The Bible is the only source of authority for how we should live our lives – sola scriptura (only scripture)

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4
Q

Who only follows the bible?

A

.Mainly Protestants traditions follow this understanding

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5
Q

Essentially, how is the bible, church and reason a source of moral principles?

A

.For some Christians, the Bible, the guidance of the Church and their own reason is reliable enough to help them understand morality
.The Bible, Church and Reason complement each other and give them a code to live by/set of values

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6
Q

Who follows the bible, church and reason?

A

.The Catholic Church and some Anglican Traditions follow this understanding

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7
Q

Essentially, how is love (agape) a source of moral principles?

A

.Other Christians claim there is only one guide – love, in every situation we should try to do the most loving thing
.No absolute rules and commands like the Ten Commandments, the only real command is love, and the most important thing is always act out of love for others

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8
Q

Who follows love (agape) as a source of moral prinicples?

A

.Modern Liberal Protestants, especially Joseph Fletcher, follow this understanding

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9
Q

.The Bible has provided a rich source of moral commandments and principles, the most famous being the …

A

Ten Commandments

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10
Q

What do the ten commandments give us?

A

these commands give us a code for loving in society – a basis for the smooth running of society

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11
Q

Back ground of the ten commandments

A

.The commands take place against the background of a tribe of people who believe that they have a covenant with God, they are in a special relationship with God and have special obligations and duties

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12
Q

What is the first commandment and why is it important?

A

.The first command is ‘you shall have no other God’s before me’
.This links to the Jewish Shema prayer, the central prayer of Jewish faith, found in the book of Deuteronomy in the Old Testament, ‘you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might’

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13
Q

.Often behind the Sola Scriptura claim there are two principal ideas, what are they?

A
  1. A pessimistic view of human reason

2. A Biblicist view of scripture

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14
Q

What is the pessimistic view of human reason?

A

.Due to the fall, humans have to rely on God’s word, they cannot rely on reason as it has been ruined by sin

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15
Q

What is the Biblicist view of scripture?

A

.The Bible is seen as being dictated by God, therefore it contains God’s own direct speech and it alone must be used for moral instruction
.Since it has been dictated by God, the Bible is seen as infallible, it cannot be in error

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16
Q

What combines to form the belief that it is only the Bible that is trustworthy?

A

A combination of a high view of scripture and a low view of human powers of reason

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17
Q

.Moral absolutism is what?

A

the belief that actions are intrinsically right or wrong, in other words being right and wrong is a fact

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18
Q

Examples of moral absolutism

A

.All rules, such as ‘stealing is wrong’ and ‘lying is wrong’, are considered to be valid no matter what the circumstances

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19
Q

.Moral relativism is what?

A

the belief that actions cannot be considered right or wrong without looking at the context surrounding the actions

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20
Q

What does moral relativism depend on?

A

.It depends on personal situations, social context, and cultural context

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21
Q

.Relativists agree that there need to be moral principles which people live by, however they would say what?

A

these moral principles may need to be adapted in certain situations

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22
Q

Examples of moral relativism –

A

.Everyone knows that lying is generally considered to be wrong, but what if it was necessary to tell a lie to save someone’s life?

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23
Q

What are the two types of ethical theory?

A

Deontological and teleological

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24
Q

Deontological definition

A

a theory which focuses on the actions themselves being right or wrong

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25
Q

Teleological definition

A

a theory which focuses on the consequences or outcomes of the actions being classed as right or wrong

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26
Q

What might a Catholic use to make a moral decision?

A 
.Conscience
.Jesus’ example
.Bible
.Tradition
.Pope
.Church
.CofE followers might look to Politics
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27
Q

What are Christian ethics?

A

.Christian ethics is a branch of Christian theology that defines virtuous behaviour and wrong behaviour from a Christian perspective

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28
Q

What are the issues with Christian ethics?

A

.Issue with this definition is that it is very difficult to define ‘Christian’ as there are so many denominations

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29
Q

What questions do Christian Ethics raise?

A

.Are Christian ethics distinctive? Or are they simply just being a good human being?

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30
Q

Is ‘love your neighbour as yourself’ relative or absolute, and teleological or deontological?

A

Relative- this depends on the perspective of the person and their interpretation.
Teleological- when considering this concept a person must consider the consequences

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31
Q

What are the 3 approaches to Christian ethical theory?

A

Theonomous, autonomous and hetreonomous

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32
Q

Theonomous ethics meaning

A
  • Theonomous ethics relies purely on the word of God
  • Theo = God
  • Christians who follow a theonomous perspective only use the Bible as a source of authority
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33
Q

Heteronomous ethics meaning

A
  • Heteronomous ethics uses a combination of moral sources as a form of authority
  • For example, Catholics use a combination of the Church’s teachings, the Bible and the community of Christians
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34
Q

Autonomous ethics meanign

A
  • Autonomous ethics does not rely on any sources

- Christians who follow this approach believe that the only principle that needs to be followed is the principle of love

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35
Q

2 Timothy 3:16

A

‘All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realise what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.’

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36
Q

2 Peter 1:20-21

A

‘Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.’

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37
Q

quotes from the Bible suggest that the Bible should be used as a source of authority to inform moral decisions, as it was not written by the word of man but …

A

… instead the word of God ‘carried along by the Holy Spirit’.

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38
Q

What is theonomous ethics?

A

.Christians who follows a theonomous perspective only use the Bible as a source of authority
.God, for Fundamentalists, is the author of the Bible, and it is pure truth
.Fundamentalist Christians believe the Bible is propositional revelation, this means it is a series of truth statements and is infallible
.If a person finds fault with the Bible, it is down to their understanding and interpretation rather than there being an issue with the writing

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39
Q

Strengths of a Theonomous Approach

A

.The Bible is the revealed knowledge of God
.Only God can properly reveal something as indescribable as himself and his plan for humanity
.Clear, absolute guidance- 10 Commandments, Sermon on the Mount
.The Bible has been compiled for all people to understand and gain a moral code from
.The lives of key Biblical figures provide moral lessons from which ordinary people can learn from e.g. the story of King David and Bathsheba

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40
Q

Weaknesses of a Theonomous Approach

A

.The Bible can’t be taken literally
.There are contradictions within the Bible
.There are controversial verses in the Bible that seem outdated
.Taking some verses literally (if they are truth)

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41
Q

Cultural Issues with the theonomous approach, with quotes

A

Unnecessary –
Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material. Leviticus 19:19
You shall not round the corners of your heads. Leviticus 19:27
Attitude towards Women –
When a woman has a discharge, if her discharge in her body is blood, she shall continue in her menstrual impurity for seven days; and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening. Everything also on which she lies during her menstrual impurity shall be unclean, and everything on which she sits shall be unclean. Leviticus 15:19-20
When you go to war against your enemies and the Lord your God delivers them into your hands and you take captives, if you notice among the captives a beautiful woman and are attracted to her, you may take her as your wife. Bring her into your home and have her shave her head, trim her nails and put aside the clothes she was wearing when captured. After she has lived in your house and mourned her father and mother for a full month, then you may go to her and be her husband and she shall be your wife. If you are not pleased with her, let her go wherever she wishes. You must not sell her or treat her as a slave, since you have dishonoured her. Deuteronomy 21:10-14
Attitudes towards Disability –
Say to Aaron: ‘For the generations to come none of your descendants who has a defect may come near to offer the food of his God. No man who has any defect may come near: no man who is blind or lame, disfigured or deformed; no man with a crippled foot or hand… yet because of his defect, he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar, and so desecrate my sanctuary. I am the Lord, who makes them holy.’ Leviticus 21
Slavery –
You may purchase male or female slaves from among the foreigners who live among you. You may also purchase the children of such resident foreigners, including those who have been born in your land. You may treat them as your property, passing them on to your children as a permanent inheritance. You may treat your slaves like this, but the people of Israel, your relatives, must never be treated this way. Leviticus 25:44-46
Slaves obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. Ephesians 6:5

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42
Q

Contradictions with the thenonomous approach

A

Pair One: The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. Revelation 8:7
And it had commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. Revelation 9:4
Pair Two: Do not kill. Exodus 20:13
Then he said to them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbour.’” Exodus 32:27

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43
Q

Literalism and the theonomist aproach

A

If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. Matthew 5:29-30

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44
Q

Barth on Bibliolatry

A

.Swiss Theologian Karl Barth warned of the dangers of literalism (fundamentalism) because it falsely gives the Bible a divine status that only can be attributed to God
.Bibliolatry is a phrase that means false worship of the Bible
.Barth’s view was that God’s word has worked through the different writers of the Bible over time
.While the Bible is a supreme source of Christian moral truth it must be read critically since human reason has been involved in writing it

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45
Q

What are the three main weaknesses of the Bible being used as a sole source of moral authority?

A

Controversial, contradictory, limited

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46
Q

What are the three approaches to christian moral ethics? explain each

A
  1. Theonomous ethics
    Theonomous ethics relies purely on the word of God. Theo = God. Christians who follow a theonomous perspective only use the Bible as a source of authority.
  2. Heteronomous ethics
    Heteronomous ethics uses a combination of moral sources as a form of authority. For example, Catholics use a combination of the Church’s teachings, the Bible and reason.
  3. Autonomous ethics
    Autonomous ethics does not rely on any sources. Christians who follow this approach believe that the only principle that needs to be followed is the principle of love.
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47
Q

What sources are used in catholic heteronomous ethics?

A

There are three sources Catholics consider as moral authorities. They are:
1. Bible
2. Church
3. Reason (Natural Law)
There are also a number of sources Catholics consider as moral guides, including:
1. Liberation Theology
2. Conscience

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48
Q

What do guides do?

A

Guides will help inform decisions, but do not have and should not have as much influence as forms of authority.

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49
Q

What is reason and how is it linked to natural law?

A

Reason is the cognitive (or knowing) intellectual sense that operates through concepts and reasoning
.In other words, it produces concepts and arguments to understand reality
.Reason identifies what God has revealed to an individual and is a gift from God to determine Natural Law
.Natural Law is part of God’s plan for the universe

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50
Q

What is Aquinas Four Tiers of Law (explain each tier)

A
  1. Eternal Law- God’s rational purpose and plan for all things
  2. Divine Law- Bible as a revelation, since we cannot fully understand God’s plan for creation
  3. Natural Law- Five primary precepts all humans can access that emphasise doing good over evil. These are morally absolute
  4. Human Law- Laws discerned from the five primary precepts- secondary precepts that help govern society and uphold the primary precepts. These are morally relative, and may not always be right to follow
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51
Q

What are the 5 primary precepts and what do they make up?

A 
W = Worship God
O = Orderly Society
R = Reproduce to continue species
L = Learn through education
D = Defend innocent life
The five primary precepts make up what is referred to as the Natural Law.
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52
Q

Potential issues of natural law?

A
  • Subjective – what is peace?
  • Not everyone wants children
  • Was writing in a different time, influenced it
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53
Q

Strengths of natural law

A
  • Protects human rights e.g. preservation of human life
  • Foundation of a stable society
  • Relatable
  • Uses reason- precepts are common sense
  • Objective- does not take into account feelings or emotions
  • Focuses on the potential of humanity- optimistic about human nature
54
Q

Weaknesses of natural law

A
  • Is Natural Law outdated? E.g. worshipping God
  • Many would argue that humans do not have a fixed human nature
  • Too optimistic- human nature is inherently flawed
  • An atheist would argue there is no rational system governing the world- no Eternal Law to participate in
55
Q

What does Nostra Aetate teach and when was it released and by who?

A

Pope Paul VI: Nostra Aetate (1965)

This teaches the importance of all religions, and the relationship of the church to these religions

56
Q

What does Humanae vitae teach and when was it released and by who?

A

Pope Paul VI: Humanae Vitae (1968)

The Catholic attitude towards artificial contraception and the significance of procreation

57
Q

What does Mulieris dignitatem teach and when was it released and by who?

A

Pope John Paul II: Mulieris Dignitatem (1988)

The significance of women in the Church and gender equality

58
Q

Catechism of the Catholic Church 101

A

‘To discover the truth we must consider the time and culture.’

59
Q

Why do Catholics reject sola scriptura?

A

.According to Catholic teaching, the Bible is central to Christianity, but it is not alone
.We can rely on other sources of moral authority as well as the Bible
.The Catholic theologian will point out an obvious difficulty with the sola scriptura understanding
.That is the Bible is a difficult book and needs interpretation
.For example, in the Ten Commandments, we are told not to kill, but in other parts of the Bible, the people of Israel are told to slaughter whole cities
.What should a Christian do? Is all violence forbidden (pacifism) or is violence sometimes justified?
.The Catholic theologian believes that the Bible must be interpreted
.We cannot simply sit down on our own and read off straightforward rules about how to live since, as we have seen, the Bible is complicated, and some parts of the Bible revise the understanding of previous parts
.So how can the Bible be interpreted?
.The Catholic Church says the answer is through a combination of prayerful reasoning and the teachings of the Church which is passed through the generations (tradition)

60
Q

In a nut shell, why do Catholics reject sola scriptura?

A

.The Catholic understanding is not Biblicist or sola scriptura
.The Bible is a difficult book and needs to be interpreted
.Church teaching (tradition) complements the Bible and gives us more understanding about how to live

61
Q

How do Catholics and protestants differ when it comes to total depravity?

A

.One of the central ideas in Catholic moral teaching is that humans are not totally depraved
.The idea of ‘total depravity’ is common to some forms of Protestant Christianity (especially Calvinism)
.In the Catholic Church’s understanding, however, all people – Christian or not – still have a moral sense of right and wrong
.In other words, human reason can still think correctly about what is right and wrong even if the Bible is not known, and even if that person does not know the teachings of the Church

62
Q

.One of the Biblical passages which form the basis of the teaching on the catholic view of total depravity is Romans 2:15:

A

“[God] will punish the unbeliever when they sin, even though they never had God’s written laws, for down in their hearts they know right from wrong. God’s laws are written within them; their own conscience accuses them…”

63
Q

.By following Natural Law we participate in what?

A

God’s purpose for us in the Eternal Law

64
Q

.Everyone can know that these are true moral principles since our deep sense of right and wrong has not been lost
.Our reason is still trustworthy in the basic rules of how to live
.Aquinas refers to this as what?

A

‘Right reason in accordance with human nature’.

65
Q

What is the conscience according to Catholics and Aquinas

A

.Aquinas treated conscience as the practical reason, which enables us to work out what we ought to do, and which enables people to look back on previous actions to reflect on whether they have acted wisely
.In Catholic understanding, conscience is the ability to discover the Natural Law
.Aquinas did not take conscience to be a source of moral knowledge but as a guide
.This means that Aquinas, unlike Luther and post-reformation thinkers, took conscience to be fallible
.For Aquinas, in some situations, we may be wrong in following our conscience as it can move us in the wrong direction/mislead us
.As a result of this, every rational person must train and develop their conscience through other moral authorities found in the Church

66
Q

In a nutshell, what is conscience to Catholics and Aquinas?

A

.The Church believes that a basic sense of right and wrong is part of every person
.There is a Natural Law that allows us to contribute and participate in God’s Eternal Law
.Every rational person must train and develop their conscience since conscience can be flawed

67
Q

.Aquinas thinks that reason is good enough for us to work out the basics
.However, it is not enough for us to know all the moral rules
.We need the ______ _______and the ___ ____ ____ ____
.Unless we have these, we will make mistakes

A

Bible (revelation)

teaching of the Church

68
Q

.The Church must complete the natural moral law (Human Law), how?

A

with its teachings and its interpretation of scripture

69
Q

.When the Church feels ready to make an idea or moral teaching official it will write a ____ ________which will express the official views of the Church

A

Papal Encyclical

70
Q

Why do Catholics believe that Papal Encyclials have authority over all members of the church?

A

.Since the Church believes that the Holy Spirit continues to guide and help the Church, this teaching has authority over all members of the Church

71
Q

CCC 2032

A

“To the Church belongs the right always and everywhere to announce moral principles”

72
Q

What were Aquinas’ secondary precepts?

A

.The Catholic Church would say that we need the teachings of the Church to live properly
.For example, it is not part of a person’s natural moral law that we should meet once a week and keep a day special and holy for God
.The Church thinks that we need God’s revelation in the Bible for that (it is one of the Ten Commandments to ‘keep the Sabbath day holy’)
.These are what Aquinas refers to as ‘secondary precepts.’

73
Q

In a nutshell, what is the magesterium?

A

.Conscience is a moral guide, not a moral authority. According to Catholicism, it can be fallible
.We need the teachings of the Church to live properly (Human Law) and the revelation found in the Bible (Divine Law)
.We use our reason to interpret this

74
Q

since the 1960s a radical strand of Catholic ethics has developed called Liberation Theology, why is its use contraversial?

A

it is critical of the hierarchy of the Church- the Magisterium

75
Q

What part of the bible were liberation theologists inspired by?

A

Liberation theologians are inspired by the biblical theme of liberation from Moses’ escape from Egypt to Jesus’ role as liberator

76
Q

What is liberative ethics?

A

.Liberative ethics is ‘ethics from below’, and begins with the transformation of the economic, social, and political conditions to liberate individuals from oppression

77
Q

Summarise the use of marxism in liberation theology

A

.Some liberation theologians have argued for the use of Marx as a way of analysing the economic conditions which have led to exploitation
.However, as Marxism is an atheist system and considers religion as a major source of exploitation, even minor use of it by liberation theologians has been strongly criticised by the Church’s Magisterium

78
Q

Why is the magestreium important?

A

 The magisterium is necessary to reflect the change in society within the Catholic Church, to push the Church forward into newer views, to consolidate Catholic beliefs and teachings, and to provide clear advice and teachings to its community

79
Q

.Although some Protestant Christians view the sola scriptura approach as the only one, many Protestants adopt a ______ approach

A

heteronomous

80
Q

In the protestant heteronomous ethics, the ____ remains the superior authority but there are other sources to aid with moral decisions

A

Bible

81
Q

the Church of England has the General Synod which is what?

A

a council of Bishops, that give guidance on issues

82
Q

.The Anglican tradition believes that the Bible is not one single document but what?

A

a series of reflections that evolved over time, and so too can the Church- e.g. issue of women priests

83
Q

Who is Stanley Hauerwas?

A

.Stanley Hauerwas is an American professor of Ethics and Theology and one of the most prolific writers of the 21st century
.Hugely influenced by Barth, he believes that Christian ethics are formed by the community

84
Q

What does Stanley Hauerwas believe?

A

.Augustine and other early Church Fathers have clearly shaped the way in which Christians think
.Augustine’s distinction between the City of Man and the City of God clearly shows how Christians should act
.After the Age of the Enlightenment, scholars such as Schleiermacher attempted to liberalise Christianity and make it fit with society since religion was declining in the Western World
.Christianity should not fit with society
.It’s ethics are distinctive
.Christians are not merely called to do what is right, or to observe the law, though these things are not irrelevant to being good
.Rather, for Christians the moral life is to be a journey through life remaining faithful to Christ
.Beliefs about God, Jesus, sin, the nature of human existence, and salvation are only understandable if they are seen against the background of the Church and its history
.Christian ethics are part of a narrative which develops out of the Bible and continues through Christian history
.The tradition does not end in the New Testament but continues to adapt according to situation

85
Q

What does Hauerwas believe the role of Christian Communities is?

A

.The role of Christian communities is to question society’s values by living and practicing Christian social virtues

86
Q

The best Stanley Hauerwas quote

A

“Jesus is Lord. Everything else is Bullshit.”

87
Q

How does Stanley Hauerwas’ quote “Jesus is Lord. Everything else is Bullshit.” fit with his understanding of Christian ethics?

A

.This fits with Hauerwas’ understanding of Christian Ethics as it shows that Jesus/God/Lord is the authority, their teachings should be seen as a source of authority, and everything else as a guide

88
Q

Christian VS Protestant Approach to Heteronomous ethics

A

Prot -
• Over 2000 years the Church has interpreted the Bible and this interpretation should guide people’s lives
• Churches are often governed by councils or synods that guide people in how to live
• The Church is the bridge between the first century and today and its journey is as important as the journey of the first Christians
• Preaching is a valid method of interpretation
• Prayer and worship are ways in which Christians use Scripture and therefore learn from it
• The Bible was written after Christianity had existed from some time and so what was written down was written down for the context of the authors

Catholic -
• The authority of the Church was given by Jesus to Peter and the apostles and itself already existed when the New Testament was put together
• Tradition comes from the spoken tradition given to the apostles and headed down over time
• Authentic interpretation of the Bible is one of the jobs of the Church, under the influence of the Holy Spirit
• ‘To the Church belongs the right always and everywhere to announce moral principles’ CCC 2032
• With this authority comes the assertion that there are moral absolutes, some things are simply wrong or right
• Humans are weak and sinful and therefore cannot rely on themselves to make moral decisions properly- the Bible and the Church are required

89
Q

Strengths of heteronomous ethics

A
  • It allows Christians to gain further advice on issues that are not covered by the Bible e.g. IVF
  • John Henry Newman, a Catholic cardinal and theologian, argued that conscience has more authority than the Pope since it predates the Bible
  • Hauerwas is right in saying that the Biblical tradition does not end with the Christians in the Bible. Ethics are continually informed by the community
  • The concept of God’s Eternal Law and humanity’s participation in it is supported by Biblical evidence (Romans 2:15)
  • In Matthew 16:18 Jesus refers to Peter as his ‘rock’ and gifts him the keys to Heaven. This clearly shows that the apostolic tradition has authority to give moral teachings
90
Q

Weaknesses of heteronomous ethics

A
  • Many Fundamentalist Christians would argue that only the word of God can be trusted
  • What can be considered as a legitimate source? Can Marxism really be used by Catholics?
  • Do some sources have more authority than others?
  • How do we determine when the Bible should be taken literally and when it should be interpreted?
  • If Hauerwas is correct, and the journey of Christian tradition is valid, can there be absolute right actions and wrong actions?
  • Historically there has been corruption within the Catholic Church. Surely this suggests that its apostolic tradition is flawed
91
Q

What are the three approaches to Christian ethics explained

A
  1. Theonomous ethics
    Theonomous ethics relies purely on the word of God. Theo = God. Christians who follow a theonomous perspective only use the Bible as a source of authority.
  2. Heteronomous ethics
    Heteronomous ethics uses a combination of moral sources as a form of authority. For example, Catholics use a combination of the Church’s teachings, the Bible and reason.
  3. Autonomous ethics
    Autonomous ethics does not rely on any sources. Christians who follow this approach believe that the only principle that needs to be followed is the principle of love.
92
Q

Why do some people prefer Autonomous Ethics?

A

.Many people would argue that absolutist ethics suggest there are clear black and white rules to all situations
.However, there are clear examples when this is not the case

93
Q

Why use love to make an ethical decision?

A

.For many Christians, love is the main principle that Jesus taught and therefore it is the most important commandment
.Love or agape (unconditional love) in its distinctive Christian form is summarised in Jesus’ self-sacrifice and his teachings on selflessness… ‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.’ John 15:12
.Love is a motivating factor which human reason has to decide how best to apply to other moral principles and situations, regardless of denomination
.People who follow an autonomous approach believe it is the only one that is necessary

94
Q

Who was Joseph Fletcher?

A

Joseph Fletcher was an American professor who founded the theory of situational ethics in the 1960s
.Fletcher was a leading academic proponent of the potential benefits of abortion and the right to die

95
Q

What did Fletcher believe about goodness?

A

.Fletcher believed that goodness is not revealed by God or a part of natural law, but a condition of being a human

96
Q

Fletcher believes that all human beings can agree on what is the most loving thing to do, what did he say?

A

‘love is the only universal’

97
Q

What does Fletcher mean by ‘love is the only universal’

A

.He means that love is a common theme that everyone, no matter what their background or nationality can understand when making moral decisions. If we act lovingly then our actions are morally right
.Christianity highlights the principle of love through Jesus’ teachings, but this does not mean it is unique

98
Q

There are four working principles to Joseph Fletcher’s theory of Situation Ethics, what are they?

A
  1. Pragmatism- what actions can be done to make the situation most loving
  2. Relativism- there are no absolute duties
  3. Positivism- laws are human, not God-given
  4. Personalism- all humans should be treated as persons
99
Q

Finish the Fletcher quote “People [with children with Down’s syndrome]… have no reason to feel guilty about …

A

… putting a Down’s syndrome baby away, whether it’s “put away” in the sense of hidden in a sanatorium or in a more responsible lethal sense. It is sad; yes. Dreadful. But it carries no guilt. True guilt arises only from an offense against a person, and a Down’s is not a person.“

100
Q

Finish the Hans Kung quote, ‘In the last resort, …

A

… a love of God without love of humanity is no love at all.’

101
Q

Who has Hans Kung?

A

.Hans Kung was a Swiss Catholic priest and theologian
.As a liberal Catholic he rejected the doctrine of papal infallibility and as a result, the Church removed his licence to teach in 1979

102
Q

What did Kung argue about Christians?

A

.Kung argued that there is nothing in the content of Christian ethics which could not be found elsewhere by anyone with good will
.He believed that Christians should have greater autonomy when making moral decisions than considering sources of authority

103
Q

.In the early 1990s, Küng initiated a project called Global Ethic, what was it and what did it result in?

A

which is an attempt at describing what the world’s religions have in common (rather than what separates them) and at drawing up a minimal code of rules of behaviour everyone can accept
.This resulted in a Declaration that was signed at the 1993 Parliament of the World’s Religions by religious and spiritual leaders from around the world

104
Q

.Kung argued that Christian ethics are not distinctive, and that all religions seek to what?

A

do good in the world

105
Q

Kung pointed to the example of Jesus, explain how/why?

A

.Jesus challenged rule based ethics and encouraged his disciples to make their own judgements
.This means they, and other Christians, should take personal responsibility for their actions, and not rely on sources of authority

106
Q

Kung would agree with Fletcher and argue that in some circumstances moral issues such as euthanasia should be tackled with decision making that can be contrary to what?

A

official Church teaching

107
Q

.Although euthanasia is against the Magisterium’s teachings, it is not against __ ______ _____ _____ to conclude that keeping someone alive against their own will cannot be morally right

A

Catholic reasoning and conscience

108
Q

Conservative theologians of the Catholic Church such as Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) or Hans Urs von Balthasar strongly disagreed with Kung’s writing, why?

A

believed it hugely undermined the Magisterium as a source of authority

109
Q

Strengths of autonomous approach

A
  • Relative- considers each situation and allows flexibility
  • Responded to cultural changes- Fletcher was aware that the approach would benefit people in a modern world
  • Personal responsibility- focuses on the good of humanity and encourages people to take responsibility for their actions rather than relying on institutions
  • Common to all societies- Kung believed that the principle of love is something that unites us, rather than divides us
  • Supported by Jesus- the approach is supported by Jesus’ teacher- to ‘love thy neighbour’
110
Q

Weaknesses of autonomous approach?

A
  • Impractical- although there is only one rule it seems difficult to enforce if there are multiple consequences
  • Undermines the Magisterium- Cardinal Ratzinger taught that the authority of the Church is enough to respond to cultural changes
  • Subjective- what is ‘love’? The concept of doing the most loving thing will be subjective for many
  • Insufficient- is ‘love’ sufficient to make an ethical decision? Most Christians would argue that a range of moral sources should be considered
111
Q

Karl Barth teaching and quote

A

Accused those who take a theonomous approach of Bibliolatry.

“The Bible… became like a paper Pope.”

112
Q

Stanley Haeuerwas teaching and quote

A

Ethics should come from the community- Christian ethics should continue to evolve and develop with the Church.
“Jesus is Lord. Everything else is bullshit.”

113
Q

Thomas Quinas teaching and quote

A

Reason should be used, and conscience should be trained through studying the teachings of the Church.
“It is evident that all things partake somewhat of the eternal law.”

114
Q

Joseph Fletcher teaching and quote

A

Every situation is judged relatively to the principle of agape.

“Love is the only universal.”

115
Q

Is Love Sufficient? Yes

A
  • Relative- considers each situation and allows flexibility
  • Responded to cultural changes- Fletcher was aware that the approach would benefit people in a modern world
  • Personal responsibility- focuses on the good of humanity and encourages people to take responsibility for their actions rather than relying on institutions
  • Common to all societies- Kung believed that the principle of love is something that unites us, rather than divides us
  • Supported by Jesus- the approach is supported by Jesus’ teacher- to ‘love thy neighbour’
116
Q

Is Love Sufficient? No

A
  • Impractical- although there is only one rule it seems difficult to enforce if there are multiple consequences
  • Undermines the Magisterium- Cardinal Ratzinger taught that the authority of the Church is enough to respond to cultural changes
  • Subjective- what is ‘love’? The concept of doing the most loving thing will be subjective for many
  • Insufficient- is ‘love’ sufficient to make an ethical decision? Most Christians would argue that a range of moral sources should be considered
117
Q

.Distinctive meaning

A

different from other groups

118
Q

.Two great scholars to use to say that Christian ethics are not distinctive would be who? Why?

A

Fletcher and Kung, since they argue that the principle of love is present within all communities

119
Q

.The Christian community is both a living community of Christians now and a communal group that stretches back over 2000 years
.The Bible is the story of those early communities, Jewish and Christian; and so perhaps Christian ethics is about a what more than what?

A

community expressing moral actions, more than an individual doing them

120
Q

.The idea of Christians building the Kingdom of God is one of building a community, but equally, a

A

community is made up of individuals

121
Q

.In the thinking of Natural Law, ethics is personal but has the ultimate intention of the overall good of society, which reinforces this point from a ______ perspective

A

Catholic

122
Q

Christian Ethics are Communal -

A

.The Bible needs to be read as the expression of how a community lives its life
.Communities work by rules being used and the rules found in the Bible are for the community
.For some Christians, the Bible should be shared and studied in group situations
.Jesus spoke to groups more than to individuals, such as the sermon on the mount – Hauerwas
.Any interpretation of the bible is done so in a community context- interpretations have changed over time with different communities – Anglican Church

123
Q

Christian Ethics are Personal -

A

.The Bible and Church teachings give individuals a way to live life according to their own needs – Catholic Church
.Some Christians apply reason on an individual level to circumstances – Aquinas
.The community focus is about worship and prayer, rather than ethics- that is up to the individual
.Situation ethics places the emphasis on the individual’s ethical decision-making – Fletcher
.Jesus spoke to individual circumstances e.g. the woman with the bleeding

124
Q

Theonomous (Sola Scriptura)

Strengths

A

.Good examples

.Bible is the word of God

125
Q

Theonomous (Sola Scriptura)

Weaknesses

A

.Sometimes contradicts itself
.Does not have the necessary ideas for modern day – its OLD, and so limited
.Can be interpreted wrong
.Controversial

126
Q

Heteronomous

Strengths

A

.Unifies Christians as there is a core set of beliefs
.Church has authority from God – keys to heaven = authority to teach
.Papal Infallibility

127
Q

Heteronomous

Weaknesses

A

.Sources may confuse
.What makes something an authority?
.Removes authority from God

128
Q

Autonomous

Strengths

A

.Relative- considers each situation and allows flexibility
.Responded to cultural changes- Fletcher was aware that the approach would benefit people in a modern world
.Personal responsibility- focuses on the good of humanity and encourages people to take responsibility for their actions rather than relying on institutions
.Common to all societies- Kung believed that the principle of love is something that unites us, rather than divides us
.Supported by Jesus- the approach is supported by Jesus’ teacher- to ‘love thy neighbour’
Fits with modern socsiety

129
Q

Autonomous

Weaknesses

A

.Impractical- although there is only one rule it seems difficult to enforce if there are multiple consequences
.Undermines the Magisterium- Cardinal Ratzinger taught that the authority of the Church is enough to respond to cultural changes
.Subjective- what is ‘love’? The concept of doing the most loving thing will be subjective for many
.Insufficient- is ‘love’ sufficient to make an ethical decision? Most Christians would argue that a range of moral sources should be considered

130
Q

How are Christian Ethics distinctive?

A

.Come from Bible

.The Magisterium

131
Q

How are Christian Ethics not distinctive?

A

.Global ethics
.Love is universal
.Golden rule
.Conscience/reason

A Level RE (29 decks)

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