good conduct + key moral principles Flashcards
What is justification?
Eschatological (after death/time)
What does Paul say about justification by faith in 3:20?
No human will be justified in God’s eyes by works of the law bc for humans to be counted as righteous doesn’t mean they ‘earn’ righteousness
What can righteousness not be? Why?
Can’t be ‘earned’ by following the law bc all humans have sinned (original sin) + fallen short of what they should be
What does it mean to be judged ‘righteous’ by God?
It can only be a free gift by God’s grace - this gift is redeeming humanity through Jesus’ sacrifice
What did Martin Luther propose regarding justification by faith?
Sola fide - justification by faith alone
What did Luther claim about good works?
Good works are the result of being a faithful Christian; but faith is relevant to salvation
What did the council argue in response to Luther?
Faith was to bring ‘fellowship’ w Jesus; but faith can’t achieve that function unless it was combined w hope + charity
What is James’ argument basically saying about faith? Give an example?
What’s faith wo works? If a child is starving + someone says they love them wo doing anything, then it’s useless
What does the parable of the sheep + goats tell us about justification?
The sheep go to heaven bc they fed the hunger, visited there sick etc
The goats failed to live up to these examples
What is predestination?
All human choices, actions etc have been willed by God
What does Paul imply in Romans about predestination?
God predestines some ppl to good moral conduct bc he predestined some ppl to ‘be conformed to the image of his Son’
What issue does predestination pose?
The problem of free will
What does it mean if ppl do good thinks out of fear of punishment?
It’s not in a sense a free choice; obedience is through fear rather than faith
What’s the problem with free will and hell?
If humans freely choose to reject God then torment awaits them; not a free choice
If humans are God’s children; what parent would offer their children this choice + think its good?
What is the question of good conduct + predestination?
Why should humans have good conduct if God’s predestined them to heaven or hell
What did Pelagius argue?
Everything God created was good so God couldn’t have created humanity in a state of original sin
What does Augustine argue about double predestination?
God predestines some to God’s Kingdom through his grace BUT
Leaves others immersed in their sin to be condemned to hell through their choice + works
What does Paul preach about in Romans?
God foreknows who will freely accept him so these are predestined to salvation; those who reject him will die + cease to exist
What is sanctity?
Holy/sacred to God
What does human life have acc to the Sanctity of Life Principle? What does this mean?
Intrinsic value
Value for its own sake
What is the strong sanctity of life principle?
All human life is sacred to God + its morally impermissible to allow contraception, abortion or euthanasia for ANY REASON
What is the weak sanctity of life principle?
All human life is sacred to God + sanctity of life must be taken into consideration w issues of life + death BUT so does the situation
What’s an example of the quality of life principle?
Someone who’s on a life support machine w no real hope of recovery + has shown a clear wish not to be on a machine; the sanctity of life principle may no longer apply
What does the strong sanctity life principle say about status of embryo’s?
Personhood begins at the point of conception; all necessary genetic material that’ll form the person born is already present
What wouldn’t ppl do in terms of Jesus’ conception?
Ppl wouldn’t suggest that Jesus at conception was a legit. target for embryo experimentation/abortion
What does the strong sanctity of life principle believe about embryo experimentation?
It’s extremely immoral despite future benefits + potential - it’s equivalent to murder
What does the strong sanctity of life principle also argue about genetic selection?
Although it means parents can check for genetic conditions; it can contribute to a dystopia where parents can create a super race
SSOLP values all children for what they are
What does the Strong sanctity of life principle argue about abortion? give an example
It destroys the fact that humans were created in gods image
E.g. in the case of rape, the child’s ‘sanctity of life’ can override the ‘quality of life’ of the mother
What did Poland want to do?
Make all abortions illegal w the mother facing up to 5 years in prison
What does the Church of England say about abortion?
In the case of rape or if the mothers life is in danger, or if she/the child may suffer abuse quality of life can override the embryo’s sanctity of life
What do Protestant Christians say?
Quality of life principle applies to the foetus too: if the foetus will be subj. to severe mental/physical disability
What does the Church of England allow? Why?
Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis + embryo experimentation under strict cntrl
God given knowledge should be used, where possible to impr. human condition
What’s jus ad bellum?
A condition where it’s legit. to go to war
What’s jus in bello?
Rules under which war must be fought once it’s begun
What are the 6 jus ad bellum principles?
- Has to be a just cause
- Can only be declared by a legit. authority
- Fought w right intention
- Reasonable probability of success
- War must be a last resort
- Must be proportionality
What are the 2 ius in bello principles?
- Discrimination: non combatants mustn’t be directly attacked
- Proportionality of means to an end
What are the 3 weapons of mass destruction?
Nuclear weapons
Chemical weapons
Biological weapons
Give an example of a nuclear weapon incident? What does this do?
Chernobyl
Environmental effect, lethal radiation, heat would reach up to several million degrees
Give examples of chemical weapons? What are the effects?
Mustard gas, cyanide, sarin, VX
Injury/death
VX gas can make a combat no go area so human/animal life forms would be inevitable casualties
What is biological warfare?
Bacteria/viruses - insects used to deliver infections through bites etc
Contamination of water/food
What do theologians say about weapons of mass destruction + discrimination?
They won’t discriminate: equally likely to kill non combatants than military targets
So they breach the Just War principle of discrimination
What is said about weapons of mass destruction + proportionality?
Breaches jus ad bellum + jus in bello bc the damage caused can never be proportionate to the good it’s aimed at
What relevance is the probability of success w weapons of mass destruction?
Can cause a mass amount of casualties + environmental destruction on both sides
Current progress in WOMD may make it possible for us to destroy Earth entirely in a few decades
No probability of success
Why can’t the Just War theory be applied to weapons of mass destruction?
Bc the evil caused by them would be un-proportionate to the hope for good effects
What do some Christians think about WOMD?
They can’t be destroyed + countries won’t give up nuclear weapons
What is dominion?
Humans have a right over animals
What is the idea of dominion as unrestricted power over animals?
Humans were made ‘little less than God’ w dominion over what he made
Humans were created in imago Dei
Earth is to be ruled by humans
What effect does the idea of dominion as unrestricted power over animals cause?
Detrimental to the care of the environment + animals aren’t valued w care but for how useful they are to animals
What does Dominion as caring stewardship over animals + environment mean?
Humans are caretakers of God’s creation who are fully responsible in what they do
