Conscience: Is Personal Conviction Enough?
The story of the good Samaritan in the Gospel of Luke (10: 25–37) is an example of how an unloved Samaritan acted out of conscience by helping an injured stranger left on the road. Such acts of compassion may have been motivated by an “inner voice” to do what is right. Conscience guides our actions to do what is right and wrong. There are several acts of conscience in our modern world including whistle-blowers, freedom fighters, and conscientious objectors.
Is personal conviction enough?
Others may think that it is enough to judge right and wrong using one’s intuition. But it’s hardly enough. If we use purely personal principles to dictate our actions, we are bound to err because we are humans after all.
While it is certain that conscience is an excellent guide for our actions, our personal principles must be guided by right principles.
God’s Law provides us with a moral compass to determine what is good and bad (positivist). It also teaches us to do what we ought to do (normative). Based on our human nature, we have the intellectual capacity which enable us to judge rationally.
It is the Moral Law that takes place in our conscience and helps us to know what is good or evil in our actions.
One commandment tells us that “You shall not steal” but if we were to steal goods from a jewellery shop that would be against the 7th commandment. Likewise if we commit murder that is against the 5th commandment.
Individual Conscience Does Not Create Moral Law
The moral law is not based on our individual sense of right and wrong. It is through our conscience that we can attain the knowledge of the law and from which basis we judge our actions.
Nowadays, people follow their individual conscience independent from moral law. They view that personal principles are above objective moral law. The danger of this view is that a person’s subjective opinion or argument becomes the norm for judging his or her actions.
What happens is that the self or ego is put on top of God’s place. Do you wonder why even some good Catholics, who are pious, decide based on individual conscience on issues contrary to the position of the Church. For instance, there’s a case of a church-going mother working in Paris as a domestic helper advising her daughter in the Philippines to use artificial contraception to prevent unwanted pregnancies with her live-in boyfriend.
Although it is always correct to follow one’s conscience, it does not mean that it is free from error. If the conscience has doubt, it has to be resolve first before acting on it.
The formation of conscience is vital in leading a good life.
One way to form our conscience is by studying the Moral Law and all aspects of it. We have to know the Moral Law to be able to use correctly. For instance, in the legal milieu, magistrates or judges study all aspect of the law. They must have a complete knowledge of the law so that their application of its precepts in a given judgement has sound basis.
However, a theoretical knowledge and understanding of the Moral Law is not enough. The law has to be lived. By following the precepts of the moral law, despite its difficulty and challenges, is a sure way to develop our conscience. By living the law, we can make our judgements clearer and stronger.
If we are to run a 42 KM marathon, we need to train steadily on a regular basis until we develop the strength and the muscles to run the race. Just imagine if we were to run in a marathon without preparation, we might expire by the first kilometre. Regular practice of prudence is like training the body for harder hurdles. On the contrary, if one yields easily to what is easy and repeatedly violates the dictates of his or her conscience, it is likely that the conscience can become deformed, lose its clarity and firmness in distinguishing good and evil. Would you drive a car in heavy fog in the highway without clear vision?
Another way to form one’s conscience, apart from dedicated study and regular examination of conscience is through spiritual direction. A regular chat with a priest or having a good confession where you can talk about your spiritual struggles and hearing the advice from the priest is helpful. The sacrament also frees us from sin and as well as guilt.
We can also talk about the same struggles in confidence with a reliable and trust-worthy friend who has sound formation and upright life to help us in forming the conscience.
A well-formed conscience will give us the courage and the strength not to be easily swayed by public opinion or popular beliefs which may be in conflict with the good and the truth.
Reflection:
Do I examine my conscience regularly before retiring to bed by asking for the grace to know our faults and right actions in our relationship with God and fellowmen, and in our duties at work?
Related Articles
- The Ability to Make Good Choices (jboygonzalessj.wordpress.com)
- Pope John Paul – One Cannot Give Into the Divorce Mentality (deaconjohnspace.wordpress.com)
- Past Sins vs. Cleansed Conscience (jacquelynwoolard.com)
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