Good conduct and key moral principles

Question 1

What is predestination?

Answer 1

In theology, predestination is the belief that all events are willed by God. Implies that good conduct is good simply because God willed it to be that way.
Also stemmed from beliefs about God’s nature as omnipotent and omniscient

Question 2

What does the Bible say about predestination?

Answer 2

In the Bible, there is a passage with Paul, where he says that God predestined some people to lead Christ-like lives, so this life is not their choice, but God’s will

Question 3

What are the problems with predestination?

Answer 3

• A problem with this belief is that it clashes with the idea of human free will, which many believe we have as we are made in the image of God
• If humans choose to freely reject God, then torment awaits them (which makes the choice seem hardly free at all)
• If God predestines people for heaven or hell, then we have to question the goodness of God

Question 4

What does Pelagius say about predestination?

Answer 4

Pelagius argued that everything God created was good, so it was impossible for humans to be born with original sin. He believed ‘grace’ was God’s gift of free will and that predestination was moral nonsense.

Question 5

What did Augustine say about predestination?

Answer 5

Augustine argued, however, that God predestines some people to heaven through his grace, but leaves others immersed in their sin to be condemned to hell through both their choices and works

Question 6

What did Calvin say about predestination?

Answer 6

Calvin reaffirmed Augustine’s doctrine of double predestination by declaring that some are ordained to glory, through the sheer will of God, and the rest are ordained to eternal torment

Question 7

What are three scholars related to predestination?

Answer 7

Pelagius
Augustine
Calvin

Question 8

What are the principles of ius ad bellum?

Answer 8

1. There has to be a just cause
2. War can only be declared by a legitimate authority
3. War must be fought with the right intention
4. There has to be a reasonable probability of success
5. War must be the last resort
6. There must be proportionality (in benefits expected to the expected harm caused)

Question 9

What are the principles of ius in bello?

Answer 9

1. There has to be a principle of discrimination- non-combatants must not be directly attacked
2. Proportionality of means to ends- the means used to fight the war must be proportionate to the ends required

Question 10

What is the sanctity of life principle?

Answer 10

• Means that life is holy or sacred to God
• Supported by the idea that we are born “in the image of God”
• Human life has intrinsic value, so it is valuable in itself

Question 11

What is a strong sanctity of life principle?

Answer 11

argues that all human life is sacred to God, so contraception and euthanasia are immoral

Question 12

What is a weak sanctity of life principle?

Answer 12

human life is sacred to God, but the situation must also be taken into account when making a decision