Good conduct and key moral principles Flashcards
(29 cards)
Why good conduct is important
- Christians should obey the teachings contained in the Bible which is the word of God
- Christians give glory to God by the way in which they live
- Individual good conduct will be rewarded with eternal life in heaven
Justification
to be counted by God as righteous and so able to have a relationship with God
Justification by faith in the thinking of Paul
- because of original sin, it is impossible for humans to earn a good relationship with God
- only God’s grace makes this possible
- humans are invited to respond to God’s offer of salvation with faith
- the believer is then at peace with God and is able to live a life pleasing to God
Justification by faith in the thinking of Martin Luther
- proclaimed the doctrine of sola fide
- the faith of the believer is passive; justification comes by what God achieves through the atoning death of Jesus
- good conduct was the expression of a person’s faith, but it had no saving value
Justification by works
- faith on its own is useless
- faith is expressed through works
e.g. Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son for God - many Christians accept the need for works because of Jesus’ teaching in the parable of the sheep and the goats - judgement will be based on the individual’s help for or failure to help those in need
Justification by faith and works
- justification is God’s gift to humanity
- it is given through the atoning death of Jesus and through baptism
- the power of the Holy Spirit enables us to live good lives
- responding to God’s grace by living in a way that pleases Gos is an integral part of the process of salvation
Predestination
the belief that all events, including the fate of humans after death, have been decided by God from eternity
Predestination in the teaching of Paul
- Paul’s letter to the Romans seems to imply that God has decided in advance who will be justified
- because he is omniscient, God knows what individuals will freely choose and so in that sense salvation is predestined
- some people are predestined to ‘conform to the image of God’ - God predestined some people to good moral conduct
Predestination in the teaching of Augustine
- Augustine believed that God infallibly knows who will be saved
- human goodness is the result and not the cause of election
- humans cannot understand the will of God i.e. why he chose to save some and not others
- God predestines some to his Kingdom whilst leaving others in their sinful state to be consigned to hell as punishment
Election
the Christian belief that God has chosen certain individuals for salvation before the creation of the world
Pelagius’s views on predestination
claimed that belief in predestination was incompatible with belief in free will
Predestination in the teaching of Calvin
- took Augustine’s thinking to its logical conclusion and taught about double predestination
- God decided before creation who would be saved and who would be damned to hell
- election is an act of grace as all humanity deserves damnation due to original sin
Double predestination
the Calvinist belief that God both chose some humans for salvation and condemned others to eternal damnation
Why the doctrine of predestination may be opposed
- the doctrine makes God unjust
- does not conform with Jesus’ portrayal of God as forgiving and loving
- cannot be reconciled with concept of free will
Sanctity of Life
the belief that life is holy/sacred to God and has intrinsic value, and so should be valued no matter the quality
Strong Sanctity of Life principle
all humans have an absolute right to life that must never be taken away e.g. by abortion or euthanasia
Weak Sanctity of Life principle
although human life is sacred to God and the SOL principle must always be taken into account, the situation must also be taken into account
- usually combined with the QOL principle, which considers a person’s capacity for self-fulfilment and dignity of life etc.
Application of SOL to embryo research and abortion - strong SOL
- personhood begins at conception, and there is a continuous development of life from conception to birth
- from conception, there is an absolute right to life and protection
- embryo research exploits the embryo’s inability to give consent
- destruction of embryos is tantamount to murder
Application of SOL to embryo research and abortion - weak SOL
- from fertilisation, the being has the right to respect because of its potential to become a living human being
- providing strict controls are in place (e.g. 14-day cutoff point), embryo research is morally acceptable as it is a responsible use of God-given skills
- although abortion is a great moral evil, it might be the lesser of two evils when the mother’s life is in danger, the pregnancy was a result of rape or the child would suffer from a severe medical condition
Positives of the Sanctity of Life principle
- promotes respect for human life
- encourages protection of the vulnerable
- true to Jesus’ teachings on agape and compassion
- weak form recognises that moral decision-making is complex and there are some exceptional circumstances
Negatives of the Sanctity of Life principle
- ignores science which states that humans are simply evolved animals
- promotes anthropocentrism
- views on abortion promote patriarchal views in which women do not have equal rights to men
- strong form may be seen as unloving and lacking in compassion
ius ad bellum principles
- the war must have a just cause
- proportionality (whether benefits match expected harm)
- must be a last resort
- must have a reasonable probability of success
- must have the right intention
- must be authorised by legitimate authority
ius in bello principles
- proportionality (means are proportionate to the end)
- discrimination (non-combatants are not targeted)
Application of Just War theory to WMDs
- (discrimination) use of WMDs can never discriminate, as they are equally likely to kill non-combatants as they are to destroy military targets
- (proportionality) harm done can never be proportionate to the good that is aimed at and using WMDs is not proportionate to ends desired
- (probability of success) range of damage could be as deadly to aggressors as to intended victims
