Unit 2 - Nature of reality: Conscience and Moral Consequence and Soul-making and Judgement

Question 1

What does the moral argument believe?

Answer 1

• Cardinal John Newman said that our sense of guilt when we do something wrong is the voice of God speaking through our conscience
• It is God who enabled each person to know right from wrong
• When people do something wrong, they become aware of it within themselves
• If there was no God humans wouldn’t have this inner sense of right and wrong

Question 2

Who is the philosopher for the Conscience and Moral Consequence argument?

Answer 2

Cardinal John Newman

Question 3

QUOTE FROM CARDINAL JOHN NEWMAN (SWA)

Answer 3

‘CONSCIENCE IS THE VOICE OF GOD’

Question 4

Who is the main philosopher for the soul-making argument?

Answer 4

John Hick

Question 5

What did John Hick believe?

Answer 5

• Similar to Irenaeus
• In this life humans have to make decisions about what is right to do in any given situation
• Suffering and evil are opportunities for humans to learn and to act in a way that would best please God
• Through this process people can become more like God, who’s perfectly good
• This process would continue after death, meaning that every person continues on their journey to goodness after death
• Often referred to as the soul-making argument because through moral decisions a person’s soul is able to develop

Question 6

What’s the difference between Irenaeus and Hick’s beliefs on the soul-making theodicy?

Answer 6

Hick’s theodicy is based on the same one as Irenaeus. However, Hick further developed the theory, called the ‘vale’ of soul-making.

Question 7

Why do some Christians reject the soul-making argument?

Answer 7

• It doesn’t fit with the belief that God judges people after death
• Doesn’t include the teaching that after death a person’s soul will be sent to heaven or hell, which many Christians believe
• Christians do believe that moral behaviour will have an impact on God’s judgement of people
• Those who are kind and do good works are rewarded with afterlife in heaven
• Those who have been less caring and failed to act in a loving manner are sent away from God for eternity
• The choices they make in this life are believed to have a direct impact on their afterlife and this belief should influence their behaviour

Question 8

Are scholars SWA for 15 markers?

Answer 8

NO
MUST USE BIBLE QUOTES, NOG OR QUOTES FROM SCHOLARS!!!!