We are asking (still) what are the normative moral precepts you are espousing.
I would assume that you would be in agreement if I suggested that one should not follow a set of moral rules without question. I therefore assume that you follow the moral guidelines that your church proscribes because of, not depite, the fact that you hold them to be correct.
That is, you have considered each in turn and have come to the conclusion that they are correct. And that they will form the basis of a moral life should you follow them. Despite the fact that there is the possibility of you failing to gain the keys to the kingdom should you fail to live up to them, you follow them because you believe them to be correct.
And if there are moral problems encountered that are not directly covered by the Catechism, or scripture or the words of Jesus, then you will find something from these sources that will give you guidance.
Incidentally, the reason that you, presumably, find these rules acceptable is that they come with reasons. It’s not like your dad used to tell you: just because I say so. The church will say: Do this because A, B and C. And do not do this because of X, Y and Z. And these reasons are entirely, well…reasonable. If they weren’t, then you wouldn’t accept them. And wouldn’t be a Catholic.
And reasons relate to evidence. At least in my world. That is, if there is something I shouldn’t do and there are reasons for it, there will be evidence to support those reasons. Otherwise we are just back to your dad and do what I say because I say it.
Now if you don’t agree with any of this, then you can skip the next bit. Because we will be forever talking past each other.
I get my morality from doing the same as you. Either being told that something is wrong or reading it and then considering whether it appears reasonable by examining the evidence. And my guess is that we would agree on almost everything. Someone could pose a moral problem and we would reach the same answer. In the process perhaps quoting from someone who had already solved the problem and had offered reasonable evidence to back it up.
On some occasions I might quote the same example as would you, from scripture (I was brought up as a Christian and I was never told anything in regard to morals on which I didn’t agree). In regard to others I might give a different example. But we would both agree with the moral stance whoever said it.
So, apart from matters such as SSM and sex outside marriage and contraception to give a brief list of areas where we might disagree (and you might notice a common thread there), what is the difference between your system of morals and mine?
Well, it would seem that any given Catholic would say he or she is obliged to follow the moral rules of the church whereas I can simply choose to follow what I believe or not. So does that mean you cannot choose? But, as we have seen above, haven’t you already? Did you simply become a Catholic because of the bells and whistles and then later sat down and thought: ‘Righto, what am I now supposed to believe…’.
I would really like to think that you are a Catholic BECAUSE you agree with what the Catholic church stands for, not that you are a Catholic and must THEREFORE agree with what the church stands for.
There is another reason which involves post mortem punishment. But being an atheist, I have no expectations in that regard so I am free to ignore it. Horrors! So you can actually do what you want with no fear of puishment!
Well, no fear of eternal punishment. Yeah, quite correct. I may live my life stealing and murdering and committing all types of crimes against humanity and the only punishment I am likely to get is in the here and now. At least, that is what I believe. I may be wrong. But I don’t try my best to live a moral life because I might be wrong. I do it because it’s what makes me a moral person.
