"The Church respects the fact that you must follow your conscience."

[Verisimilitude]

I liked this exchange.
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=150767

Well asked and answered.

But where can that lead to, following your conscience? Where has it? (rhetorical)

Is conscience inherently undefiled? Some people might be more aware of it than others, and some may not recognize/reflect on any moral boundaries such as murder but I think it’s there.

I’m watching a news program about the Iraq war that shows a suicide/murder-bomber agaisnt the US military. Not to argue the war, but does/has the conscience of such a person get/been defiled? Such a one was following their passion, which does not always agree with conscience.

Things can shock the conscience. I saw a very graphic picture of a WTC jumper that I wish now I had never seen. The sexual abuse of a child violates the victims conscience long after the abuse. Even though some may learn to diminish any effect of conscience by shocking it and/or lack of use does not change the those sensibilities.

Maybe because I recognize my own I think it true that the killer and the abuser also recognized the same moral line but crossed anyway. And not mortal sin alone, but all the way down to the little cheating of not working because I’m on CAF is affecting it. Even though some may learn to diminish any effect of conscience by shocking it and/or lack of use does not change the those sensibilities.

Maybe easier said than done, but should we follow our conscience? Is it a True guide?

 

[StCsDavid]

Conscience has to be formed and exercised. There was a time in my life when I thought capital punishment was great; pre-marital sex was good; and that the Church was out of step with reality. My conscience was malformed. By the grace of God and a willingness to cooperate with that grace, I’ve since formed my conscience where the aforementioned beliefs are now put in their proper light, or darkness if you will.

I can also freely admit that while I lived my sinful life, deep down I knew what I was doing wasn’t quite right. I suspect the same is true for the suicide bombers. Somewhere they know what they are doing is inherently wrong, but they’ve been so brainwashed or are so utterly hopeless or are so high on opium that they don’t allow themselves to listen to that part of their inner voice.

For me, the Church and Christ’s teachings serve as a check and balance for my own conscience. Faith allows me to believe that Christ and the Church have my best interest in mind so when my conscience conflicts with Church teaching, it’s easier to risk error on the side of the Church then my own reasoning. I know that rubs against the grain of many in our relative, individualistic, humanist culture, but my conscience is clean. I sleep well most nights.

 

[dylanschrader]

People frequently misunderstand what the conscience is. The conscience is the faculty by which we apply moral principles to concrete situations.

The conscience does not come up with the moral principles; it applies them to real situations.

An excellent guide to this is Veritatis Splendor, an encyclical of John Paul II.

 

[Justin_A]

Conscience has to be formed and exercised.

I agree with this. Your conscience is, or should be, a reliable tool to help you make the right choices. However our conscience isn’t always formed properly. I follow my conscience in maters that might be iffy to me, but at the same time I’m not a blinde follower.
I find that it helps to make shure my conscience is on the right track by also keeping in mind what Christ would do.

So basically: use your concience, it can help you,
but at the same time be careful, satan often try’s to pervert what is good.

 

[1ke]

The Church does not teach that one must follow just any old conscience.

The Church teaches one must follow their **well-formed **conscience and that one has a **duty **to form their conscience **in accordance with **Church teaching.

 

[Genesis315]

It bears pointing out that we receive truth by faith and reason. We use conscience in order to choose how to act in a concrete situation given the the truth that is known.

St. Catherine of Siena explained it well I think. She compared conscience to a guard dog who barks and growls at evil and wags his tail at good. However, he has to be fed with the word of God as handed down by the Church, otherwise he can become weak and non-responsive–or even die completely!

 

[Genesis315]

The Constitution Gaudium et Spes from the Second Vatican Council also says this well:

Hence the more right conscience holds sway, the more persons and groups turn aside from blind choice and strive to be guided by the objective norms of morality. Conscience frequently errs from invincible ignorance without losing its dignity. The same cannot be said for a man who cares but little for truth and goodness, or for a conscience which by degrees grows practically sightless as a result of habitual sin.

 

[Ruthie]

StCsDavid has told my story, too.

I went from being a moral relativist, to a liberal Christian, to discerning a call to Catholicism, to joining the H.L.S. Club.

My conscience is now formed by the teachings of the Catholic Church, which I now swallow Hook, Line, and Sinker (hence the HLS Club). I looked at the reasons behind the Church teachings that were contrary to my strongly held beliefs, and *discerned *that She was right. Now, if I disagree with Her, I just figure I’m wrong, and will learn why in due course.

God bless us all, and convert the hearts of all us men,

Ruthie

 

[Highwayhound]

The Church does not teach that one must follow just any old conscience.

The Church teaches one must follow their **well-formed **conscience and that one has a **duty **to form their conscience **in accordance with **Church teaching.

Precisely

 

[jujubee]

St. Catherine of Siena explained it well I think. She compared conscience to a guard dog who barks and growls at evil and wags his tail at good. However, he has to be fed with the word of God as handed down by the Church, otherwise he can become weak and non-responsive–or even die completely!

Where would I find a quote or source for that? That’s awesome!

 

[Psychotheosophy]

Conscience has to be formed and exercised.

I agree with this. Your conscience is, or should be, a reliable tool to help you make the right choices. However our conscience isn’t always formed properly. I follow my conscience in maters that might be iffy to me, but at the same time I’m not a blinde follower.
I find that it helps to make shure my conscience is on the right track by also keeping in mind what Christ would do.

So basically: use your concience, it can help you,
but at the same time be careful, satan often try’s to pervert what is good.

We sense that existence is our goal
And nonexistence is not
Since existence is the principle of logic
Logic confirms our “sense”
Illogic does not

 

[Psychotheosophy]

We sense that existence is our goal
And nonexistence is not
Since existence is the principle of logic
Logic confirms our “sense”
Illogic does not

Though sense and logic can fail
if it lacks relevant information
which can only be made consciously existent
by existence