Written on the Heart

[gakroeger]

I posted the following on “Ask an Apologist” today. I do not know if it will be responded to, however, I would be interested in others thoughts on this issue…

My question pertains to the understanding that moral law (right and wrong) are written on the human heart by our creator and we are judged by how we follow this moral law. Even human beings who were never exposed to scripture or formal education of any kind are expected to follow moral law and are judged accordingly.

I can somewhat understand how many Catholics today can seem to override this moral law and their Catholic education by convincing themselves that the sin they are addicted to is not that serious and that the church’s teachings on it are wrong. My confusion and my question is how whole religions (such as radical Islam) can be so contrary to moral law (murdering anyone who disagrees with them) and so many basically good individuals can override the moral law on such a massive scale. Some of these individuals such as Al Qaeda terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui seem to be as dedicated to their warped cause as any Catholic martyr. Does the devil have such tremendous power or is there another explanation, and if so what are the hopes of such individuals for salvation?

 

[Trishie]

Good question; and I’ll let others give you the reasoned, scripture based, and intelligent responses.
What leapt into my mind is just a detail, a glimpse, a few words from a seven year old unbaptised boy who wasn’t being raised as a Christian. I noted the below in my journal:

As the planes doomed by the suicide high-jackers sped towards their targets on that awful day, mobile calls from passengers on board carried messages of loving wishes to their families. Are these things not a triumph of the Spirit?

Even in the heart of a child horrified by images of the events seen unfolding on television with his disbelieving family before school, God’s love triumphed in the face of destruction, fear, and evil.

That afternoon of September 11, 2001, as we called into the Blessed Sacrament chapel at Corpus Christi Catholic Church, my grandson Aiden, seven years old, stopped by the statue of an Angel (a memorial for aborted babies) to pray for the children on the planes used as bombs by the terrorists. (Grandma, this statue is for children… Could we please pray for the children on the planes?" Later as we resumed our journey home along the pavement, he commented: “****Grandma, I don’t think that anyone is really bad. I think that sometimes people make terrible mistakes. And they are really sorry, they can still go to Heaven.” ****

Thank You God for the love and goodness that You infuse even in the hearts of small children. (It was due to my son and daughter-in-law’s kindness that I was in America at this time.)

All the best with the responses. God bless you, Trishie

 

[vz71]

Whole organizations can run contrary because it feels good to have a place or person to hate. It is a comfort to believe your problems are not yours, but are caused by someone or something (that you can hurt).

Loving others in spite of faults is always more difficult then letting the negative emotions run wild.

Just my thoughts…

 

[Benadam]

Isn’t the law written on our hearts a projection of self onto other’s? The ability to put one’s self in another’s place. This ability is in large part a consciousness that develops as our sense of self develops. Sense of self is very dependent on the maternal care we received. To have a well developed sense of ‘other’ we need a well developed sense of self.

In a real and certain way whoever mother’s us is responsible for our ability to think " I will do this for so and so because if so and so were me I would want someone to do this for me.

The law if you remember, is wrapped up in Loveing God wholeheartedly and your neighbor as yourself.

The law is written on our hearts but our hearts are brought to light by the maternal bond.

 

[Prodigal_Son1]

I posted the following on “Ask an Apologist” today. I do not know if it will be responded to, however, I would be interested in others thoughts on this issue…

My question pertains to the understanding that moral law (right and wrong) are written on the human heart by our creator and we are judged by how we follow this moral law. Even human beings who were never exposed to scripture or formal education of any kind are expected to follow moral law and are judged accordingly.

I can somewhat understand how many Catholics today can seem to override this moral law and their Catholic education by convincing themselves that the sin they are addicted to is not that serious and that the church’s teachings on it are wrong. My confusion and my question is how whole religions (such as radical Islam) can be so contrary to moral law (murdering anyone who disagrees with them) and so many basically good individuals can override the moral law on such a massive scale. Some of these individuals such as Al Qaeda terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui seem to be as dedicated to their warped cause as any Catholic martyr. Does the devil have such tremendous power or is there another explanation, and if so what are the hopes of such individuals for salvation?

Hello Gakroeger,

I noticed you said you posted this on the Ask an Apologist forum today and weren’t sure if it would be responded too. I just wanted to let you know that you must have made a mistake somehow, because your profile only shows you’ve posted a total of 1 post and that was this thread.

The moral law written on our hearts is our basic knowledge of right and wrong. We know through this law that it’s not right to steal from someone, it’s not right to committ adultery with someone’s wife, it’s wrong to murder someone, etc.

Whether they would admit it or not, this is how atheists claim a moral life, because as I said we all know right from wrong. They may prefer to call it common sense but it’s still the same. Their common sense in my opinion is derived from the moral law written on their heart.

To know right from wrong does not keep the free will of mankind from doing wrong. Once you get into a religious life the moral law becomes enhanced and possibly corrupted by the religious life one chooses to follow.

I believe the Lord simplified all laws when he told us to love one another as he loved us. If we loved everyone as he loved us we would not steal from them, lie to them, murder them, etc.

Because of this above paragraph, I do not see Catholic martyrs as being warped. They loved to the point they preferred to be sacrificed and forgive those who harmed them than to fight back, lie to live, etc.

I have trouble with religions who find it alright to kill someone rather than convert them using love because I think the moral law of loving God is evident through his love for us.

Maybe I’m lucky to have discerned which religion to follow through my spiritual seeking of God. My Lord teaches me not to judge others, lest I be judged. He is appointed judge rightly so because he knows all things.

May the peace of the Lord be with you.
Prodigal Son1

 

[fhansen]

It’s like asking why would anyone sin? Because we’re filled with ignorance, truths, half-truths, and outright lies. Because in this world anything goes since here we’re cut off from the source of morality. Only God knows the truth about what’s right for man and man can be nearer or farther from that truth but never perfectly aligned with it simply because Adam & Eve chose to disbelieve God and decide for themselves what was right and wrong. Determining morality for themselves was the first wrongful act and all others followed from that first one. And the history of the world we live in is the legacy of that sin and all the sins that followed.

The confusion, the disagreement about the right way to be, is simply proof of Original Sin because in an innocent world there would never be disagreement on such matters. All sin is committed by people who think they’re in some way doing a good thing when committing it.

Yes, we have the laws written in our minds and on our hearts-this is called our conscience-but it can be buried deep. Gods’ desire is to sort of re-write them, in bold this time, by awakening our consciences to the truths He already placed there-to make them “natural” for us again. That’s why one of the OT prophecies, from Jer, is said to be fulfilled by the New Covenant in Hebrews 8:

**10This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds
and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
11No longer will a man teach his neighbor,
or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest.
**
Knowledge of the true God, and knowledge of correct objective morality, apparently go hand in hand.

 

[iaskquestions]

Some of these individuals such as Al Qaeda terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui seem to be as dedicated to their warped cause as any Catholic martyr. Does the devil have such tremendous power or is there another explanation, and if so what are the hopes of such individuals for salvation?

Yes, the devil does have a great deal of power to deceive.

Some people have their consciences, but the devil deceives them into doing wrong while giving them the impression that they’re doing right, but still, a person who obeys his conscience will realize that he is being deceived, but, out of his wickedness, he may choose to disobey his conscience for what is seemingly right in his eyes.

There are some others,** who willingly disobey their conscience**. They don’t allow conscience to exist! There will be no salvation for such people.

 

[Benadam]

My confusion and my question is how whole religions (such as radical Islam) can be so contrary to moral law (murdering anyone who disagrees with them) and so many basically good individuals can override the moral law on such a massive scale. Some of these individuals such as Al Qaeda terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui seem to be as dedicated to their warped cause as any Catholic martyr. Does the devil have such tremendous power or is there another explanation, and if so what are the hopes of such individuals for salvation?

Belief is the most powerfull motivator of acts. Our reality is constructed by it. We respond religiously out of what we believe is real.

It’s a dangerous thing to believe that God is the author of a book that reveals a people chosen out of many. Ineviteably the us/them outlook will become unbalanced in the minds of some members.

By either conversion or destruction the ultimate goal is to extinguish all that is outside the reality constructed by the book authored by God.

Without solid safegaurds built into the beliefs to prevent destruction from becoming a means over conversion for accomplishing the ultimate goal, violence as a means of expansion becomes a good work approved by God.

 

[Sam_777]

I believe the Lord simplified all laws when he told us to love one another as he loved us. If we loved everyone as he loved us we would not steal from them, lie to them, murder them, etc.

I have trouble with religions who find it alright to kill someone rather than convert them using love because I think the moral law of loving God is evident through his love for us.

Since when Satan knows what love is, if there is any piece of love in his heart he wouldn’t have deceived Eve from the beginning, his heart only filled with jealousy & hate.

 

[Prodigal_Son1]

Since when Satan knows what love is, if there is any piece of love in his heart he wouldn’t have deceived Eve from the beginning, his heart only filled with jealousy & hate.

Hello Sam_777,

I’m not sure if you misunderstood my statement or if I’m misunderstanding your statement.

I am going to try and clarify mine and hope you do not find it offensive.

I have trouble with religions who find it alright to kill someone rather than convert them using love because I think the moral law of loving God is evident through his love for us.

I find any religion claiming to follow God, would use love to convert people because I believe the moral law of loving God is evident through His love for us.

I have trouble understanding a religion where zealots feel compelled to kill people instead of trying to convert those people. Those who choose to kill a non-believer instead of trying to convert them seem to be pleasing to Satan and not God, who I believe is a God of love.

May the peace of the Lord be with you,
Prodigal Son1

 

[gakroeger]

Hello Gakroeger,

I noticed you said you posted this on the Ask an Apologist forum today and weren’t sure if it would be responded too. I just wanted to let you know that you must have made a mistake somehow, because your profile only shows you’ve posted a total of 1 post and that was this thread.

I did post on the “Ask an Apologist Section”, however, that section works differently. You do not see your posts when you make them and you cannot respond to previous posts. They only appear when an Apologist selects them and responds to them. Apparantly the do not respond to many posts there.

 

[Sam_777]

I find any religion claiming to follow God, would use love to convert people because I believe the moral law of loving God is evident through His love for us.

I have trouble understanding a religion where zealots feel compelled to kill people instead of trying to convert those people. Those who choose to kill a non-believer instead of trying to convert them seem to be pleasing to Satan and not God, who I believe is a God of love.

May the peace of the Lord be with you,
Prodigal Son1

Exactly, that what I mean also, Satan has no love for any human being (since the days of Adam & Eve), so he had to create false religions to deceive people, and worst than that he created a religion which permits the killing of the non-believers.