Good Conduct and Key Moral Principles

• 10 marker - Info on Christian way of life

  • Obey the teachings contained in the Bible
  • The kingdom of God will be realized on earth through the way Christians care for each other
  • Christians give glory to God by the way in which they live
  • Individual good conduct will be rewarded with heaven
• 10 marker - Info on Areas of justification

  • Faith
  • Works
  • Predestination
• 10 marker - Info on Justification by faith

  • An eschatological term meaning it's concerned with the fate of humanity
  • To be justified means counted by God as righteous and so able to have a relationship with God
• 10 marker - Info on Justification by faith for Paul

  1. Paul's letter to the Church of Rome shows this

  2. Paul believed the best way to have a relationship with God was by following Jewish law however this kept failing (proves not works)

  3. Because of original sin it is impossible for humans to have a relationship with God

  4. Only God's grace makes this possible

  5. Humans are invited to respond to God's offer of salvation and eternal life with faith

  6. It is not that faith justifies a believer: God alone can justify – the faith of the believer is simply the response to the gift of grace
• 10 marker - Info on Justification by faith for Luther

  • He set out simpler religion that was based on personal faith
  • He proclaimed the doctrine of sola fide (faith alone)
  • Justification comes by what God achieves through the atoning of Jesus' death
  • He is not by these works made more of a Christian
• 10 marker - Info on Justification by works

  • 'Faith without works is dead' James 2:26
  • Faith is expressed through works
  • Judgement will be based on the individual humans help for or failure to help those in need
• 10 marker - Info on Justification by faith and works

  • Justification is God's gift to humanity
  • It is given through atoning death of Jesus and through baptism
  • Power of Holy Spirit enables us to live good lives
• 10 marker - Info on Predestination in Paul

  • God's purpose could not be known or understood by humans
  • God knows what individuals will freely choose and so in that sense salvation is predestined
• 10 marker - Info on Predestination by Augustine

  • God's infallibly knows who will be saved
  • Predestination is an act of grace; humans goodness is the result and not cause of election
  • Humans cannot understand the will of God
  • God predestines some to his Kingdom whilst leaving others in their sinful state to be consigned to hell as punishment for their sinful actions
• 10 marker - Info on Predestination by Calvin

  • God decided before creation who would be saved and who would be damned to hell
  • Because of original sin, all humanity deserves damnation, so God's act of electing some is entirely an act of grace
• 15 marker - Weaknesses of predestination

  • Doctrine makes God unjust
  • Cannot be reconciled with Jesus' portrayed of God as unconditionally merciful, forging and loving
  • Cannot be reconciled with the concept o free will as if God knows our actions then it doesn't work
• 10 marker - Info on Sanctity of life

  • It gives intrinsic value to humans
  • It's based on Genesis 1:26-27 & 2:7
  • First states humans are made in the image of God
  • Second states God breathed life into man
  • Strong sanctity of life: all humans have absolute right to life
  • Weak sanctity of life: all humans life is sacred but in certain circumstances, lifesaving or preserving treating may be omitted or withdrawn, it's more about the quality of life principle
• 10 marker - Info on Application of sanctity principle

  • Strong sanctity of life is held by Catholics
  • Because life is said to start at conception
  • From conception, they are allowed the right to life
  • Supported by God telling Jeremiah he knew him in the womb
• 15 marker - Strengths of sanctity of life

  • Promotes respect for human life
  • Encourages protecting the vulnerable
  • Teaches Jesus' values of agape
• 15 marker - Weaknesses of sanctity of life

  • Ignores modern science which states humans are evolved animals
  • Takes away women's right of an abortion
  • Seems unloving
• 10 marker - Info on Just war theory

  • Lus ad bellum – conditions of when going to war would be justified
  • Lus in bello – the way a war must be fought
• 10 marker - Info on Weapons of mass destruction

  • Atomic bombs seen as Hiroshima and Nagasaki
  • Violate just war theory of proportionality
• 15 marker - Acceptance of WMDs

  • Weapons should be reduced in numbers
  • They cannot be un-invented
  • Possession of nuclear weapons has kept the major world powers from coming to war since 1955 due to fear of mutually assured destruction
  • It is preferable for the major powers to have these bombs for deterrence than for an unstable dictator to use them in war
• 15 marker - Opposition to WMDs

  • Pope Francis argued for the abolition of nukes
  • Most UK churches oppose Trident
  • Their destructive power is immense and long lasting, even countries that have nothing to do with the war will be badly affected
  • They are very costly to develop and maintain, the money could be spent on raising everybody's quality of life
  • There is no effective protection against them, nor can people control who has access to them
  • Only God should choose the fate of people
• 10 marker - Info on Dominion

  • Many Christians have an anthropocentric view of the universe
  • Aquinas thought that animals were irrational, had no souls etc.
  • He opposed being cruel to them as it may encourage people to be cruel to each other
  • Psalm 8 humans are described as little less than angels with control over everything
  • Genesis states 'Rule over the fish in the sea'
• 10 marker - Info on Stewardship

  • Humans are guardians of creation
  • Role entails responsibility rather than privilege
  • God saw creation as 'good'
  • Linzey sees the created world as theocentric (God-centred)
  • Genesis 2:15 states "The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it."
• 10 marker – Info on environmental crisis

  -        CH agree with stopping burning fossil fuels

  -        Pope Francis encyclical letter Laudato Si addresses environmental crisis

  -        Many church’s promote eco-theology

  -        A Rocha is an international CH environmental organisation with projects in many different countries