A02

• TOO MUCH FREEDOM?

  STRENGTH - it is designed for a modern society, Fletcher and Robinson argue that "humanity has come of age" and is more mature - granting people more freedom over autonomy will increase love without risk of the stability of society

  WEAKNESS - William Barclay argues that it gives people a dangerous amount of freedom - humanity has not come of age so "still needs the crutch and protection of law"
• TOO MUCH FREEDOM - EVALUATION

  STRENGTH - Barclays argument fails because legalism has worse downsides - some would abuse the autonomy given but that does not equate to the effects of an outdated legalistic set of rules. The direction of history shows growth

  WEAKNESS - power corrupts, and people will not choose the most loving thing with this freedom + we are corrupt by original sin.
• A LIBERAL TAKE

  STRENGTHS - people can't live as the bible wants properly, "do not resist an evil person" - people can't live this way, it is hard to grasp the meanings of the bible, so allowing people that relative freedom is a good thing

  WEAKNESS - love is not the only aspect of the bible, it ignores other teachings Craig argues that the bible shows God's justice to be just as important as his love
• A LIBERAL TAKE - EVALUATION

  STRENGTH - Craig's take could be right, proving that the bible is impossible to figure out - it can just be used as guidelines

  WEAKNESS - Fletcher has not solved the problem of what the bible means and ends up sliding to antinomianism as it is so subjective
• TRULY SHOWS JESUS?

  STRENGTH - Jesus did sanction the breaking and overturning of rules, and said the greatest commandment was to love your neighbour as yourself- thus lesser rules can be broken to do the most loving thing

  WEAKNESS - Richard Mouw said that it makes no sense to reduce Jesus to one teaching when he made plenty of others - Jesus spoke of following all commandments
• TRULY SHOWS JESUS - EVALUATION

  STRENGTH - Jesus himself was an example of taking a progressive and situational approach to ethical commands - following him using an inflexible approach fails to take that part of him into consideration

  WEAKNESS - why would Jesus have bothered to make further commandments if only one was needed to be followed - him calling it the greatest could mean something else (that further highlights how the bible is hard to understand)
• SUBJECTIVITY ISSUE

  STRENGTH - Agape love means selfless love, and thus can be argued not subjective enough to cause moral disparity, e.g. the nazis can argue they did it out of love, but this is not agape love, and therefore not right

  WEAKNESS - Hitchens points out that loving your neighbour as yourself is only good if the way you love yourself is good e.g. vikings viewing death in battle as honourable, they would view their killing as loving your neighbour as you would want to be loved
• SUBJECTIVITY ISSUE - EVALUATION

  STRENGTH - Viking example miss understands agape as agape love is not merely treating your neighbour as you would like to be treated it is loving your neighbour as you would like to be loved

  WEAKNESS - it is a diluted christian ethical model which aligns with secular morality and general well wishing
• TOO FLEXIBLE?

  STRENGTH - it allows christians to adapt to new ethical situations associated with modern society and technology

  WEAKNESS - Aquinas' natural law allows for enough of a flexible nature through the double effect. the value of life cannot be relativised
• TOO FLEXIBLE - EVALUATION

  STRENGTH - societies that function on quality of life are shown to be the most happy and stable - strict ethical principles are not needed for societal function

  WEAKNESS - going against God's intention of the way we should live (not preserving life) leads to immorality and social disorder