This article focused on two main principles of Christain moral reasoning; reflection and deliberation. Reflection can be defined as the act of thinking about something, while questioning, ‘What is the truth?’ Deliberation can be interpreted as a thought to form an action, while asking, ‘What are we to do?’ Each principle paints a different illustration; reflection is looking back upon something and deliberation is weighing one’s options (O’Donovan, 1995). In order to understand deliberation, one must first properly learn about reflection. Reflection describes the different aspects of teleological order which allows one to understand deliberation more clearly. Teleology is defined as the rational account of purpose. The purpose is twofold; there …show more content…
However, His purpose and plans do not need to take over our own ability to make logical decisions in various situations. Christians should not follow God’s commandments just for the sake of doing it, but they should understand why. It is important to study the Word of God, understand it, and use reasoning to make decisions. If humans mindlessly did whatever God asked, then God would not be the God we know. If this were the case, He would be a God who forced His’ purposes on everyone and not the God who created human beings with a mind of their own. God’s purposes explain teleological structures of the world and the decisions we make reflect our morals. While reflecting on God’s purposes and plans, it is important to understand what His has done for each individual. When reflecting on the history of what God has done, individuals should look at His creation, character, and actions. Lastly, one should reflect upon the purpose of the world and the importance of humanity. All these reflections allow us to see the blessings that God has given to the world (O’Donovan, …show more content…
Deliberation is a thought that is movement in the direction of action, but does not necessarily mean towards a decision. This concept is not just the process of humans asking themselves what should one ought to do, but ‘how should one live their life?’ As Christians, one should use the Bible to help shape guidelines on how one ought to live their life. Once guidelines are set, then one should decide their feelings and beliefs toward certain aspects of life (O’Donovan, 1995). There are two difficult points of view when one is dealing with moral rules. The first difficulty is if one is to obey God’s rule they should completely understand the meaning behind it. The second difficulty is if one found an exception to a rule this would make the rule does not apply. However, some may say that an exception would prove the rule. In order to make the right moral decision, it is important for one’s to use judgment in each situation (O’Donovan,
People from all walks of life face many ethical dilemmas. These dilemmas have consequences. Our worldview determines how we deal with these dilemmas, and guides us to the right decisions. In this essay, I will examine an ethical issues through my Christian worldview. I will also present other viewpoints, and compare them to mine.
These individuals are known to be experts of morality. The chapter proposes two reasons as to why these individuals are called upon so frequently. One, for those who believe and have some sort of religious back round, and second, for those who believe in what is called a “scientific view” of the world. This chapter presents the idea that there is some popular belief that religion and morality go hand in hand and that in order to understand morality, you must understand religion. It is explained that when we view morality from a religious perspective, we give meaning to morality in a way that a “good man” made this world that we currently live in and that we are his children. While the book proposes the question that people who believe in God, or a higher power, base their values on what those religions state is right or wrong, whereas for an atheist the question still remains; how do these individuals weigh their moral compass and place their values?
This is a study about one’s ethical and moral behavior and Christian World View as related to personal and professional growth and development. This study examines my personal views of moral behavior and Christian World View as it relates to my expectation of what a manager in a leadership position should posses and why. Growing up in a African-American Baptist church and ultimately landing in a diverse Christian Church has shaped my life and viewpoint when it comes to values and beliefs. There are 5 characteristics that I believe a Manager should possess: Authenticity, transparency, empowering, trustworthy and competence. These five characteristics help to build rapport and trust in a manager, which are good qualities to possess when leading a team.
Every day we are faced with certain situations that challenge us with how to act in an ethical manner. It can be human nature to feel unsure or conflicted with the correct moral choice. Some can say that one should know how to handle such dilemmas and others may say that there should be a reference of some sort to help guide through such conflicts. Sometimes we know the answers and sometimes we are unsure of how to handle certain situations. Most times we go through life wondering what we should do. As I become further educated on the different theories of ethics, I believe there are answers that are available in guiding one through an ethical dilemma and or judgment. I will discuss Vincent Ruggiero’s three basic criteria, Robert Kegan’s order of consciousness, the three schools of ethics and the correlation between all three.
First off, morals can play a role in deciding a person's fate with the law, because the laws of the God's, overrule
For example, in the Bible, followers are taught to obey God’s teachings and that God has already set up a plan for us as shown in these quotes from Galatians 5:16-17 and Proverbs 16:9, respectively: “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires from the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want,” and “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” In these quotes, it is almost clear that although humans have some kind of free will, it is all in the end attributed to God. However, it is important to note that one Christian philosopher, Mortimer J. Adler, was able to find and identify three main kinds of freedom found in the Bible.
This paper will compare the usefulness of character-based and consequence-based approaches in making moral decisions. In a character-based approach, the consideration of the moral agent is central in making decisions, and actions are made in order to reflect and strengthen good character. In a consequence-based approach, the consideration of the outcome is central in making moral decisions, and actions are judged based on the outcome. Usefulness will be defined in terms of three aspects: consistency, convenience and assurance, with assurance being defined as the confidence that the decision made is correct. Through the comparison of the two approaches, it becomes clear that a character-based approach is more useful in making a decision.
Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics explores the idea of an ethical framework based on virtues, deliberation, and choice. The key to being virtuous is to strike a balance between the extremes on either side of a virtue. Arriving at what constitutes as a virtuous balance is achieved through the process of deliberation and then action. Sartre and the existentialists say that existence precedes essence; the good starts from human subjectivity rather than from known virtues. Through a person’s choices, they determine what is good. Though their theories of what constitutes the good may differ, choice is a key element of both ethical frameworks. The differences that each ethical framework has about what the good is are not mutually exclusive. In
Beginning upon the dusk of Friday evening within the modestly sized conference room of the Sevierville convention center, sessions for the Scholar’s Think Tank began in earnest. Objections to Biblical Morality, presented by Caleb Colley, is the first session of the track. Subject matter covered during the allotted time focuses upon philosophical and skeptical attacks on the morals of the Bible. Ethical and moral theories produced by eminent men in the secular community are exposed and systematically debunked as the discussion progresses. Ideas such as mankind being able to “make up” their own moral standards and live by them are proven to be inadequate.
Clearly, there is disagreement regarding the exact definition of “Grace and Free Will” among many Protestant denominations, Jewish people, and Roman Catholic church. In order to truly understand these two concepts, one must first understand the exact true definition of “Grace and Free Will” according to what the Bible is teaching us. This research paper will try to answer a set of questions to establish the basis in which the topic sentence will be developed. The following set of questions will assist to develop a clear, organize, and concise understanding of this theme. Consequently, we’re truly saved by Grace alone and not by works? One can choose God? Or, we’re chosen by God? And, what is the role of God’s sovereignty in relation to our
Christian moral reasoning combines two different thought processes. These processes are known as reflection and deliberation. Reflection is the process of thinking about something, while deliberation is the process of thinking about action. The difference is considering thought versus action. These are important considerations when evaluating moral reasoning. One must understand that he or she must have some moral foundation before one can think toward any moral dilemma.
Morality only exists if we believe in God; therefore if God doesn’t exist there is no morality. There have been so many evil acts committed in the name of God that it is difficult to maintain that a belief in God equates to morality. There are situations that happen every day where decisions are made based off of human rights that contradict the word of God. Morality comes from within, it is an understanding of right versus wrong and the ability to choose what is right. Knowing all this a belief in God is not a requirement for a person to be moral. (Mosser, 2011)
Obeying by the natural law theory is the only true and moral way to live life; especially a life lived in God’s image. God’s presence is a guiding factor to obtaining a moral and virtuous life, which can only be obtained by following the natural law theory. God created a set of laws as a supreme guide for humans to live life, like any law these laws were created to ensure wellbeing for everyone. The laws he created are the civil law, the natural law and the divine law God created them from a law much superior than the rest, one which only God himself has the knowledge of, the eternal law. Humans actively participate in the eternal law of God by using reason in conformity with the Natural Law to discern what is good and evil(Magee 1). Of
Any beneficial conversations about morality that occur between those who practice religion and those who do not, or those with different religions, must incorporate a common set of ethical concepts and a shared procedure for resolving issues and making judgments, all of which ethics provides. It is also understood that in these conversations moral positions on the issues
Now that both sides have been established, those stakeholders who favor and those who oppose the policy in question, each of their argument 's evidence and reasoning will be analyzed. The corresponding pages which follow will provide an understanding of each side through three developed sections: a critical analysis, moral reasoning, and a tentative solution. The critical analysis will thoroughly measure to what level an argument 's authoritative, accuracy, reliability, precision, applicability, and etc. is able to represent their claims. At the same time the critical analysis includes a judgement call on whether or not a side 'wins ' or 'loses ' each of their arguments based upon the strength and weakness of the argument 's claims and evidence. The moral reasoning section will then secondary the value of each side 's evidence, and focus on analyzing each side 's moral reasoning, or rather, evaluating what "values, obligations, consequences, and normative principles" present reasonableness to their position on morality. Following these two sections of analysis, a conclusion will be made on which of the two sides makes an overall stronger, more conclusive and moral argued solution to the normative question.