4. Humans And Their Conscience
We are not as big as elephants, not as agile as leopards, and not as strong as lions; our calculations are far behind artificial intelligence. But all of them do not know the moral life. Human society, more than all things, has a conscience and a moral life. There are some Vietnamese folk verses:
“Whoever have lost their conscience
Are evil beasts or wild birds of the forest.”
Conscience is a characteristic of human society. So, what is conscience?
1. CONSCIENCE
Conscience, according to the common concept, is the voice urging each person to do good and avoid evil.
- Idealistic concept:
– Plato believed that conscience is the advice of God and exists eternally.
– Kant said, “A human being carries within him a sense of conscience from birth. Conscience is like God’s witness to judge us.”
– Victor Hugo said, “Conscience is God in man”
Thus conscience is an objective and innate reality.
- Materialist concept:
– Sigmund Freud claimed that conscience is a part of the Superego, containing information about what is considered bad or negative by parents and society.
– 17th-and-18th century materialists affirmed that conscience is an ethical category, an important element constituting morality.
So conscience is acquired through society.
- Catholic catechesis:
Catholic Catechism says, “Conscience is present in the human heart and commands people at the right time to do good and avoid evil” (CCC no. 1111).
The Second Vatican Council in its Pastoral Constitution On The Church In The Modern World wrote,
In the depths of his conscience, man detects a law which he does not impose upon himself, but which holds him to obedience. Always summoning him to love good and avoid evil, the voice of conscience when necessary speaks to his heart: do this, shun that. For man has in his heart a law written by God; to obey it is the very dignity of man; according to it he will be judged. Conscience is the most secret core and sanctuary of a man. There he is alone with God, Whose voice echoes in his depths” (GS, no. 16).
That being said, does conscience have ultimate authority? And is it enough to simply follow the dictates of conscience? In fact, that is not the case.
2. VARIATIONS OF CONSCIENCE
Conscience is the most common and universal for all people of all times. Conscience teaches us rules such as: not being greedy for others, not killing others, not committing adultery, respecting one’s parents, etc. But in detail, depending on the specific situation, culture, and history of the times and on each person’s personality and education, the conscience may be different.
In other words, many times the conscience is severely perverted: It may be accepted in this place, but not in this time; one conscience is narrow, another is broad; one conscience is confused, another is distorted and callous …
In his encyclical Veritatis Splendor, Pope John Paul II said, “In the judgments of our conscience the possibility of error is always present. Conscience is not an infallible judge; it can make mistakes.” (Veritatis Splendor no. 62)
- Conscience is callous, distorted, and dissolute.
Human conscience can be distorted by a morally deviant living environment, criminal habits, indulgence of lust, selfish profiteering, and frequent immoral practices. The trendy concept of a segment of society …
- Conscience is confused and doubtful.
A person with a confused conscience is a person whose judgments are hesitant and indecisive, haunted by ignorance of what is right or wrong, trivial or serious. A confused conscience causes insecurity, suffering, guilt and worry.
- Train the conscience.
In general, cases like the above are not rare, but they are only individual and need to be adjusted. Therefore, human conscience always needs to be educated, trained, and considered properly and carefully.
Catholic Catechism: “Conscience must be informed and moral judgment enlightened. A well-formed conscience is upright and truthful.” (CCC no. 1783)
God’s Word is the criterion for training a clear and upright conscience: “Your word is a lamp for my steps, a light to show my path” (Psalm 119, 105).
Where to find God’s Word?
The Word of God is the Bible and its interpretation by the magisterium.
3. BIBLE AND MAGISTERIUM
In his wise creation program, God gave His laws to mankind, whether they are Jewish or not.
Conscience appears from the beginning of creation. Since the time people became conscious, they have heard the voice of conscience, the torment of shame and guilt. Adam said to God, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid” (Genesis 3:10).
Saint Paul talks about the law of conscience, which everyone has as humans, “For when the Gentiles who do not have the law by nature observe the prescriptions of the law, they are a law for themselves even though they do not have the law. They show that the demands of the law are written in their hearts” (Romans 2:14-15).
God gave us the scriptures, through the Jewish people. The Bible is His word spoken directly to His chosen people. The Bible comes into life in the specific cases that people face.
And history continues endlessly, today is different from tomorrow. Human society is always changing.
Therefore, before returning to heaven, Jesus founded the Church and empowered it to continue God’s work of salvation in the course of human history.
We understand what Jesus said, “I will not leave you orphans” (John 14:18), and “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Matthew 28, 20). God has arranged for us to have an authority to rely on and consult with, which is the magisterium, the voice of the Church.
The Second Vatican Council affirmed in the Constitution Dei Verbum, “
“The magisterium is not above the word of God, but is at the service of the word of God” (no. 10). In fact, in most cases, the Church does not use its authority to force believers to obey, but allows people the freedom to act with their clear and mature conscience.
Conclusion:
Conscience is the basic law God instills in every person’s heart, no matter who they are. Conscience is the judge who judges and gives verdict.
Catholic Catechism: “When acknowledging a mistake we have committed, conscience reminds us to ask for forgiveness” (CCC 1781).
After all, only God’s grace and love, tolerance and mercy can enforce and neutralize the rewards and punishments of conscience in each individual. The Church has the authority and real authority assigned by God to do this: “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven then” (John 20:23).
The Church is often not only a channel for reference.
When coming to the Church, believers find true peace in their hearts, getting rid of all worries and troubles, which, according to God’s words, is a peace that no one can give.