Journal 15
What is an Informed Conscience?
In order to make a decision doctor’s access a wide range of medical knowledge and patient history in order to diagnose a problem and treatment. The same principle can be applied to making moral decisions. We must be well informed regarding all the facts of the situation, moral values, virtues and laws in order to make our final decision. Therefore, an informed catholic conscience is an educated conscience that knows in any given situation.
Read the following scenario and answer the questions:
Roger Smith, a quite competent swimmer, is out for a leisurely stroll. During the course of his walk he passes by a deserted pier from which a teenage boy who apparently cannot swim has fallen into the water. The boy is screaming for help. Smith recognizes that there is absolutely no danger to himself if he jumps in to save the boy; he could easily succeed if he tried. Nevertheless, he chooses to ignore the boy’s cries. The water is cold and he is afraid of catching a cold — he doesn’t want to get his good clothes wet either. “Why should I inconvenience myself for this kid,” Smith says to himself, and passes on.
1.) There are always TWO sides to a conscience. What would Roger’s conscience be telling him?
2.) Think of an example of Jesus’ teaching and explain how his teachings can help us to make an appropriate decision?
1. In this story it show that rogers moral maturity is very low, in this story it clearly shows that roger listened to the wrong part of his conscience. Roger considered things like, getting his clothes wet, catching a cold and the inconvenience that it will have to him. The good part of rogers conscience had told him that if he saved he saved the boy it would be no inconvenience to himself and he would of surely succeeded, but roger choose to not care and kept walking along, leaving the child to eventually die. If Roger had put that boys life before his well being and clothing, both of them would of lived and a family would of been very grateful, but instead would be very sad and devastated.
2. Many of Jesus teachings can help us make the right decisions, these can include the beatitudes, thee teachings have many meanings and can be a big help for many situations. Blessed<!––>are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted, this beatitude in relation to the scenario means that even though the boy mourned god would have comforted him and will have a place for him in heaven.
