Conscience Formation I want to start off Conscience by considering a unique example of formation Pinocchio! You recall the story a boy made out of wood whose only desire was to become flesh and blood. He was given a visible conscience his nose! When he told a lie it grew longer he always had to tell the truth or it would be obvious. I wonder how we would act if we were held to the same obvious standard of honesty if each time we violated our conscience it was as obvious as it was for poor Pinocchio. In the Disney movie (alas not in the classic story) he was also given a companion a talking cricket A voice that would help him reflect on the decisions he was about to make A voice he often ignored, and his deeds were then usually exposed by his nose. All Pinocchio wanted was to be a real boy flesh and blood and he achieves it in the end And that is really what we want for ourselves to become authentic human beings To share in the humanity Jesus took on for Himself. In a way we are like Pinocchio struggling to connect with the divinized humanity won for us by Jesus which is at the core of who we are we want to be real and authentic in the sense that Jesus was. Completely alive in him as He in us the glory of God manifested in humanity fully alive! So how do we go about doing it? Like Pinocchio we have the voice of our own Jiminy Cricket in our head telling us what to do! Most people have the experience of feeling uneasy (guilty?) after they do something that goes beyond their moral (normative?) comfort zone. In a diagram: What I do -. What I know --. What needs doing \ / I should do \ / ******** XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX * Goal * Conscience gap ******** In this example I fall short of what I know I should do: I know I should loose weight but I just can't seem to stick on a diet I call this the Conscience gap - the distance between what I do and what I know I should do. When we are stuck in this gap, our conscience bothers us (or, it should!) When I act in accord with my conscience, the gap goes away and I feel at peace. But it may be that I am too easily satisfied. I convince myself that I tried and can do no more. Sometimes we need to be stretched (challenged) to go beyond what we see as possible. That is where God comes in: What I do -. What I know -. What God Knows -. What needs doing \ / I should do \ / I can do \ / ******** XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - - - - - >* Goal * Conscience gap Faith gap Grace gap ******** As a person of faith I am open to the presence of God in my life the sound of his voice encouraging me to reach higher, go deeper, strive for more. If I have formed my conscience, my mere natural conscience is not enough: I know I should give money to the poor so I do, as much as I think I can but I don't give as much as I really could as mush as God knows I could, if I changed my priorities This is the Faith gap - meaning that it requires revelation and faith to recognize the short fall. Forming conscience and building faith go hand-in-hand, one helps the other.
Finally, there is the goal itself sometimes it is more than a single person can do. I support the poor to the extent that I am able that God knows I am able, but poverty still exists. The Grace gap shows that even after I have done all I can, it takes the Grace of God to realize the goal only through God's grace can all our hearts be changed to eliminate poverty in our world And God will provide that grace but it is up to us to make it manifest in the world. Traditional Moral Theology describes conscience like this: Conscience is an internal element of Moral Theology It is an organ, not an oracle Oracles come and go, conscience is always with me. It is a living thing; it requires exercise and can sicken and die if I don't take care of it. Conscience has three aspects (or stages) Universal All people have this level; it is my gut reaction to right and wrong. Very much like Natural Law, present to all. Educational Conscience formation; I study, reflect and pray to form my conscience. It is influenced by society, organized religion, personal experience, psychological makeup Judgmental Concrete application of what I have learned to specific personal decisions. Conscience (on this level only!) must always be followed. In order to form my conscience I must have: Freedom Knowledge Not just freedom to "do" things (categorical freedom) but also inner freedom (transcendental freedom) "from" things (fear, loneliness, etc.) Note that I cannot properly form my conscience in an environment of oppression This inner freedom is the gift God gives to whose who love him! Not just "data" (head knowledge) but knowledge of values (heart knowledge). God also gives this to those who love him! I may be prevented from forming my conscience by impediments. They may be both inside and outside of me: Biological Cultural They may also be: Actual Habitual My physical / psychological makeup (e.g. mental imbalance) There are some people whose brain wiring does not allow them to have a conscience. These are the Hitlers and Stalins of history. Social structures (e.g. racial prejudice) John Paul II spoke of sinful social structures, using apartheid as an example Benedict XVI has criticized unregulated Capitalism in the same manner Specific things or situations (e.g. passion, anxiety) If I am not in full possession of my mental faculties, I may ignore my conscience. Things always with me (e.g. personality structure, habitual actions) I may have so blunted my conscience by poor habits that it is useless. After formation my conscience may be: True Correctly formed. It conforms with exterior elements of morality (law, scripture, expert opinion) False In error; not correctly formed and in conflict with exterior elements. and this may be: Not my fault I was prevented from forming it through no fault of my own (no one told me, I had no way of learning, etc.). This is invincible ignorance. My fault ignorance I neglected to form it correctly (too busy, didn't care, etc.). This is vincible So how do I go about forming my conscience? Traditionally we were given sermons, rules and guilt as the means of formation. Follow the rules, do as you're told, come to church and listen to the sermon all good things If you don't to those things, shame on you! You should feel guilty.
A word about Guilt: It is important to note that guilt is not the same as shame Guilt arises from the gap explained above it represents a dissonance, my awareness that my actions did not live up to my expectations for myself - I have failed myself. Shame is the judgment placed on you by other people it is unaware of the circumstances of the act, it only focuses on the act itself and is based on the other person's moral base, not mine. Guilt is a natural and healthy feeling when I have fallen short it spurs me to greater effort next time Shame is unnatural and unhealthy it says, You failed so you are a bad person Guilt is temporary it lasts only until I try again and succeed. Shame is forever, without redemption - I am a bad person and nothing I can do will ever change that. Never allow others to force shame on to you and never impose it on yourself! It is impossible to impose conscience formation from without it must come from within, be a part of us. So here are some guiding principles I have found helpful: Use it or lose it I need to be engaged in life - I can't just hide from it (Mt 25:14 The Parable of the Talents) Like the servant who hid his talent in a hole, we can't withdraw from life We can't operate our life from a place of fear rather we need to come from a place of love To be engaged means making choices taking a risk and making choices (good ones at least) requires an exercise of conscience If I never use my conscience it will wither and die like a plant that receives no water it becomes like a cactus thorny and dry! Make choices flex your moral muscle. Take a stand that you believe in, even if it is unpopular (so long as it is true and just) (Mt 5:11 the Beatitudes) Embrace diversity It is dangerous to surround yourself only with people who think as you do Just because everyone agrees something is true doesn't make it true Other people have had different journeys yours is not the only way, you are not the only one on the road. Listen to those who have been down different paths, you may save yourself some pain and aggravation. Only God has the totality of truth. The rest of us just catch glimpses of it (1 Cor 13:12 At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror) But, there are some who have seen with greater clarity than others we call them Saints. Read everything spiritual, but know who wrote it and why. Avoid Pop Religion stick with the tried and true publications like America Avoid anything with an extreme view St. Alphonsus Liogouri said, Wisdom follows the middle path Diversity is always beneficial it makes organisms (and societies!) stronger and more reliant You are what you eat A healthy mind, like a healthy body, does not thrive on junk food Be aware of the influences on your conscience formation. Where am I getting my moral formation? We need examples, role models to follow so who do we choose? Listen to people who have your best interest at heart not the ones who are trying to sell you something Listen to people who are living out the advice they give walk the walk, not just talk the talk. Listen critically be informed. Just because it is on the Internet doesn't make it true! Don't let the rich tell you about the poor find out from them what poverty is like Don't let war-makers tell you about peace invading another country never brought world peace Look in the mirror We are created with a rational intellect we can reason use the gift God gives to think about ourselves. Periodically we need to look at how our conscience doing get a status update
Are we where we want to be in our life? How much chaos and uncertainty do I have to deal with? Where does the chaos come from? Have we surrounded ourselves with healthy people? Am I in a destructive relationship with someone? To they cause me (or I cause them!) pain? Are there some relationships I have abandoned that I should have remained in? Remember that change is possible people s conscience can grow and blossom. Consider: St. Francis of Assisi renounced everything to live in Solidarity with the poor. Dorothy Day an awakened conscience led her to fight for the oppressed. Archbishop Oscar Romero from ignoring the poor to championing them. It is seems that an attachment to worldly goods, power and position are enemies of conscience formation In the final analysis we are all like Pinocchio striving to be a real person (authentically human) within the context of our life situation. And like Pinocchio We will grow into an authentic person if we persevere and follow our (well formed!) conscience.
Focus Questions Sometimes conscience is characterized as a little voice in our heart telling us what to do. Have you ever experienced this? What did it say to you? Did you listen to it? Are there other voices you shouldn't listen to? Have you ever experienced guilt? Was it healthy or harmful? Have you ever felt shame? Did it help or hurt? Have you ever had guilt (or shame!) thrust upon you from the outside (another person, a group, etc.) Did this help or hurt you? What are some of the sources you use for information to form your conscience? The internet? Cable TV? Opinions from others? Why is it important to have a reliable sorce for moral information? Have you ever made a moral decision based on passion rather than reason? How did it turn out? Why is it important to take time to reflect before making a moral decision? How is God involved in the process?