4 Personal Questions About Biblical Christian Ethics

1. What is the source of all Christian

Morals?
2. How are moral values known for a
Biblical Christian?
3. What are Christian Ethics Relative
too?
4. What is the Highest Good for a
Biblical Christian?
  
1.  The source of a Christian’s moral values is…?
______________________
   Morals are not found in
_____________________________________________ tha
change like the weather.
2.  How are Christians to know what their moral values
are…?
________________________________
        General:
___________________ – God’s law, despite man’s attempt
to twist it, has been written _______________________…in
their __________________.
1.     But as SIN gets worse and worse, even these
sins become more and more accepted by SOCIETY.
In other words even _______________ follow some
inside (______________) law that says certain things are
wrong.
a.     ___________________
b.     ___________________ But as _____ gets
c.    ___________________ worse and worse,
d.   ___________________ even these sins
become more and
more accepted by
_____________.
        Special
Revelation:
1.     ________________ are revealed to Christians
in the _________.
A.   Some are __________ and ______ to know.
        _____ _____________________ – Old Test. (Exodus
19,20)
        _____________________________ – New test. (Matt.
5-7)
        Looking at the example of
_________ __________ - The Gospels
 Outside of God’s Clear Standards & Law / Authority
b. Some situations are _________________, but the bible
still gives us enough to know and make wise decisions
through:
        A _______________________________
        General revelation: nuggets of ___________ in nature
        Special Revelation: The _________ that we use to test
all ___________
        ______________
        Working of the _________________ in wisdom
        _____________________ / the _______________
        Like taking a multiple choice test
(Eliminating choices using these methods)
 MORALITY IN THE MODERN
WORLD
Area 1: The Relationship between Religion and Moral Values
 Introduction (pp. 1-7)
 The Euthyphro Dilemma ‘Are actions ‘good’ simply because the gods
command them or do the gods command certain actions because they
are ‘good’?’

 Religious Morality (pp. 8-21)

 Moral values are grounded in religious belief
 The interpretation of sacred writings guided by faith, tradition and/or
reason

 Utilitarian Ethics (pp. 29-33)

 Act and Rule utilitarianism
 Principle of the greatest good
 Kantian Ethics (pp. 34-37)
 Categorical imperative
 Universal maxim
 Respect of persons
 Introduction
 There are many scriptures that religious people
believe come from God(s).

 These scriptures also tell followers what is right

and what is wrong.

 Many religious people disagree with each other

because they feel that their scripture is divine.

 As well as this there are many different

interpretations of these scriptures within a
religion.
 Inerrancy
 This means to what extent the scriptures could be said
to be TRUE (or inerrant).

 Traditionalists/Literalists: the scripture is completely

true with no errors.

 Conservatives: the scripture is mostly true but there

are some factual errors.

 Liberalists: the scriptures are not to be seen as fact

books. The lessons and meaning of the stories are the
important thing.
 Christian Scripture
 Some Christians believe that
the scriptures (OT & NT)
were sent directly from God
to those who wrote them
down.

 Other Christians think that

they should be seen as a
general guide to how to live
and that some parts of the
Bible are more important
than others.
 Christian Scripture 2
 Some Christians worry about how
scriptures are used: should you
take it all as a whole or pick bits
out?

 Other Christians say that the Bible

can be interpreted in many ways
and they are meant to be
understood in the context of the
time, place and situation in which
they were written.
 Christian Scripture 3
 Christian Scripture were written a
long time ago (Bronze Age) when
many issues could not have even
been imagined.

 This means Christians try to match

up teachings to fit with modern
dilemmas.

 This will still leave you having to

work a few things out for yourself.
 Christian Scripture 4
 The Guide / Unchangeable Set of
Laws debate.

 Jesus stuck to the laws of the

Hebrew bible (OT), but also ‘bend’
the laws when he felt it made
sense to do so.

 Also, what’s in Christian scriptures

and what is not isn’t agreed on by
all Christians.
 Christian Scripture 5
 To resolve this many
Christians use scripture
but also compare it with
their reason and check
with their religious leaders
or other Christians.
 Buddhist Scripture
 There are many Buddhist
scriptures, so there are some of
the same problems here too.

 Some scriptures contain sayings of

the Buddha; memories of his
followers; stories about what he
did when he was alive (or in
previous rebirths); and writings of
Buddhist teachers or leaders.
 Buddhist Scripture 2
 When trying to interpret the
scriptures Buddhists have the
same problems as Christians:
what did they originally mean
and how can you link them to
modern scenarios?

 Buddhists also disagree about

what counts as sacred
scripture.
 Buddhist Scripture 3
 For Buddhists there is
an added problem:
the scriptures are only
to be seen as a
guide.

 A key factor in
Buddhism is working
things out for yourself
by putting its
teachings into
practice.
 Buddhist Scripture 4
 There are some
Buddhists who don’t
read any scripture: for
them being a Buddhist is
all about learning what’s
right and wrong for
yourself, maybe with the
help of a teacher or
through meditation and
reflection.
 Viewpoints Independent of
Religious Belief
 No sacred scriptures! No god(s)!

 There are written texts which act

as a starting point to help people
make decisions about right and
wrong.

 For example, Utilitarians refer to

the works of Bentham and Mill.
 Viewpoints Independent of
Religious Belief 2
 Documents like the United
Nations Declaration of Human
Rights can give people a start in
moral decision-making.

 Remember though: there’s no

need to follow anything that’s
written and no writing can ever
take the place of personal choice
about morality.
 Viewpoints Independent of
Religious Belief 3
 Non-religious might use
written sources to help
them make moral
decisions, its just that
these sources are in no
way seen as sacred
(this is not to say they
are thought of less
importantly).
 Viewpoints Independent of
Religious Belief 4
 …the peoples of the United Nations have
in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in
fundamental human rights, in the dignity
and worth of the human person and in the
equal rights of men and women and have
determined to promote social progress
and better standards of life in larger
freedom.

UN Declaration of Human Rights

 How do you do?
 Peer assessment- Notes swap.

 Work together.

 Fill in any gaps.

 Take a note of questions for me to

answer.