#Christian ethics

[troythecatfish]

[thinkingonscripture]

The Value of Integrity

Integrity is the currency of a healthy relationship, but only among those who value it. It is the fruit of a morally upright heart that practices honesty, loyalty, and justice (Psa 15:1-5; Prov 19:1; 28:6; Mic 6:8). Without integrity, trust is compromised, communication suffers, and the stability of the relationship is jeopardized. Duplicity stands in stark contrast to integrity. While integrity…

[theexodvs]

To say that a virgin man "deserves" a virgin woman as a wife, even after he breaks the seventh commandment in ways other than premarital intercourse, is to treat women as carnival prizes.

This emphasis on women's sexual sin ahead of men's is part of a larger hamartiological autism that needs to be discarded by evangelicals.

[liwayway0219]

i have nobody to share this to

[locustheologicus]

The Role of AI in the Life of the Church

On a number of occasions I have heard Pope Francis and the Catholic Church share their concern for AI in the midst of our technological reality. This video, taken from a conference at the Vatican on the issue of artificial intelligence, offers a more positive perspective. What I do take to heart from this conference were ethical questions posed by the rector of the English College in Rome who asked the following.

“The question is 'How can the Church help those who work with Artificial Intelligence to do so more deeply?' And the Church brings great wisdom. It has answers to 'What does it mean to be human, what does it mean to be conscious,' and all the questions about immortality or transhumanism…”

I recently took part in an ethical workshop on AI and Ethics regarding the use of AI technology with Catholic Charities system. Our own workshop looked into the insights that our Catholic tradition and values offer us as we consider the ethical impact that AI will make on us. Ethics of course is a process of learning to identify moral issues to make better decisions. It is meant to promote our human flourishing.

To engage in this issue we considered our own scriptural tradition regarding the use of technology. In the narrative that scripture presents we begin with Adam and Eve who were punished by God for their sin but oddly enough they were also gifted technology with an animal skin coat that they will need. This occurs until the Tower of Babel where they get punished for using technology to compete with God. We see this as part of our tradition, St. Augustine, for example, attributes technical development as providential gifts from God.

Our tradition offers a valuable lesson. AI, like anything else, is morally neutral in and of itself. It’s how we use it that brings moral qualifiers to bear. If we use it for power against the common good, to develop a device that we can utilize against humanity or creation, then we transgress a moral norm that will have consequences. AI is a form of machine based learning that helps us deal with the huge increase in the size of data that goes beyond human capabilities and the use of computing power to assist us in utilizing this data. This makes it an essential invention and if we are being honest we can see how such tools could be an asset for some of the work that we do. But we do need to formulate policies to address the appropriate use.

Ethics takes us into the question of should, should we or should we not. Technology gives us greater freedom of choice, greater efficiency, greater scope of action, greater determination of outcome. But there are concerns that CCUSA has had us consider these issues with a case study we went through with our peers.

There are many elements that will always need to be considered as we consider the appropriate role of AI in the field of social work/ministry. There is a role and in our discussions we certainly became aware of that. The point of the workshop was not to discourage us from the use of AI but to preemptively develop policies and codes of ethics for the utilization of this technology.

[mindfulldsliving]

Cultural Perspectives on the Golden Rule: Empathy in Action

The Golden Rule is a powerful principle that resonates across cultures and religions, urging us to treat others as we wish to be treated. It's a simple yet profound guideline for living a life of empathy and kindness.

Interpreting The Golden Rule: Insights from 3 Nephi 14:12, Matthew 7:12, and Luke 6:31 Why has “The Golden Rule” resonated across centuries? It’s simple yet profound, urging us to treat others as we wish to be treated ourselves. This powerful idea finds a place in diverse teachings, including scriptures like 3 Nephi 14:12, Matthew 7:12, and Luke 6:31. As we explore these passages, we see a…

[biblepreacher]

War & Politics: Conquer Evil with Good

We are continuing our series answering the questions of "war & politics". In this post we talk about how to conquer evil with good, which is a crucial point in my framework. For this reason, this post is larger and deeper in scope than the others.

One of the most compelling axioms of our time is the saying “when good men do nothing, evil prevails.” When we look around and see what is being done to babies, how our children are being mutilated, and our society is becoming cruel, desperate, and corrupt, I think we yearn from the deepest recesses of our soul for justice. We look for answers that tell us what we can do about the evils we see…

[compassionmattersmost]

When Christianity Became the Empire: A Reflection on Faith, Power, and Deception

Throughout history, the story of Christianity has been one of profound transformation. From its humble beginnings as a faith centered on the teachings of Jesus—a man who preached love, forgiveness, and non-violence—Christianity evolved into a powerful institution, closely tied to the machinery of empire. This evolution raises important questions about the nature of faith, power, and the dangers…

[irishgop]

What we need is a cup of understanding, a barrel of love, and an ocean of patience.

St. Francis De Sales

[selfhelp2024]

Is AI Deceiving Christians? Unveiling the Truth Behind Technology and Faith:

In a world where artificial intelligence (AI) has woven itself into the fabric of daily life, from voice-activated assistants to complex algorithms guiding our choices, Christians face a pivotal question: Is AI deceiving us?

Read More HERE

[tmarshconnors]

Does it scare you to think about what Satan is trying to do to your kids?

What are you doing to make sure he doesn’t? Are you teaching your children about God?

Are you setting an example for them showing them what faithfulness looks like? Do you take them to church and Bible class?

Do you talk to them about the lies and immorality that the devil has made normal?

Do you keep them from playing video games and watching shows that slip in things that will take them off course? Do you pray for them and over them?

Don’t think for one second that you can let up or slack off. Evil doesn’t.

[thinkingonscripture]

Be Wise as Serpents and Innocent as Doves

Jesus told His disciples, “I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matt 10:16). There are times when Christians will find themselves in the midst of a pack of wolves, which is a dangerous situation. When this happens, they should maintain purity in their intentions while being shrewd in their conduct to avoid unwarranted harm.[1] Doves are…

[biblebloodhound]

Saved for a Reason (Ephesians 2:1-10)

Humanity is spiritually hard-wired to do good in this world. 

At one time you were like a dead person because of the things you did wrong and your offenses against God. You used to live like people of this world. You followed the rule of a destructive spiritual power. This is the spirit of disobedience to God’s will that is now at work in persons whose lives are characterized by disobedience. At one time you were like those persons. All of you used to do…

[locustheologicus]

DILEXIT NOS: ON THE HUMAN AND DIVINE LOVE OF THE HEART OF JESUS CHRIST

As I begin to read this Encyclical I am reminded of a saying my spiritual director would tell me as I struggled with the idea that God loves me, “the farthest distance exist between the head and the heart.” I immediately thought about that as I considered Pope Francis’ social reason for writing this encyclical.

Living as we do in an age of superficiality, rushing frenetically from one thing to another without really knowing why, and ending up as insatiable consumers and slaves to the mechanisms of a market unconcerned about the deeper meaning of our lives, all of us need to rediscover the importance of the heart. #2

A Teleological Encyclical: I do not think this encyclical will be known as a social encyclical. Like all encyclicals it will address social concerns for sure but the subject of what Pope Francis is addressing here goes at the heart of human meaning. The encyclical has us reflect on teleology and theological anthropology rather than focus on a particular social issue. Pope Francis invites us to ponder the following questions.

Who am I, really? What am I looking for? What direction do I want to give to my life, my decisions and my actions? Why and for what purpose am I in this world? How do I want to look back on my life once it ends? What meaning do I want to give to all my experiences? Who do I want to be for others? Who am I for God? All these questions lead us back to the heart. #8

There is a social concern however underlying the timing for this teaching. The tragic warping of our humanity by becoming what Pope Francis defines as “a serial consumers who live from day to day, dominated by the hectic pace and bombarded by technology.”

There is so much wisdom about personal growth that anyone can really take from this document. I advice all people to please read this encyclical (yes, even non-Catholics) and consider the idea that we humans musty go beyond the limites of defining ourselves within a system of reason and cold logic. If God is truly love then the only way we can come to an actual awareness of that truth is to enter into a dynamic of relationship with God and one another. If we are open to this dynamic we may be shocked into believing what that actually means for us. This is same shock that so affected St. Augustine who struggled to find meaning during the late Roman Empire. Pope Francis tells us that "Saint Augustine opened the way to devotion to the Sacred Heart as the locus of our personal encounter with the Lord. For Augustine, Christ’s wounded side is not only the source of grace and the sacraments, but also the symbol of our intimate union with Christ, the setting of an encounter of love."

These jottings are of course my own personal reflections but I again invite each individual who is open to their own spiritual growth and development to take this document and deeply reflect on the premise that God is love and we are called to share in that love with ourselves and each other.

I have been deeply drawned to the idea that Pope Francis developed of a mystical fraternity in his very first exhortation. I have written on Goizueta's idea of forming an "empathic fusion" as the dynamic that forms an authentically integrated relationship between peoples. In this new encyclical Pope Francis takes us further in defining this dynamic by describing the dangers of individualism and narcisism.

The heart makes all authentic bonding possible, since a relationship not shaped by the heart is incapable of overcoming the fragmentation caused by individualism. Two monads may approach one another, but they will never truly connect. A society dominated by narcissism and self-centredness will increasingly become “heartless”. This will lead in turn to the “loss of desire”, since as other persons disappear from the horizon we find ourselves trapped within walls of our own making, no longer capable of healthy relationships. As a result, we also become incapable of openness to God. #17

The central point I am finding with this document is that Pope Francis wants us to rediscover the deepest meaning to our humanity by entering a stage of mystical reflection and in doing so to distance ourselves away from the world of algorithms, social media and AI.

In a word, if love reigns in our heart, we become, in a complete and luminous way, the persons we are meant to be, for every human being is created above all else for love. In the deepest fibre of our being, we were made to love and to be loved. #21

Pope Francis reminds us that Jesus teached this to us, not even so much in words as by his examples.

He seeks people out, approaches them, ever open to an encounter with them. We see it when he stops to converse with the Samaritan woman at the well where she went to draw water (cf. Jn 4:5-7). We see it when, in the darkness of night, he meets Nicodemus, who feared to be seen in his presence (cf. Jn 3:1-2). We marvel when he allows his feet to be washed by a prostitute (cf. Lk 7:36-50), when he says to the woman caught in adultery, “Neither do I condemn you” (Jn 8:11), or again when he chides the disciples for their indifference and quietly asks the blind man on the roadside, “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mk 10:51). Christ shows that God is closeness, compassion and tender love. #35

There is much more that Pope Francis says here about teleology and spirituality but I will leave that alone for now because I was in the middle of writing on that theme for a project I am working on. As I said this encyclical is primarily teleological in its emphasis so chapters three and four are very much reserved for this theme. For now let me just focus on what his social message for us is in light of this theme.

An Evangelical Mission based on Institutional Charity: In the fifth chapter of the encyclical Pope Francis raises for scriptural quotes that remind us how love of God and neighbor shapes our call to Christian discipleship.

“Just as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40).

“For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself’” (Gal 5:14).

“We know that we have passed from death to life because we love one another. Whoever does not love abides in death” (1 Jn 3:14).

“Those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen” (1 Jn 4:20).

This is followed by an historical lesson on how Christianity ultimately defeated the Roman Empire, a lesson we need to recall as we again take on the spirit of a missionary Church. The lesson comes from the exchange of Emperor Julian the Apostate who tried to undermine the deep social influence of Christianity.

We need to remember that in the Roman Empire many of the poor, foreigners and others who lived on the fringes of society met with respect, affection and care from Christians. This explains why the apostate emperor Julian, in one of his letters, acknowledged that one reason why Christians were respected and imitated was the assistance they gave the poor and strangers, who were ordinarily ignored and treated with contempt. For Julian, it was intolerable that the Christians whom he despised, “in addition to feeding their own, also feed our poor and needy, who receive no help from us”. The emperor thus insisted on the need to create charitable institutions to compete with those of the Christians and thus gain the respect of society: “There should be instituted in each city many accommodations so that the immigrants may enjoy our philanthropy… and make the Greeks accustomed to such works of generosity”. Julian did not achieve his objective, no doubt because underlying those works there was nothing comparable to the Christian charity that respected the unique dignity of each person. #169

An historical lesson that many of us teach was that Christianity, during the days of persecution, developed an entire welfare state within the imperial state. We gathered the charitable love of the community that felt marginalized by the Empire through our own system of charitable offering. It was said that by the time Decius and Diocletian attempted to combat the perceived Christian threat we had become a state within the state and so the forms of persecutions and social violence that worked so well for the Empire before would no longer succeed. Evidently Emperor Julian is aware of this but he was not able to turn the tide.

In a section titled "Echoes in the History of Spirituality," Pope Francis identifies members of our mystical tradition who recognized a "bond between devotion to the heart of Jesus and commitment to our brothers and sisters." This is part of our Christian spirituality which we need to meditate on. This document promotes devotion and piety but it aims to reincorporate the social responsibilities that it once had.

Pope Francis offers a beautiful lesson here that allows us to stretch the boudaries of our spirituality. Not only are we asked to enter deeper into our devotional practices but we are to see our service to those in need as part of our piety and devotions.

If we are concerned with helping others, this in no way means that we are turning away from Jesus. Rather, we are encountering him in another way. Whenever we try to help and care for another person, Jesus is at our side. We should never forget that, when he sent his disciples on mission, “the Lord worked with them” (Mk 16:20). He is always there, always at work, sharing our efforts to do good. In a mysterious way, his love becomes present through our service. He speaks to the world in a language that at times has no need of words. #214

So what then is the lesson for us. I suggest that the lesson here is that the Christian faith cannot survive or even find relevance by only claiming a distant ideological thesis and relying on a preaching ministry. As the encyclical mentions, Jesus teaches more by example then by words. If Christianity is to believe in the love of God and neighbor then it must be a witness to this teaching; this of course is best accomplished through our communal integration with all people, especially the dispossessed and marginalized, and through our charitable infrastructure.

An Ethic of Reparation: Pope Francis is asking us to build over the ruins of a world we have debilitated with the sins of individualism, narcissism, and insatiable consumerism. Towards the end of the encyclical he calls us toward an ethic of evangelical reparation.

Evangelical reparation possesses this vital social dimension, our acts of love, service and reconciliation, in order to be truly reparative, need to be inspired, motivated and empowered by Christ. Saint John Paul II also observed that “to build the civilization of love”, our world today needs the heart of Christ. Christian reparation cannot be understood simply as a congeries of external works, however indispensable and at times admirable they may be. These need a “mystique”, a soul, a meaning that grants them strength, drive and tireless creativity. They need the life, the fire and the light that radiate from the heart of Christ. #184

Evangelical reparation is a call to mission. It is a call for the Church to be commiteed in "repairing the harm done to this world," with “a desire to mend wounded hearts where the deepest harm was done." This sounds to me like the “field hospital” version of preferential option for the poor. It is a call to the mission of charitable service that very much characterized the early Christian Church. This is the ecclesial mission that Pope Francis is conferring on us. The mission of discipleship.

Jesus is calling you and sending you forth to spread goodness in our world. His call is one of service, a summons to do good, perhaps as a physician, a mother, a teacher or a priest. Wherever you may be, you can hear his call and realize that he is sending you forth to carry out that mission. He himself told us, “I am sending you out” (Lk 10:3). It is part of our being friends with him. For this friendship to mature, however, it is up to you to let him send you forth on a mission in this world, and to carry it out confidently, generously, freely and fearlessly. If you stay trapped in your own comfort zone, you will never really find security; doubts and fears, sorrow and anxiety will always loom on the horizon. Those who do not carry out their mission on this earth will find not happiness, but disappointment. Never forget that Jesus is at your side at every step of the way. He will not cast you into the abyss, or leave you to your own devices. He will always be there to encourage and accompany you. He has promised, and he will do it: “For I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Mt 28:20). #215

Of course I would also add to this list of services the social worker/minister and community organizer. Those who are called to serve in our time honored tradition of social ministry should also recognize the need to be guided and enriched by the loving heart of Jesus. These were the ministries that ultimately caused the Christian community to grow and overshadow the Roman Empire.

As he concludes his encyclical Pope Francis offers us the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus as our devotional guide in embracing the teaching that God truly loves us. As I mentioned, this encyclical is not meant to be a social encyclical, rather, Pope Francis offer a spiritual and devotional orientation for how we can address these social issues. As he says it.

The present document can help us see that the teaching of the social Encyclicals Laudato Si’ and Fratelli Tutti is not unrelated to our encounter with the love of Jesus Christ. For it is by drinking of that same love that we become capable of forging bonds of fraternity, of recognizing the dignity of each human being, and of working together to care for our common home. #217

[christianethics]

CHURCH MEMBERS' ETHICS

Please click title for the quiz

[biblepreacher]

Gender Ideology and the Christian

1 Timothy 4:1–2 (CSB) — 1 Now the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will depart from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, 2 through the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared. Ephesians 4:15 (CSB) — 15 But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. 1 Peter 3:15–16 (CSB) — 15 but in your…