“Despite a certain trend towards conservatism in parts of the church and society, I am convinced that we have moved into a new era that will be determined by people who live by their own conscience and are particularly qualified to act as discerning members of community and society…the era in which almost everyone was content to be born and to live as a member of a certain church or ‘organized religion’ is over. The people who will shape the future of believers of all religions are those who have the courage to make their own choice, whatever pain may be involved, and to do so with personal responsibility.”
- Fr. Bernard Haring, German Redemptorist priest, who was my “textbook” in moral theology class in the 1960s.. He is often called 20th Century’s greatest Catholic moral theologian.
Although the first principle of Catholic morality is that “You must follow your conscience”, we usuallly immediately override it with the second principle, which is that “You must form your conscience (Through Scripture, tradition, and prayer), which I surely agree with. It balances individualism with community. But let’s never forger the FIRST principle is still first!
I so appreciate this teaching, Richard. I have grown to trust my conscience as I whittle away at first half of life assumptions. I feel confident in trusting what I know to be good and wholesome much more than I do a group of men living in lofty places who are deeply out of touch with the reality of this world. I shall carry on, my brother, trusting in the truth that keeps unfolding before me.
I am so with you, Vicki.
In my second half of life, I no longer struggle with assumptions and pre-conceived ideas. I do a lot of chuckling, shoulder shrugging, and head shaking listening to our modern day scribes and Pharisees spouting their doctrine. Meh, they’ll find out sooner or later (probably later). Meanwhile I am happy and at peace on MY journey.
And thank you Richard – now I don’t feel so alone in my thinking.
My life has been so rich with experience, rich relationships, deep faith, love, laughter and out of all that richness surely I have developed a conscience which I can trust. I no longer need an institution to tell me what is right for me. I am grateful that I had that early and very traditional faith formation in the first half but now I’m happy to trust my own judgement and truly TRUST IT. This last conference with Richard and Bill Plotkin was excellent and really re-affirmed that I can trust my own experience and live by it.
Thank you so much. This is what ACC has as a first topic in their discussion packet on Rights and Responsibilities. This will be the year this message needs to reach a vast audience.We had a problem 4 years ago, the past election year, when the Bishops voice seemed to clearly accuse those who did not vote their way of incorrectly formed consciences.
Amen!
I certainly agree. All this ballyhoo over the Catholic Institutions being forced to provide contraceptives through the insurance provided. The grocery store has a huge
selections of items for purchase but nobody is being forced to buy carrots.
I really like your writings and quotes, etc. Almost makes me want to “convert” – almost, but not quite!
The only thing about this post of yours that does not make sense is this: to follow ones conscience, would one not have to have formed one FIRST?? The order of the first and second principle does not make sense to me. I really would appreciate some clarification here!
What a refreshing reminder, especially at this time in our nation when church and other entities attempt to define matters of “conscience” with single-issue rhetoric, limiting principles so that they fail to embrace the broader values of human life. Recently the issue of religious freedom has been thrown into the political-religious discussion, and it suggests that principles should control decisions over human struggle and pain. Unfortunately, some of the principles are so single-issue focused, that they leave out broader human concerns. My conscience needs to be more broadly embracing if I am to imitate Jesus’ sense of conscience.
Amen!!! I Agree
That’s truly the Good News of the gospel. I’ve always felt responsible before my Creator Lord for my spirituality. When I see Him face to face I can’t imagine blaming “my church” or anyone else if He asks me why I made the decisions I’ve made. “Gee God, he said that’s how You wanted me to do that”. Hmmmmmmm…Oh how I love the ways You love me Lord!!! <
I totally agree with what has been said, but it is hard to know if it is my indwelling presence guiding me or my ego.
Thank you, Richard. Many years ago I faced a choice for a tubal ligation. Having the surgery was a long overdue step into adulthood. I recall returning from receiving communion the following Sunday and thinking: “Well… God did not strike me dead! ” : )
I remember your talk in Cleveland a few years ago for the Spirituality and Politics conference. It was then that I first heard you talk about living out of your own conscience. You said, “If you must choose between faith and religion, choose faith.” It was, and still is, quite a freeing concept for me. Yet, I agree that we must have a formed conscience to begin with, although I don’t think any one church institution has what belongs there quite right. I also really enjoyed “The One” video, and that also helped me to be more free in looking at what those in other religious traditions are saying, thinking, doing. Keep up the great dialogue! God be with you!
Donna
Right before opening this post, I opened an email from Pace e Bene (www.paceebene.org) highlighting the work of Peter Ediger (86 yrs old): “Churches: Loving Their Enemies” and his work in the Las Vegas area over the last six months visiting churches. Instead of thinking- oh too much to read or what does this have to do with me… I am so grateful I took the time to read his journal and was humbled in the listening. And then Fr. Richard – to read your words immediately after and how they were seemingly fleshed out in this man, made me take quite a pause and I pray for the willingness to take them all in and become them more. Many thanks…
How do you do it? You always seem to speak to what I am struggling with. I have recently decided to take a break from what I do for my church. It seems to be what God is telling me to do. But then that voice keeps popping up saying, “But this the gift God has given you to do. How can you turn your back on it?!?” I am not taking a break because I am “burned out.” I actually love what I do and feel God’s presence in this work. But I believe God is wanting be me go “in the forest” for awhile, to let go of all the props that say who I am. So I am finding that following my conscience doesn’t particulary look like I am following God. It would be way easier to just keep doing what I am doing but I can’t do that with a clear conscience. Thank you, Father Rohr, for being a guiding light along my journey.
In 1967 my Grade XII Xtian Ethics teacher, Fr. James Gray O.S.B. (Hermit) taught us to follow our conscience as our moral guide in all matters, including contraception. I’ve thanked him many times over in the past forty some years for his wisdom and guidance. I am sure Bernard Haring was also his teacher and mentor.
OH – DEEP, DEEP GRATITUDE . . . had totally forgotten
Bernard Haring . . . THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH !!! mb
The aspect of “forming a conscience” is right there in the Unpacking of the Paradox. On the one hand, we naturally feel guilty if we hurt someone else and can empathize with the hurt we caused. Children experience this. The guilt can and will be projected onto a god-like figure, parent or otherwise, so saying that God condemns the child for the act only repeats the sentiments that the child already has towards his or her self. In addition, if the child has not developed empathy in certain circumstances, the threat of hell or non-acceptance is also the way the natural behavior modification system is designed to work, and may influence the child to behave.
On the other hand, it is very difficult to distinguish acceptance from love. We could try to say that “God loves you, but does not accept that behavior” and outline the consequences, but then the idea of an unconditionally loving God is confused and/or lost altogether. I find it extremely difficult to separate a person from their actions, so I only experience communion when I forgive both the person and the action. And if we don’t emphasize that God loves and forgives unconditionally, we not only water down the truth, but we weaken people’s openness to breaking down the us/them persona/shadow conflicts.
So I am wondering if the best approach is a hybrid. As it stands, we send a mixed message: God loves unconditionally, but forgives or accepts conditionally. A hybrid approach would be that we never depart from revealing an unconditionally loving and accepting God, but emphasize that we will not personally experience that Communion unless we reconcile with self and others. In short, God NEVER assigning hell or feeling non-acceptance toward anyone, ever, and hell ONLY being the experience of non-communion, which will naturally occur (sociopathology an exception) when misbehaving toward fellow humans.
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Bravo, Richard! So often when I’ve had major issues – after praying, studying the situation and, what was taught me, I’ve ended up following my conscience. On the other hand, when I’ve jumped in impetuously and come out worse for wear, I’ve asked for understanding and forgiveness and now in my senior years I sleep well at night, have better than average health and I live my life with the quiet certitude that in I did the right thing in both cases.
As I completed reading this post it came to me that these two principles of morality are one and the same. First we get out of the way so God can form our conscience and then we follow what he formed in us. Oh how much simpler this makes life if we just open to it. Allelujiah.
Theologians have a mandate to study and help the Faithful to understand the fullness of the Faith. However, they do not have a mandate to teach. That gift, that responsibility has been given to the Bishops. So, in forming our consciences, we can’t dismiss what the teaching Magisterium has to say on a particular matter.
Frank. I believe Richard would agree with your statement. Each one of us needs to weigh and respect the wise and unfortunately not-so-wise teachings we encounter along our way, however, I believe we then must bear the ultimate responsibility for our own conclusions or decisions. I wonder if that’s why Abba assigned each of us a conscience? A will?
Our own life experiences bring us to understand our own inner authority. In my own journey of faith I appreciate my traditional Catholic upbringing. It was essential in the creation of my conscience. Now at age 56, and after a deep inner journey I can now trust my own innner authority and feel supported by a community of friends who are serious seekers of a deeper understanding of God.. Often what I know to be true isn’t always what the magisterium has taught. And this isn’t relativism, it is based on the inner authority that has grown and matured and still has more to discover. My journey with and understanding of the Cosmic Christ leads me explore a deeper understanding of the God of this magificent universe. Richard Rohr’s talks on the Cosmic Christ are an outstanding resource.
I hunger for an understanding of the word “teach”. “Beware of the Spiritual director who does!” is a piece of advice I recieved in my teens. Our men’s group of 25 years standing is – for me – a microcosim of both Liberal and Conservative men. When I share the results of my prayer life and the promptings my conscience gives me, the conservative guys, from their position of power, will patronise me and give me advice – and genuinly think that is what I need. Others will listen and hear and look with some sort of awe – the nearest thing I can call that is love.
I have come to believe the questions raised in prayer time are themselves gift. Keeping the question alive is what I call Spirituality. Religion closes me down with definitive answers. What I have come to expect from Religious people is the fear and its symptoms that my questions provoke. The tension for me is between gift and fear.