11B – Conscience, Morality and Values

What do we mean by the term ‘ethics’ and how do they affect our everyday lives?

• Being Human – to understand Catholic teaching on ethics you need to know the Catholic view of what it means to be human. (7 mins)
• A 7 min clip introducing ethics and morality
• Life Teen Review: Truth and Morality – what is truth and what is our responsibility to it? (4 min clip)
• “Catholic Social Thought” Online Resources portal has a section of links on important ethical concepts, and Christian ethics.

• Everyday Discernment – Is making decisions a straightforward process or does life seem like a constant crossroads of infinite possibilities, and saying yes to anything excludes everything else? (7 mins)
• Your Choices Matter – Decision Point 1.1 (7 min clip) to challenge you.
• The Best Way to Live – Decision Point 1.2  (5.20 min clip)

The following are dilemmas to get you started on what thinking ethically is about…

• 14 Moral Dilemmas – What would you do if…
• Moral dilemma (1.37 mins)- The trolley problem
• Ethical dilemma of self driving cars (4.15mins)
• Would you rather: 6 moral dilemmas (11.21 mins)

The basic principle is that every human life is sacred and should be defended. All issues that touch upon the dignity of the human person – such as abortion, capital punishment, modern warfare, care of the terminally ill, racism, and poverty – are connected like the “seamless garment” that Jesus himself wore (see John 19:23-24).(Catholic 365.com)

• The Consistent Ethic of Life is the New Zealand Bishops’ Conference letter about life issues.
• Does Life really Matter? (2.29 mins)
• Pro-Life Issues  – a great explanation of the consistent ethic of life (which goes beyond the issues of abortion and euthanasia (7.19 mins)
• Why are Catholics so Pro-life? 7.35mins

Euthanasia

• Why does the Church care for the sick and the elderly? Part One – Aotearoa Catholic -Euthanasia is discussed. 6 mins.
• Why does the Church care for the sick and elderly? Part Two. 6 mins
• Jakob O’Flaherty on Euthanasia in NZ – a student speech on the topic.

Abortion

• Why does the Church Care for the Unborn? – Discusses abortion 5.22 mins

Creation

• Saving our Common Home: It’s more than being about being tidy kiwis. (5 mins) – Discusses Laudato Si’ and caring for the environment
• Saving our Common Home: It’s all about relationships (5.37) 

War

• Just War  Is war ever the answer? What’s the Catholic approach to thinking about it? When is it justified?

Death Penalty

• The Death Penalty and the Catholic Church (6.15 mins)
• Pope Francis revises Catechism on Death Penalty

The Catholic Church helps us form our conscience by giving guidance around good choices.

• Being Human – to understand Catholic teaching on ethics you need to know the Catholic view of what it means to be human. (7 mins)
• Formation of Conscience.  The conscience goes beyond your gut, instinct, or little voice inside you. But how should we use it? How do we go about forming it? (6.53 mins)
• The Catholic Catechism teaching on the moral conscience lying at the heart of humankind.
• The dignity of human beings
• Humanity’s desire for happiness
• The communal nature of living in society
• The freedom of humanity
• A moral conscience lies at the heart of humankind
• The morality of human acts
• The morality of passions
• Veritatis Splendor is  John Paul’s letter regarding certain fundamental moral questions of Church teaching.
• The Catholic Encyclopedia explains the meaning of conscience.

Christian values are based on the Ten Commandments and on the words and actions of Jesus.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS:

1. Love the Lord your God and love your neighbour as yourself
2. Do not take the name of the Lord in vain
3. Keep holy the Sabbath day
4. Honour your father and mother
5. You shall not kill
6. You shall not commit adultery
7. You shall not steal
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour
9. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife
10. You shall not covet your neighbour’s goods

• The Problem with the 10 Commandments: 7:37mins
• The 10 Commandments are divided into two sections
  Love God – the first three commandments.
  Love People – the other seven commandments.
• The Catholic Encyclopedia sees the Commandments as bearing on the fundamental obligations of religion and morality.
• A quick 10 question on line quiz about the 10 Commandments.

What are some of the moral issues faced by people today?

• Mass media ethics – some very good class notes.
• The Animal Freedom Website exchanges ideas about animal rights and about legal ways to end factory farming.

If you are being assessed in your knowledge and understanding of the topic Conscience, Morality and Values through Achievement Standards, you may find the following resources useful.

Reminders

Remember that these are resources that may fit the generic topic of a standard.  You will need to read the actual standard in question and the assessment task that your school has set. Discuss your planned response with your teacher.

Resources

Achievement Standards require you to present clear and accurate information using a range of detail and reasons as well as using a range of examples to support your answer. You will need to describe key ethical principles of a religious tradition and how these ethical principles are applied to an issue.

• A presentation on what Catholic ethics is.
• The relationship between conscience and authority (i.e the religious tradition).
• Catholic ethics challenges people to make decisions around the common good.  The common good is is a complex concept.
• Catholics are required to follow their INFORMED conscience.

Request

FaithCentral would love to know about sites that you have found useful in your preparation for assessment to any achievement standard.  We are also keen to know what you would find helpful to have on FaithCentral. Contact us at ncrs@tci.ac.nz with any ideas.