4.2 What is the Loving Thing To Do?

Conscience God’s voice inside of us, that tells us how to do good and avoid evil. Christians are bound by their conscience in determining the loving thing to do. Every person has a responsibility to inform his or her conscience.

Magisterium The teaching authority of the Church, made up of the pope, the bishops, priests and deacons. They are bound by Scripture and Tradition, and guide Catholics in forming and informing their conscience. They are also informed by Scripture and Tradition.

Tradition (in the Church) The things that are taught by the Church throughout history. They have never changed throughout time and between cultures (e.g. the Trinity, Immaculate Conception) It includes the witness of people of faith. (Saints, Blesseds, holy people)

Informing Your Conscience Learning the teaching of Scripture and Tradition as interpreted by the Magisterium. Listening to the advice of other Christians. Praying and reflecting on our personal experience. Critically evaluating our culture.

Making the Right Decision Seeing - recognizing what the decision is that needs to be made. Judging - analyzing the options and evaluating which ones would truly be a loving choice. Acting - choosing to do the loving thing and doing it. Evaluating - becoming aware of how the decision has effected our relationship with God, ourselves and others.

3 Principles When Evaluating A Decision: Never do evil, even if it is for the sake of accomplishing a good thing. We should always treat others with the same love and respect with which we wish to be treated. Everything we do should reflect a genuine concern for other people.

Humility Understanding our own limitations and a need for others. An admission that we need God and the Church. Not being self-centered and arrogant to think that we always know what is best for us (part of decision making). To develop the humility that allows us to listen to God and the Church, we need to pray.

Sin A decision we make that goes against our conscience and the truth that is God. It causes a separation between us and God, ourselves and others. It is an abuse of the freedoms that God has given us.