Notes from Rae's Moral Choices - as used at LTCi, Siliguri

1. Goodness and general
revelation
We need to see Gods commands in
special revelation (the Bible) in
conjunction with his moral values
expressed in general revelation - this
is called natural law and will be dealt
with soon. Moral precepts and
objective goodness were revealed in
general revelation before the Bible
was given.
Natural law is simply the general
revelation in the area of morals. So
God’s command are consistent with
his character and general revelation.
Wednesday 16 May 2012

2. Problems with divine
command ethics
1. Calling God “good” presupposes a
notion of goodness that must be
independent of God or religion. This is
answered by Rae suggesting that
using a map to show directions to a
city does not presuppose that the map
came before the city. In the same way,
just because I must know something
about goodness before I know that
God is good does not mean morality
is independent of God.
Wednesday 16 May 2012

3. 2. The problem of the apparent conflicts in scriptural
commands.
Rahab in Joshua 2 lies in order to protect the Israelite
spies - she is then recorded in Hebrews 11. There are 3
ways to resolve such conflicts of divine commands:
A. Maintain that no conflict really faces the believer -
nonconflicting absolutism.
Since an infallible God inspired his inerrant word, no
such conflict of commands is possible. Admitting such
a conflict would compromise the character of God by
saying he could give conflicting commands. So when
absolutes (commands) of the Bible are properly
interpreted there will never be such a conflict.
Wednesday 16 May 2012

4. How do we resolve this?
- Suggest that in God’s
providence Rahab should have
told the truth and trusted God.
- Capture the intent of the
command more clearly - not
bearing false witness is not a
blanket prohibition of lying but
of maliciously lying - therefore
Rahab was ok to act as she did.
Wednesday 16 May 2012

5. B. Admit the conflict exists, but
sin is still sin, even when a
person faces competing
obligations. Such moral
dilemmas are not due to any
flaw in God’s character - in fact
people should choose to do the
lesser evil. So you sin (lie) then
immediately kneel and repent.
A person then should not be
morally culpable for something
that could not be avoided and in
which they had no choice.
Wednesday 16 May 2012

6. C. Graded absolutism suggests
as in B that moral conflicts are
part of a fallen world but the
choice made is not evil and the
person has not chosen the
“lesser evil” in their actions. It is
simply a morally justifiable
choice and not sin. So here there
is a hierarchy in God’s laws. In
Acts 4 preaching the gospel was
a greater command than
submission to authorities. Matt
23:23ff justice, compassion,
mercy are considered greater
than tithing.
Wednesday 16 May 2012

7. Natural law in Christian
ethics
Natural law is a controversial idea
in moral philosophy in general
and Christian ethics in particular.
In philosophy this is because it is
an ethic which is transcendent in
nature and not a human creation -
e.g. it has been used in the past to
oppress some groups (like
women) as it has a God’s eye view
on the world which is inconsistent
with modern thinking and
morality.
Wednesday 16 May 2012

8. Natural law in Christian
ethics
In Christian ethics this has mainly
been an area of RC theologians and
philosophers. The Reformers
rejected it as they did not think with
sin in the world that morality could
be discovered apart from clear
revelation in the Bible, and also, the
Bible was the central source of
moral and spiritual authority. In the
20th century Barth and Brunner
argued natural law undercut the
centrality of Christ for moral life.
Wednesday 16 May 2012

9. Critical issues
concerning natural law
Natural law is at the centre of a number
of crucial questions in Christian ethics:
- to what degree can moral values be
known apart from special revelation?
- what is the relationship between
reason and revelation in ethics?
- to what degree can a person be good
apart from special grace of God?
- to what degree is Christian ethics
different from nonreligious ethical
systems? Is there common ground for
Christian and non-Christian morality?
Wednesday 16 May 2012

10. Thomas Aquinas
1224-1274, Italian, best known for
Summa Theologica, which includes
important sections on ethics.
A fundamental concept was of the
public good under the law.
- the good is based on the natural law,
the natural tendencies of a thing - you
consider its end and its function, (both
part of the way God made it), and
happiness is knowing God and loving
the good, evil is what interferes with it .
Wednesday 16 May 2012

11. - held that natural law imprints itself
on beings and therefore determines
its actions to proper inclinations and
ends. Natural law can be known by
reason by everyone regardless of
their relationship to God.
- saw humans as essentially social
beings, the state therefore had room
to intervene and improve the lot of
society, institutions exist to develop
good people.
If you believe in natural law then you
will argue for Christian social mission
and activism in a system that
complements Gospel proclamation.
Wednesday 16 May 2012

12. Defining natural law
This term is used in 2 main ways:
- general, widely shared moral
views / values which are not tied
to scripture - justice, fairness,
respect for the individual, telling
the truth, not harming people etc.
These come out of human
observation and practice through
the centuries - in essence it is
Gods general moral law revealed
through general revelation.
Wednesday 16 May 2012

13. Defining natural law
- in RC circles it is used in looking at
reproductive ethics and offers
reasoning for the validity of their
conclusions. It refers to what is
natural in creation - anything that is
not ‘natural’ is therefore prohibited,
contraception, abortion, IVF etc.
Protestants tend to reject it for
reproductive technologies and
accept it for genetic modifications.
Additionally it is used to argue
against homosexuality
Wednesday 16 May 2012

14. The biblical basis for
natural law
Romans 2:1-16 is the main
passage cited.
14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do
not have the law, do by nature
things required by the law, they are
a law for themselves, even though
they do not have the law. 15 They
show that the requirements of the
law are written on their hearts, their
consciences also bearing witness,
and their thoughts sometimes
accusing them and at other times
even defending them.)
Wednesday 16 May 2012

15. The biblical basis for
natural law
God appears to hold those without
the law as being accountable just as
Jews are (2:17-29). This must mean
they have access to God’s view of
morality (in gen. rev.) - they “have”
the values of God without having
scripture. (This is also seen in some
prophets addressing nations - Isa
13-27, Jer 46-51 etc.)
Wisdom literature also suggests that
wisdom can be natural and revealed
- and are legitimate
Wednesday 16 May 2012

16. The limits of natural
law
Many criticisms do not relate to
natural law itself but how it can be
known. The Reformers had a strong
view on the sinfulness of man and
so thought natural law was virtually
useless - it has been corrupted by
the fall and by self interest.
Special revelation is needed as we
cannot tell in some instances if
something is natural in creation or
caused by sin - e.g. Death which was
not part of God’s original plan but
that happens to all.
Wednesday 16 May 2012

17. The limits of natural
law
Many aspects of spiritual life
require special revelation -
salvation etc.
Natural law helps reveal some
proper motives but greater
clarification can only be gleaned
from Scripture. Rae says in all
things scripture should be the final
arbiter. Natural law is consistent
with scripture but not all of it is
contained in scripture, though
scripture does clarify some of it.
Wednesday 16 May 2012

18. Natural law and
jurisprudence
There are two schools of thought
regarding natural law and the law:
- legal positivists suggest there is
no connection between the law
and morality. Laws are valid
because they are created by
recognised institutions.
- moral realism suggests that laws
that do not correspond to objective
values are non-laws, or invalid
laws. For a law to be valid it must
relate to objective moral truths.
Wednesday 16 May 2012

19. Natural law and
jurisprudence
“For Christians there are objective
values grounded in the creative
activity of God, revealed in general
revelation, deduced by reason and
experience. They are also substantially
revealed in scripture. What natural
law does is to provide a common
ground between Christian and non-
Christian ethics, a basis for dialogue
and a means by which Christian ethics
become persuasive to the world.”
Wednesday 16 May 2012