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Original poster

Can someone explain the difference between God and conscience?

46 replies

chocolatequeen · 08/10/2007 22:01

In my life, I make decisions from a human (ie conscience) point of view, rather than because of religion/faith. Yet the outcome is the same, in most situations.

Can someone put in simple terms the difference?

OP posts:

caterpiller · 09/10/2007 15:01

Absolutely, Anna. I was just trying to give an unbiased definition.

Anna8888 · 09/10/2007 15:05

Do those posters who do not believe in God themselves think it is (still) useful to teach children about morality using God / Christian teachings?

harpsicorpsecarrier · 09/10/2007 15:18

no, I don't.

Caroline1852 · 09/10/2007 15:20

Conscience is feeling bad about a wrong doing. God is saying 4 Our Fathers and 12 Hail Marys and not necessarily feeling bad about the same wrong doing.

SueBarooeeooeeooooo · 09/10/2007 15:49

Conscience is what we call the feelings of morality we hold to. If we're religious, we believe that it's God-given, and if we're not, we usually believe in some form of social-conditioning/genetic memory etc.

So I don't think it's an either/or distinction, really.

Anna8888 · 09/10/2007 15:58

SueBaroo - I don't agree with you .

If morality were "God-given" we wouldn't need to be taught about God/religion. Our conscience would be innate.

The issue is where the rules that govern our conscience come from - from an external source or from our interactions with others.

Personally I think the distinction is very, very important .

colditz · 09/10/2007 16:04

I personally believe that Jesus existed, and he was a man. The parables of him telling us how to live were as a result of him feeling disgusted at the selfishness and greed he saw around himself all the time. his conscience didn't allow him to live like that - and he was selfless enough to insist on spreading that message until he was killed for it.

I believe we all have some form of conscience, and that it is a genetic trait of humanity, as strong as the urge to procreate. Why else would we exclaim in horror "He has no conscience!" when someone fails to show sorrow for wrongdoing?

To me, God is a way that people explain to themselves that powerful urge to do the right thing when faced with a choice.

SueBarooeeooeeooooo · 09/10/2007 16:29

Anna8888, that was my point. You don't believe that the conscience is God-given, that's fine.

My point is that the conscience is something can all attest to the existence of. The question is the origin of it, I suppose. I believe that it's a God-given thing. My faith holds that it's 'broken' and so needs an external prod, if you like.

Others, as I mentioned, explain it differently with the social conditioning thing, or other ideas.

caterpiller · 09/10/2007 16:39

I certainly don't require a god in order to teach my children to develop a concience. Using 'God' is surely just a vehicle in which to deliver the point.

Anna8888 · 09/10/2007 20:17

SueBaroo - sure, I have no problem with us all having a conscience. But I don't like the idea that we don't have control over our own consciences - that we need a God to remind us to be good . Being good is reward in itself.

caterpiller · 09/10/2007 20:17

Conscience I mean

Anna8888 · 09/10/2007 20:19

Caterpillar - agree entirely. God/The Bible/religion is a useful parable for teaching morality to children. But as adults we ought to be responsible for our own actions and have sufficient knowledge of our own selves to treat others with respect and, very importantly, to defend ourselves from the disrespect of others.

SueBarooeeooeeooooo · 09/10/2007 20:24

Anna8888, I wouldn't say we don't have control over our conscience, and I'd agree that being good is in and of itself, reward enough.

I don't believe in God and religion as a simple list of rewards for good behaviour, but that's probably another thread.

PeachyFleshCrawlingWithBugs · 09/10/2007 20:27

Depends on WHICH God for a start, after all a village Hindu deity is completely different, even sometimes vengeful.

But if you eman Christian god- God is Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent. One's conscience is a guiding moral ethic shaped by ones own beliefs..... qute different, regardless of whether you personally believe or not.

SenoraPostrophe · 09/10/2007 20:31

easy. one is a part of your imagination, and the other is your conscience.

MaryBS · 10/10/2007 17:05

Of course God is part of my imagination. He's part of every bit of me, and I don't care who knows it!

My conscience is something that's in me, but IS me. God has a major influence on my conscience, but is recognisably different and distinct - its difficult to describe in just a few words, but I think a lot of Christians out there know what I mean.

ShinyHappyPurpleSeveredHeads · 10/10/2007 18:58

Mary I know what you mean, and I a bit of a lapsed Christian to be honest. (Blame Neale Donald Walsh of Conversations with God fame .

If God can be considered as All That Is, then it's easier to take on board that He is us, we are Him and He is our conscience and and everything, literally all that is. And if people chose to disbelieve/disregard Him, thats fine too.

professorplum · 10/10/2007 19:27

Conscience is internal, and it is not always right. It is the demand we make on ourselves to act within our best judgement. Concience can lead people to do what is morally indefensible. I believe that suicide bombers and George Bush act according to their own concience but I believe that they are wrong.

Concience is highly valued within the Catholic church. Vatican 2 declared that nobody can be constrained to share a conviction that is not their own. In other words declaring 'its against my religion' without any thought of the real issues isn't a good enough arguement any more. Concience first, and then the Pope.

Anna8888 · 11/10/2007 09:12

Professorplum - what you say about Vatican 2, "declaring 'its against my religion' without any thought of the real issues isn't a good enough arguement any more" is very interesting. Where can I read more? Any links? Thanks.

professorplum · 11/10/2007 10:38

vatican

This document is about the rights of religious freedom but it does clearly state that that man should act according to his own judgement. Of course his own judgement may be wrong. It is my believe that it is no longer acceptable to use religion as an excuse for bigotry, if you are prejudiced against a group/individual, it is because of your own judgement, not the Pope's. Although I don't totally ignore the official teachings of the church, I don't substitute someone else's opinions for my own, especially if they use a 6000 year old text in place of their own concience.

'It is in accordance with their dignity as persons-that is, beings endowed with reason and free will and therefore privileged to bear personal responsibility -that all men should be at once impelled by nature and also bound by a moral obligation to seek the truth, especially religious truth'

'In all his activity a man is bound to follow his conscience in order that he may come to God, the end and purpose of life. It follows that he is not to be forced to act in manner contrary to his conscience. Nor, on the other hand, is he to be restrained from acting in accordance with his conscience, especially in matters religious.'

page about Cardinal Newman here He was a RC convert who wrote a lot about concience

Anna8888 · 11/10/2007 12:38

Thank you .

We have lots of issues with religious teachings vs. conscience in this household - sometimes I need some back-up documentation .

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