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Christian Moral Principles - Coggle Diagram

- - - - Christian ethics are grounded in key beliefs about human nature, forgiveness, redemption, the afterlife and community which affect ideas of social virtues and moral action
      - The idea of agape may be distinctly Christian with the greatest commandment being to 'love God' and 'love your neighbour' - other ethics does not have such motivations as 'love your enemies'
      - Anything in Christian ethics can be found in any person of good will. The Golden Rule can come from Pinker's humanitarian principle (we get on better considering others)
      - Christian ethics is not just about agape and it is not just Christians that care make ethical decisions out of love and care for others
      - Jesus taught about having a loving relationship with God perhaps rather than about ethics
      - Difficult to label so distinctive
    - - Jesus asks his disciples to look inwards and follow the inner law of love, righteousness, peace and faith and encouraged them to make their own judgements and to have personal responsibility
      - We choose how to best apply the principle of agape situationally according to the 4 working principles
      - Relationship with God is perhaps personal
      - Jesus also shows a care for others, helping those in need and showing mercy to the merciful. Christians should apply these social virtues in the community, as a community
      - Agape is a motivation to act morally and ethically in the community helping others. We should develop a 'global ethic' for the benefit of humanity, due to an obligation to 'love your neighbour'
      - Christian ethics are more about how individuals contribute to the community, not perfection through self-discipline
    - - Developing a loving relationship with God should lead to a life of virtue by being close to God and is a worthwhile life as you can enjoy God's presence
      - Acting out of love for others leads to a life of 'other-centredness' not 'self-centredness' as shown in Jesus' sacrifice for the world's sins
      - Jesus rejected rule-based ethics and seems to promote agape and the inner law instead - suggests agape is enough
      - The Sermon on the Mount looked for ways to 'fulfil' the old laws in a new community, so there is more to the good life than just love - you should follow the covenant too
      - There is more than just love when it comes to a relationship with God, as there are key ideas of forgiveness and redemption which need to be accepted as the arrogant may think they don't need God to forgive them
      - You need to consider yourself as well as others - advising others out of love and wanting the best for them should be done after removing the log from your own eye first
    - - The Bible is supposed to be an inspiration not a rule book, everything is dependent on context and the Christian should make their own judgements as to what is best for them in their community as times change
      - The Bible is directly inspired by the Word of God so is truthful. Contradictions can be solved as Jesus is describing God's Kingdom rather than the imperfect world
      - A literalist interpretation is dangerous - perhaps the Bible ought to be more straightforward as context is difficult to understand in the modern day, or less contradictory. Not every moral situation is covered by the Bible hence why reason, conscience and the Church may be needed
      - The biblicist view of the Bible is contested and is 'bibliolatry.' The introduction or reinterpretation of covenants is confusing, suggests it evolves over time with the community