DCT - DCT (= divine command theory lol)

Bible passage supporting Divine Command Theory

Gen 22: abraham instructed to sacrifice Isaac

= good to follow God's command

2 Bible passages supporting biblicism

1. 1 Tim 3 "all scripture is God breathed"

2. Mt 7 "a wise man builds his house on the rock of Jesus' teachings" (this solves the grounding problem of most ethical theories)

Homosexuality case study

Lev 18 vs Roms 10:4

Gen 19 vs Ezekiel 16 (Sodom, "they did not help the poor and needy")

1 cor 6 vs arsenokoitai, malekoi (1 Tim 1)

Biblicism on OT vs NT

Roms 10:4: Christ replaces OT law, so Biblicist approach focusses on Jesus' life

Eg Mt 22: greatest commandment

Mt 5-7 raises bar of morality

4 Bible passages supporting autonomous morality

Mk 3: healing on sabbath

Mt 22: greatest commandment (agape)

Luke 10: everyone is your neighbour

Mt 25: do good on earth to your neighbours

3 criticisms of autonomous morality

1. Bonhoeffer, "Ethics": consequences go on forever.

2. Barclay, "Ethics in a permissive Society": agape too subjective, even on a personal level.

3. Can't replace the Bible with just love: eg homosexuality.

5 sources of heteronomous morality

Natural Law, Bible, Conscience, Holy Spirit, Magisterium

Pope on conscience

John Paul 2 in "Veritatis Splendor": "conscience is like God's herald and messenger", but it is NOT an "infallible judge"

Should inform your prudentia via Catholic teachings

Structure of the Magisterium

General magisterium = sermons, not infallible

Ordinary Magisterium = the Catechism, decided by Cardinals with the Pope as arbiter. It's infallible.

The Pope can invoke papal infallibility to include an "extraordinary magisterium" in the catechism.

Papal infallibility

Jesus passed on responsibility for his kingdom on Earth to Peter, the first Pope.

Mt 16: "on this rock I will build my church" (Petros = rock)

"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven"

Supported by John Henry Newman in "Letter to the Duke of Norfolk":

If the Pope spoke against conscience he would be "committing a suicidal act" as it undermines his own authority. So nothing immoral will ever enter Catholic teaching.

2 criticisms of the Magisterium

1. Pope Benedict 16 failed to act over child abuse cases

2. Catechism has changed eg 2018 changed to condemn capital punishment.