Situation ethics

Luke, The parable of the Good Samaritan

• ‘what must i do to be saved?’

• ‘love your neighbour as you love yourself’

• man travelling to Jerusalem → Jericho attacked by robbers and left to die

  • ignored by priest and Levite

  • helped by Samaritan (hated by Jews) and payed inkeeper to look after him

John, The Last Supper

‘new commandment, that you love one another’

Corinthians, St Paul

‘And now these three remain: faith, hope ad love. But the greatest of these is love’

Christian cloak and dagger

woman sent by government to seduce and sleep with enemy spy to lure him into blackmail

sacrificial adultery

Mrs Bergmeier taken to POW camp in Ukraine leaving behind husband and 3 children

• could only return if pregnant (liability)

• family left in dire situation

• asked friendly camp guard to impregnate her

• family welcomed her and baby with open arms

Relativism

‘it relativises the absolute it does not absolute the relative’

conscience

‘conscience is a function not a faculty’

Pope Pius XII

‘individualistic and subjective’ ‘to justify actions in opposition to the natural law or God’s revealed will’

DZ Phillips

love=good=right = mistake

e.g. killing to save a child

motives important

William Barclay

need rules to live by

• e.g. burning building

• e.g. escaping the Indians