All Catholic Sets

What does "conscience" mean in Latin, and what does it imply?

"Con scientia" means "with knowledge"; it implies informed moral awareness developed through reason, experience, and reflection.

Is conscience fixed or changeable?

Conscience is not fixed—it develops over time through moral science, experience, and discernment.

What informs conscience in the Catholic tradition?

Faith and reason—faith sees God's presence, reason evaluates actions and consequences.

What core questions does conscience ask?

Who are we? Who do we want to become? How will we live with those values?

How does conscience differ from the superego?

Conscience is a reasoned, personal process. Superego is shaped by external authority and guilt.

What questions do conscience and superego ask?

Superego: “Should I?” | Conscience: “Do I truly believe this is right for me?”

What is the role of conscience in Catholic theology?

It is the sacred space between a person and God, infallible when sincerely followed.

What is the role of the Magisterium in conscience formation?

It guides, but personal experience, reason, and the Holy Spirit are also essential.

What are the three senses of conscience?

Synderesis (natural sense of good), Moral Science (learning to do good), Conscience (acting on belief).

What are the six factors in forming conscience?

Actions, Intentions, Circumstances, Consequences, Values, Norms.

What does “conscience and character” mean?

Actions reflect our deeper attitudes and readiness to choose certain ways.

How does vision relate to conscience?

We choose actions based on how we see the world, which is shaped by who we are.

How does “story” influence conscience?

Real-life choices involve imagination, habits, emotions, and our communities.

How does imagination affect moral decisions?

It helps us see new aspects of reality and leads to moral conversion.

What role do questions play in moral decision-making?

Asking "What? Who? When? Where? Why? How?" helps ground morality in reality.

How does the Church influence conscience?

We rely on Church authority for guidance, but must also take personal responsibility.

What is discernment in moral decision-making?

It bridges norms and personal responsibility, leading to authentic moral action.

What are the foundations and steps of discernment?

Foundations: Faith, God, Jesus, Human Person. Steps: Prayer, Info Gathering, Confirmation, External Confirmation.

What makes conscience more than just "following the rules"?

Conscience involves personal reflection, prayer, and discernment. It's not just about rule-following but about forming judgments rooted in character, faith, and one’s relationship with God.

How does faith influence conscience?

Faith opens one to a deeper awareness of God’s presence and guidance. It helps shape the moral imagination and expands one’s understanding of the good beyond just reason or emotion.

What role does community play in conscience formation?

Communities like family, church, and peers influence our values, stories, and moral habits. Conscience is shaped not in isolation, but in relationship with others.

Why is imagination important in moral decision-making?

Imagination allows us to “see” new possibilities and understand different dimensions of a situation. It’s vital for empathy, moral growth, and re-patterning how we view the world.

True

(T/F) Natural law is central to Roman Catholic moral theology

True

(T/F) Natural law claims a universal accessibility regardless of any religious affiliation

False

(T/F) A weakness of natural law is that it is religiously based rather than philosophically based

False

(T/F) Natural law is both “natural” and “law”

True

(T/F) The Bible makes reference to natural law through the understanding of “nature”

True

(T/F) The Stoics are credited with introducing the concept of natural law

True

(T/F) Green influence sees human nature a conforming to what is given in nature

True

(T/F) Aristotle saw human nature as morally good actions which are rationally directed toward actualization of human potential

True

(T/F) Cicero saw natural law as the ability to live according to what reason demands

True

(T/F) The “jus civile” regulates civil rights within an autonomous society

False

(T/F) The “jus gentium” regulates personal relationships

True

(T/F) The “jus natural” reflects what nature teaches both animals and humans

False

(T/F) By the high Middle Ages, there was only one strain of interpretation of natural law

True

(T/F) Thomas Aquinas connected natural law to divine law

False

(T/F) Historically, gender has not played a significant role in the assignment of gender roles within a marriage relationship

True

(T/F) Even toady, the idea of marriage as an “equal partnership” is not true

False

(T/F) Neuroscience has determined that “multi-tasking” is verifiable phenomenon

True

(T/F) In St. John Paul II’s understanding of complementarity, men and women are “designed” to be together by God

True

(T/F) Biology tells us that women are not pre-wired for maternal activities

True

(T/F) Same sex couples' brains accommodate their roles as parents

False

(T/F) Caretaking is a gendered task

True

(T/F) The best choice for a marriage partner is one’s friend

True

(T/F) The major difference between civil and religious marriage is the concept of covenant

False

(T/F) Christian love is first and foremost an emotion

True

(T/F) One’s dignity is derived from the idea of “imago Dei”

True

(T/F) We are called to love our enemies, but not necessarily like them

True

(T/F) No one person can satisfy all of our needs, fantasies and hopes

False

(T/F) The marriage relationship is always about the couple and not responsibility to other people

False

(T/F) The vast majority of people on planet Earth have internet access

True

(T/F) Science is discovering that our brains are being affected by time spent on electronic media

True

(T/F) Un using social media, three virtues need to be employed: temperance, prudence, and fidelity

False

(T/F) “Digital fasts” do not help strong attachments to being online

False

(T/F) Natural law historically has emphasized personalism over physicalism

True

(T/F) An action becomes “immoral” if it frustrates the finality of a natural faculty

True

(T/F) “Disordered” in natural law understanding means out of the order of nature

False

(T/F) The basic moral question for decision making is “What will make me happy?”

True

(T/F) “Moral myopia” suggests that we do not see enough of what is involved in a moral decision

True

(T/F) The Christian faith and science are generally compatible

True

(T/F) Moral norms develop out of an experience of value, especially persons and social relationships

True

(T/F) An example of a virtually exceptionless material norm is child abuse

C) situational context

The focus of making a moral decision centers around:

C) What?

Naming the moral situation suggests:

B) Why?

The end and the means of a moral question suggest:

B) When and Where?

Locating the event in time and place in a moral question suggests:

A) What if?

Raising the question of foreseeable results in a moral question suggest:

B) What else?

Forcing ourselves to unearth options to a moral question suggests:

A) Deontological method

Law, duty, and obligation characterize which moral decision-making method:

B) Teleological method

The morally good is whatever leads to that ultimate fulfillment of union with God characterizes:

B) fornication

Aquinas’ order of sexual activities that deny biological nature include all except:

A) homosexuality

Aquinas’ order of sexual activities that allow for biological nature include all except:

D) Anyone

Natural law theory claims to be accessible to:

B) Mosaic law

Biblical references to “nature” include all except:

A) nature is superior to reason

For Aquinas, in understanding natural law:

B) tendency to choose rightly

Aquinas’ norms for natural law based on natural inclinations include all except:

B) physicalism

The moral approach that emphasized human acts is called:

B) physicalism

Denying the role of the whole person in morality is a weakness of:

A) it claims existence of an objective moral order

A strength of natural law theory is:

A) consistency and stability

A strength of the deontological methodology is:

A) examines the context of moral living

A strength of the teleological methodology is:

C) lines of moral analysis are not always clear

A weakness of the relational-responsibility methodology is:

C) tells us what to do

As a source of moral understanding the church does all of these except:

C) formal

The norms that define fixed points of divine revelation such as Jesus, the reign of God, etc. are called:

IPV (Intimate Partner Violence)

Violence perpetrated against ones in relationship

Pluralistic ignorance

Belief that one’s feelings/beliefs are different from others

Hattah

From the Old Testament to “miss the mark” or “to offend”

Pesa

From the Old testament; rebellion; a deliberate action violating a relationship

Hamartia

From the New Testament; deliberate action rooted in the heart

Culpability

Level of responsibility in a sinful action

Fidelity

Faithfulness; trustworthiness

Heart

Biblical metaphor for the personal relationship with God

Original sin

Result of exposure to living in a world where evil exists

Actual sin

Types of sin, mortal and venial, of which we take part

Great commandment

Love of God and neighbor and self

Fourth Lateran Council

Required annual confession of moral sins

Evaluative knowledge

Self-involvement of a personal commitment to a person, event or action

Mortal sin

Turns us away from relating to God, others and the world positively

Magisterium

Represents the teaching authority in the Church; pope and bishops

Social sin

Racism, sexism, economic oppression, environmental ills