Comparing Blackburn's Views On Conscience And Tolerance

“Conscience is the fundamental characteristic of being human that makes it possible to know and do good,” (Blackburn 23). Blackburn classifies conscience as the fundamental characteristic of being human, meaning that conscience is a determinant of who, or what sort of person one should be. Similarly, when Blackburn talks about conscience in this manner, there is an understanding that conscience is a part of our human design; therefore, it is a representation of who we are both internally and externally. She also expands this point by stating that conscience is indeed a lifelong human process, as well as a concrete judgment of the good versus the evil. In other words, conscience is our moral judgment of understanding what classifies the good, …show more content…
The law that Blackburn mentions is the Divine Law of God, or the Natural Law. “Natural law is a participation in God’s wisdom and goodness…expressing the dignity of the human person and forming the basis of his fundamental rights and duties,” (Blackburn 27). This law (Natural Law) orients us towards seeking the good, and avoidance of the evil. Living according to the Divine Law of God is what it means to live a Christian …show more content…
To live a Christian life there needs to be a realignment of oneself with God’s law. “As the covenant provided Israel with the motive for observing the law, so Jesus’ example of ultimate love become the motive for all his disciples to imitate him in all aspects of their lives’ (Blackburn 31). Love is the most important aspect of one’s life. The Christians pointed out that conscience is a lifelong process of loving God and neighbor (Blackburn 23). Jesus tells us in the Gospel of Matthew to, “Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind … You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” (Matt. 22: 37-39). Upon these two commandments is the law build. Christ’s demeanor on earth demonstrates the true example of how to live a life of love (a Christian life). Through his conduct Christians holds that the center of discipleship is not only in the relationship with Christ, but this relationship influence the decisions they make, and the attitude towards life and their character (Blackburn 31). Therefore, whenever or however the conversion whether morally or religiously happens, it should demonstrate transfiguration of the whole person morally. Taking conscience’s direction, and Jesus’ life examples as the guide to living a truly Christian life, grounded in the love of others and