What is conscience?

[WelshBoy]

con·science

noun 1. the inner sense of what is right or wrong in one's conduct or motives, impelling one toward right action: to follow the dictates of conscience.
2. the complex of ethical and moral principles that controls or inhibits the actions or thoughts of an individual.
3. an inhibiting sense of what is prudent: I'd eat another piece of pie but my conscience would bother me.


I was brought up to believe that my conscience was the Holy Spirit, or God telling me that what I was doing was sinful.

I now believe that conscience is actually the physiological fear of punishment, shaped by one's upbringing. Thus having been punished for stealing a biscuit in the past, I would have a 'pang of conscience' the next time as my body released adrenaline for the fight-or-flight response, hence the knotted stomach feeling of conscience.

Conscience is also by no means universal, and something which pricks one person's conscience has no effect on another person.



What is conscience for Christians?

[Furrowed Brow]

Well I'm not a Christian. But what is conscience?

I'd say it is the capacity to recognize that your thoughts are actions could have been otherwise, and better. But I guess that is just an attempt at a definition.

I think emotional intelligence will be an important factor. So empathy will be important too. That is to say the capacity to put yourself in another shoes and recognise how your actions may affect them emotionally.

Also the ability to think through how your actions may effect another person materially. So the ability to rationalize is also important.

I also think there may be some learnt standards one lives by. Standards one has absorbed from ones parents or society.

Also the ability to stand outside yourself. Maybe a little bit of a dual personality is needed. One side of your personality able to critique the other side.

On the whole I think conscience is a word that covers a multitude of sins.

[Confused]

Thoough I know you have listed the technical definitions, I think the conscience is much more simplistic. I think it is the ability to not only recognize your actions but reason if they are wrong or right and the consequences of such actions.

I can't say that it is innate. There is too many exceptions in human nature so suggest otherwise, however I think that it is heavily influenced by the societal norms under which one develops.

[Easyrider]

The conscience, amongst other things, is what testifies that people have sinned. People can deny that, but way down they know they've done wrong at some point.

[Confused]

The conscience, amongst other things, is what testifies that people have sinned. People can deny that, but way down they know they've done wrong at some point.

Why must it always be sin? And as I have stated in the past, there exist people who cannot attest to knowing they have done something wrong.

[MrWhy]

To think or feel that you've messed up in a way that violates a code of social conduct in your culture.

[AB]

con·science

noun 1. the inner sense of what is right or wrong in one's conduct or motives, impelling one toward right action: to follow the dictates of conscience.
2. the complex of ethical and moral principles that controls or inhibits the actions or thoughts of an individual.
3. an inhibiting sense of what is prudent: I'd eat another piece of pie but my conscience would bother me.


I was brought up to believe that my conscience was the Holy Spirit, or God telling me that what I was doing was sinful.

I now believe that conscience is actually the physiological fear of punishment, shaped by one's upbringing. Thus having been punished for stealing a biscuit in the past, I would have a 'pang of conscience' the next time as my body released adrenaline for the fight-or-flight response, hence the knotted stomach feeling of conscience.

Conscience is also by no means universal, and something which pricks one person's conscience has no effect on another person.



What is conscience for Christians?

What is consience? It is something that rings right about the 10 commandments. It is something that rings the bell that things are against God. The message of the Gospel is right. Pure and simple.

[McCulloch]

What is conscience? It is something that rings right about the 10 commandments. It is something that rings the bell that things are against God. The message of the Gospel is right. Pure and simple.

Those who have never heard the 10 commandments do have a conscience. Atheists have consciences.

[WelshBoy]

What is consience? It is something that rings right about the 10 commandments. It is something that rings the bell that things are against God. The message of the Gospel is right. Pure and simple.

For that to be true you would have to be able to prove that everyone has pangs of conscience about the same things...and they do not.

And putting 'pure and simple' at the end of your post doesn't make it true, pure or simple.

[AB]

What is conscience? It is something that rings right about the 10 commandments. It is something that rings the bell that things are against God. The message of the Gospel is right. Pure and simple.

Those who have never heard the 10 commandments do have a conscience. Atheists have consciences.

Yeah. I agree. The 10 commandments formalized what was needed for the Hebrews while they wondered in Sinai. God's covenate with His chosen people began before the 10 commandments.. with Abraham.

I doubt the 10 commandments contradicts a true conscience.