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CONSCIENCE: A COMPASS IN NEED OF A MAP

The Rev. B.J.H. Tierney

Cardinal Newman Catechist Consultants —7th March, 2006 — HANDOUTS n.34

“Clear, brief and easily assimilated by all”

Dissidents mistakenly insist that Catholics may form their consciences contrary to the Church’s moral teaching: “The real role of the church is not to tell people what to do, but give them a map, and conscience is the compass.”

By this is meant that conscience can set aside the Church's moral teaching.  This article deals with that point alone.  It is not a global treatment of conscience.

CONSCIENCE

Conscience is not separate from intellect and will.  Rather, it is the voice of a partnership between them when making a practical judgment about thoughts words or deeds, and also to self-judge these acts afterwards. The Revised Standard Version Edition has “a still small voice” (Kings 19:12), a description of conscience which has entered the language — less poetic versions have “a gentle whisper of a breeze” or “a gentle air”.  

To put in another way, conscience is the self-application of the moral law to one's life-situation.  Man has the power to act against his conscience. He can choose moral evil.  Indeed, that happens when we sin.

Further, "nothing is chosen except under the appearance of being good."  We can easily deceive ourselves, as Adam and Eve did, and be blameworthy for doing so.  See St Paul in 1 Corinthians 4:3-4.

A third possibility is an erroneous conscience. God alone judges the sinfulness or otherwise of erroneous consciences.   This article deals with some erroneous ideas about conscience, not their culpability.

CONSCIENCE: A COMPASS WITH A MAP

Map and compass are navigational equipment of explorers by land.    Today we might add hand-held Ground Position Satellites. Sea navigators have GPS, plus sextant, almanac, chronometer and charts. 

Natural moral law and conscience are the moral equipment of man on his journey through this life on earth, to his arrival at the judgment seat of God. 

Unbelievers have the natural moral law "written on their hearts” (Romans 2:15): this is like knowing ‘the lie of the land' and doing without a map; (or even without a compass: find true north from sun and stars). 

We believers have an advantage.  If we incorrectly read the natural moral law from our hearts, we can know it with certitude from the moral teaching of the Church - which includes the Bible and Tradition. 

Either way, by reason or by revelation, we are equipped with knowledge.  Our moral map is the Manufacturers Instructions for our dignity, duty and destiny - as individuals, in the family, and in society.

The parallels between map and compass, moral map and conscience, help us understand how conscience is not a law unto itself. A compass is useless on its own: it needs a map. A man's conscience cannot decide right and wrong from his feelings, appetites or prejudices.  Kohlberg's advocacy of ‘moral autonomy' - the radical independence of making up your own morality - was very mistaken indeed. 

USING CONSCIENCE LIKE A COMPASS

A compass does not point where to go, but orients the map.  It is the map that shows us where we are and where to go. (See Bush Boys on the Move, p. 165.) 

Place the compass on the map.  Rotate the map till its magnetic-north line is pointing in the same direction as the compass. Then by reading the map, master the puzzles of the landscape.  (Remember, a mistake using the compass can falsify the reading of the map.)

Similarly, conscience orients our knowledge of the moral law to ‘read off', our true path in some life-situation.  Just as a compass is useless without a map, so is conscience useless without God's plan for man, known from natural moral law or the Church.

Also, a compass can be wrong. It can be magnetized back-to-front, its needle pointing south instead of north! Again, its magnetism can be reversed by powerful magnets nearby, or lightning strikes.

Just as a compass can be wrong, and need correction by an expert, so too a conscience can be wrong, and need moral guidance from the Church.

Further, a compass with a rotating card powered by several magnetized needles will be inaccurate if its needles are magnetized unequally and are not parallel. 

Again, explorers have sometimes, read the north and south luminous marks back to front - on a pitch dark night without moon or stars; (see p. 244, ibid.).

COMPASS COMPLICATIONS

Further, even a properly working compass needs corrections for magnetic variation and deviation. 

Magnetic variation is the angle between true north and magnetic north. In the parable, it corresponds to bias from original sin and defective formation. Magnetic variation varies from place to place, so this vital information is marked on the map. Likewise, Church teaching provides the necessary information on "conscience variations", such as those effects of original sin which remain after Baptism.

Magnetic deviation is the angle by which a ship's compass differs from magnetic north due to alien magnetic material (the ship's iron).  This can be tabulated and allowance made for it.  For a bush-walker, his pocket knife, cooking gear, wire fences, etc can produce deviations of which he is unaware.

In the parable, magnetic deviation is like the moral bias on conscience from the alien environment of bad companions and a pagan society.  Also, a conscience can malfunction from scruples or rigorism, and become confused and inaccurate, and hence erroneous.

AN INFORMED CONSCIENCE

In any event, a compass cannot contradict the map. Similarly, a really Catholic conscience cannot contradict the natural law or the moral teaching of the Church. That is why the Church insists that our consciences must be informed consciences.

CLOCK PARABLE EVEN SIMPLER

Dissidents might be less confused if they stuck to something simpler: conscience is like a watch, and it is useful only as long as it is telling the right time.

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