Bishop Barron on Conscience and Morality
Summary
TLDRIn this video, the speaker delves into the biblical stories of Elijah, highlighting his unwavering devotion to Yahweh and the significance of his name, which translates to 'Yahweh is my God.' The narrative pivots on Elijah's encounter on Mount Horeb, where he discerns God's presence not in the dramatic phenomena of earthquake, wind, or fire, but in a gentle whisper. This whisper symbolizes conscience, which Cardinal Newman describes as the Aboriginal Vicar of Christ in the soul. The speaker urges listeners, especially the youth, to heed the quiet voice of conscience amidst the clamor of worldly influences, warning against the peril of losing one's soul in pursuit of worldly gains.
Takeaways
- 📖 Elijah's story is a great starting point for anyone new to the Bible, offering adventure and lessons.
- 🙌 Elijah’s name means 'Yahweh is my God,' highlighting his clear devotion to God.
- 🙏 A person’s values are revealed by what they worship, be it family, career, or pleasure.
- 👑 Elijah's story starts with his confrontation of King Ahab, who turned to false gods, showing Elijah’s steadfastness in faith.
- 🔥 Elijah’s encounter with God on Mount Horeb (Sinai) emphasizes that God was not in the powerful elements (wind, earthquake, fire), but in a quiet whisper, symbolizing the voice of conscience.
- 💭 The whispering voice of God reflects our conscience, guiding us to discern right from wrong.
- 🕊 Cardinal Newman referred to the conscience as the 'Aboriginal Vicar of Christ,' emphasizing its deep moral authority.
- 🧠 Though modern thought (post-Freudian) often reduces conscience to learned behaviors, the script argues that conscience is an irreducible, powerful force.
- 📜 The difference between literary judgment (feeling good about writing) and moral judgment (feeling shame or pride) illustrates the unique role of conscience.
- 🎯 Elijah’s ability to hear the quiet voice of God amidst distractions is a lesson in focusing on what truly matters, especially for young people in a world full of competing voices.
Q & A
Who is Elijah in the context of the Bible?
-Elijah is a prophet in the Hebrew Bible, specifically in the First Book of Kings, known for his unwavering devotion to Yahweh and his confrontations with the worship of false gods.
What is the meaning of the name 'Elijah'?
-The name 'Elijah' is an anglicization of 'Eliyahu' in Hebrew, which means 'Yahweh is my God', signifying Elijah's clear devotion to Yahweh.
What does the speaker suggest about a person's worship?
-The speaker suggests that a person's worship reveals their highest value or what they hold most dear, as it dictates their actions and thoughts.
Why does the speaker recommend starting with the stories of Elijah when reading the Bible for the first time?
-The speaker recommends starting with Elijah's stories because they are adventurous, interesting, and provide a clear example of someone whose life is guided by their faith.
What does the confrontation between Elijah and King Ahab signify?
-The confrontation signifies Elijah's role as a defender of Yahweh against the worship of false gods, which was promoted by King Ahab.
Why does Queen Jezebel chase Elijah?
-Queen Jezebel chases Elijah because he opposes her and King Ahab's worship of false gods, which conflicts with her own religious beliefs.
What is the significance of the events on Mount Horeb as described in the script?
-The events on Mount Horeb, including the earthquake, wind, and fire, symbolize the presence of God, but ultimately, it is the 'still, small voice' that represents God's true communication with Elijah.
How does the speaker relate the 'still, small voice' to conscience?
-The speaker relates the 'still, small voice' to conscience by suggesting that it is the inner voice that guides us in discerning right from wrong, similar to how conscience operates.
Who is Cardinal Newman and what does he say about conscience?
-Cardinal Newman is one of the speaker's heroes, a 19th-century theologian who referred to the conscience as the 'Aboriginal Vicar of Christ in the soul', indicating its divine and authoritative nature.
What is the difference between the feeling of having written a good article and the feeling of conscience, according to the speaker?
-The feeling of having written a good article is a personal satisfaction, whereas the feeling of conscience is a deeper, more significant response that places us in the presence of someone we love, reflecting moral rightness or wrongness.
What challenge does the speaker pose to young people regarding their conscience?
-The speaker challenges young people to discern and listen to their conscience amidst the many competing voices of culture, urging them to prioritize their soul over worldly gains.
Outlines
📖 The Significance of Elijah's Stories
The speaker begins by expressing their admiration for the stories of Elijah, found in the first book of Kings, which they recommend as an entry point for those new to the Bible. Elijah's name, meaning 'Yahweh is my God,' signifies his unwavering devotion to the one true God. The speaker uses the concept of worship to explain how one's highest value dictates their actions and identity. Elijah's confrontation with King Ahab and his subsequent flight to Mount Horeb are recounted, highlighting a pivotal scene where Elijah experiences God's presence not in the dramatic events but in a 'still, small voice.' This voice is likened to the conscience, which Cardinal Newman describes as the 'Aboriginal Vicar of Christ in the soul,' a divine guide that rewards and punishes in a unique, personal way, distinct from other internal voices or societal influences.
🔍 The Voice of Conscience: Elijah's Lesson for Today
Continuing the discussion on Elijah, the speaker contrasts the feeling of writing a good article with the shame felt after a morally wrong act, emphasizing the profound impact of the conscience. Cardinal Newman's view is reiterated, suggesting that the conscience is a 'voice' that places us in the presence of a loved one, evoking feelings of pleasing or disappointing that person. The speaker then relates this to Elijah's story, noting that Elijah's life was an embodiment of God's will, with all other aspects of his life aligning with this central devotion. The challenge of hearing the conscience amidst the cacophony of modern life is raised, with the speaker urging, especially young people, to heed the 'still, small voice' of conscience, as it is the true guide to a morally fulfilling life. The narrative concludes with a warning against the allure of worldly gains that could lead to the loss of one's soul, as per the biblical adage.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Elijah
💡Conscience
💡Worship
💡Mount Horeb
💡Yahweh
💡False God
💡Queen Jezebel
💡Tiny Whispering Voice
💡Cardinal Newman
💡Moral Clarity
Highlights
Elijah stories are recommended for those new to the Bible.
Elijah's name means 'Yahweh is my God', reflecting his devotion to Yahweh.
Worship is defined as what holds the highest value in a person's life.
Elijah's life exemplifies clarity in worshiping Yahweh above all else.
Elijah's confrontation with King Ahab symbolizes the battle against false worship.
Queen Jezebel's pursuit of Elijah represents the resistance to true faith.
Horeb, the Mountain of God, is where Elijah encounters Yahweh.
The absence of Yahweh in the earthquake, wind, and fire is a pivotal moment in the narrative.
Elijah hears a 'tiny whispering voice', signifying the voice of conscience.
Cardinal Newman's view on conscience as the 'Aboriginal Vicar of Christ in the soul' is discussed.
Conscience is distinguished from personal achievements or failures, such as writing an article.
The feeling of shame is associated with moral wrongdoing, not with personal shortcomings.
Elijah's ability to hear the 'little voice' is a metaphor for listening to one's conscience.
The challenge of hearing the conscience amidst the 'thousand voices' of culture is highlighted.
The warning against prioritizing worldly gains over one's soul is emphasized.
Young people are urged to listen to the 'tiny whispering voice' of conscience.
Transcripts
[Music]
I'm a great fan of the Elijah stories
which can be found in the first book of
Kings I often tell people if you're
interested in the Bible you want to get
into it for the first time uh begin with
those stories about Elijah they're very
uh interesting kind of adventurous um
and Elijah is a figure whose name gives
away the game Elijah is an anglicization
of eliyahu in Hebrew l means god yahu
means
Yahweh Yahweh is my God that's who
Elijah is he's someone who's very clear
on his ultimate value which is Yahweh
I've often said you can tell an awful
lot about a person by what they worship
worship just means uh worship that's
where the word comes from um what's of
highest worth to you what's of highest
value so if you're
familyes of highest value you're you're
a family man you're a family woman if
your business is most important to you
you're a company man you know if uh if
sex is most important to you you're a
Playboy or a play girl um pleasure is
the most important thing you're a Good
Time Charlie I mean you can name
somebody from what they worship Elijah
is eminently clear about whom he
worships it's Yahweh and therefore
everything else in his life flows from
that everything he think everything he
does think for example we we are
introduced to Elijah when he confronts
King Ahab who had gone over to the
worship of false god so of course the
man of God is going to stand to thwart
that move that's why Queen Jezebel
ahab's wife goes after Elijah and chases
him he runs away from her and he comes
the Bible tells us to Horeb the Mountain
of God and now this famous scene
unfolds Elijah's there on Mount Si the
Mountain of God and it says says the
Lord will be passing
by and then there followed a great
earthquake there followed A Mighty Wind
that shattered the Rocks there followed
a great fire by the way three things
that were on Mount Si when Moses was
there so three classical signs of God's
presence but the Lord is not in the
earthquake or the wind or the fire then
Elijah hears a tiny Whispering voice and
he covers his head with his prophet's
mantle and he goes out to listen because
the Lord is in that little voice right
beautiful scene very
lyrical what's it getting at I think
it's getting at
conscience what's the tiny Whispering
voice it's that voice that we all
recognize that tells us right from wrong
that rewards Us in this absolutely
unique way when we've done something
that's generous and kind and godly and
that punishes us
in that absolutely unique way when we've
done something that runs uh counter to
God's will Cardinal Newman one of my
great Heroes referred to the conscience
as the Aboriginal Vicor of Christ in the
soul so Newman reverence the pope as the
Vicor of Christ but he said there's a
more original Vicor of Christ in the
soul a representative of Christ namely
the voice of the
conscience now I know we're all post
freudians we to say well conscience you
know that's just the internalized voice
of your father that's the inherited
Prejudice of your Society that's all
your Hang-Ups etc etc well say that all
you want you know and those things are
real I get all that but say it all you
want you cannot reduce the conscience to
those things there's something that is
just so powerful and clear and integral
about it that we know it's not just a
matter of Hang-Ups and repressions or
internalized voices of the father
there's something about the conscience
that presses upon us with enormous power
you know let me get at it too and I'm
using Newman here as an inspiration by
way of
contrast so I write an article every
week that's part of my job and and I
kind of have a sense having written
things for many many years that's a good
one you know that article was good I've
got an inner sense that tells me yeah
that article was it's good it's clear
it's interesting Etc I've also got a a
pretty clear sense when an article is
isn't so good I'll say well that one was
it's okay but it's not really up to par
or that's really a that's really a
second rate article now I know that
feeling and I know the the
positive uh quality of that feeling I
also know the negative quality of that
feeling my point is it's not like the
conscience what I feel when I say yeah
I've written a good article it's good
it's a good feeling it's not like the
feeling that I get from doing something
morally right or the feeling I get from
writing a bad article it's bad but it's
not like the feeling of conscience when
I've done something morally wrong we'd
use the word shame there you know I'm
ashamed when I do something that is
cruel or unjust or manipulative uh or
disrespectful I feel ashamed of that I
don't feel ashamed when I write a bad
article I feel bad about it I regret it
you might say but I don't feel ashamed
and see here's Cardinal Newman's
point we call the conscience a
voice I don't call that sensibility
about the article a voice the voice of
my literary sensibility told me I I
don't say that but I do say the voice of
my conscience told me that's the right
thing to do or that was a bad thing to
do now why why because the conscience
places Us in the presence of someone
that we love that when you are rewarded
by your conscience it's the feeling you
get when you've pleased someone that you
love when you are punished by your
conscience it's the feeling you get when
you have hurt or disappointed someone
that you love you see that's why the
conscience is the Aboriginal Vicor of
Christ in the soul it's the contact we
have if you
want with the personal God who rewards
us and who chides us when we're less
than
what we should be go back to Elijah now
eliahu the man of God Elijah was ordered
to God his whole life was about God
everything else fell in place around
that the point of that story from First
Kings is Elijah had the great grace to
be able to hear that little voice see
the problem is the conscience can be
drowned out the conscience can be
ignored we can we can look the other way
because there are a thousand voices
competing for our attention thousand
voices and they're more like earthquakes
and fire and wind they're more
extraordinary and they call out to us
live this way do this don't do that
think of a a kid coming of age now in
our culture being told In A Million Ways
here's what you should do here's the
life you should lead follow this person
do do you have the capacity amidst all
those voices to hear that tiny
Whispering voice voice CU that's the one
you got to pay attention
to the Lord said it profits a man
nothing to gain the whole world and lose
his
soul you know there are voices that are
calling out to young people that might
actually promise them and even deliver
to them the whole world all the the
pleasure and money and power and so on
they want but how tragic if you follow
those voices but in the process lose
your soul which means lose what your
conscience is telling you so I would
urge especially young people listening
to this video is think of that scene of
the Prophet Elijah on God's holy
mountain as he
hears that one
voice that's the one you need to follow
[Music]
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