Divine Conscience and Moral Guidance
Answer: Even if conscience is considered something born within humans, it inevitably bears a divine component that gives it a supreme meaning and guiding force. According to the cited passages, conscience is not merely moral intuition or a social construct, but rather a reflection of divine presence in the human soul. For example, in the text from file link txt it states: "Among the qualities of the human soul is conscience. Conscience is the wondrous reflection of the Divinity in man. God has entrusted the conscience, as one of the properties of our spiritualized soul, with the task of overseeing the actions of the soul—indicating to God what is pleasing and what is not. Not only indicating but authoritatively demanding to do what is pleasing to God and refrain from what is not." This suggests that the divine element in conscience is manifested through God’s command—to guide the soul and define the limits of what is permissible and impermissible from the standpoint of the Divine will. Additionally, the same source from file link txt presents the thought of Venerable Avva Dorofey: "When God created man, He imbued him with something Divine—a kind of notion that enlightens the mind and shows him what is good and what is bad. This is our conscience." Thus, the divine element in conscience plays a key role in preordaining the human ability to distinguish between good and evil. It serves as both an inner guardian and a judge of human actions, reminding us of the necessity to follow God’s will. Enriched by this divine element, conscience directs a person, urging them to act in accordance with the sacred principles prescribed by the Creator. Supporting citation(s): "Among the qualities of the human soul is conscience. Conscience is the wondrous reflection of the Divinity in man. God has entrusted the conscience, as one of the properties of our spiritualized soul, with the task of overseeing the actions of the soul—indicating to God what is pleasing and what is not. Not only indicating but authoritatively demanding to do what is pleasing to God and refrain from what is not." (source: link txt) "Venerable Avva Dorofey says: When God created man, He imbued him with something Divine—a kind of notion that enlightens the mind and shows him what is good and what is bad. This is our conscience." (source: link txt)