Conscience

Conscience...is an act of a person’s intelligence, the function of which is to apply the universal knowledge of the good in a specific situation. . .[32-3] This according to our former pastor, Pope John Paul II in his encyclical Veritatis Splendor.  Link to article


Conscience therefore is not creating our own personal, subjective truth and following it.  Man, through his pride, has had an urge to "play God" from the beginning - see Adam in the book of Genesis.  This only leads to misery and suffering (as Adam and Eve found out in the garden).


Therefore, we must ultimately and humbly submit to the laws of God objectively (Church teaching) not our own (i.e. my intellect might be telling me that artificial birth control is morally acceptable, but this is wrong  - the law of God as given through the Church says otherwise).  We must submit to the objective, universal knowledge of the good first (not our own, subjective knowledge), then act on it.  If we do this, we will find peace.


St. Paul referred to this as the transformation and "renewing of our mind", Romans 12:2, and putting on "the mind of Christ", 1 Corinthians 2:16.


Dying to self is a very difficult thing to do, but Christ will help us do it, if we are willing.