Timothy E. O'Connell
The Search for Christian Moral Norms Priests do not feel they can give sure and final answers to all moral questions. They are, however, searching for solid 1>rinciples on which to base the advice they give their parishioners.
Every man lives by norms, by standards of what he will or will not do. Some men build their norms on the pleasure principle, some on utilitarianism. But the Christian, the man who professes to believe in and to follow Christ, must look deeper for the norms of his life. Where, precisely, does the Christian find his norms for behavior? It use to be simple to answer that question. He found them clearly spelled out in catechisms and religious books. He received them from the detailed instructions of the confessor and the preacher of his parish. He absorbed them from his parents and his community, all of whom shared the same basic view. Yes, it used to be simple to answer that question; but no more. 89