Conscientious objection

Savjest je vrlo kompleksna stvarnost u čovjeku te zadobiti cjelokupnu sliku o njoj zahtijeva sagledavanje savjesti kroz različite pristupe. Filozofija na temelju različitih antropologija donosi i različite definicije savjesti. Ona savjest najčešće poima kao praktični razum, kao svijest o dobru ili zlu ili generalno gledano kao spoznajno racionalnu datost. U diplomskom radu želi se stoga obraditi pitanje prigovora savjesti iz teološke perspektive. U prvom dijelu rada, polazeći od Božje objave, ističe se kako je savjest najskrovitija jezgra i svetište čovjeka u kojem čovjek otkriva zakon koji on sam sebi ne daje ali kojemu se mora pokoravati. Čovjek je slika Božja, i sam Bog je utisnuo svoj odraz u čovjeka. Savjest je instanca koja čuva tu sliku neokaljanu iz koje proistječe dostojanstvo ljudske osobe. Teologija stoga promatra savjest teocentrično i osobit naglasak stavlja na odnos savjesti i istine. Savjest mora imati u svom temelju istinu objavljenu od Boga koja se očituje po Božjem zakonu koji je upisan u srce čovjeka i objavljen od Logosa koji je Istina. Svaki sud savjesti se mora temeljiti na toj istini. Ispravnost suda savjesti je ključna za moralno djelovanje koji je po krštenju pozvan na svetost te je zadaća čovjeka trajno tragati za istinom i u tom svjetlu oblikovati svoj sud savjesti kako bi on bio ispravan. U drugom dijelu rada, naglašava se kako kršćansko poimanje savjesti zahtjeva ozbiljan pristup tom svetištu čovjeka i njezino poštovanje te kako prava osobne savjesti upravo proizlaze iz dostojanstva čovjekove osobe stvorene na sliku Božju. Prava osobne savjesti duboko se tiču i vjerske slobode jer svaka osoba ima pravo živjeti prema uvjerenju svoje savjesti. S druge strane, i međunarodni dokumenti potvrđuju, osobito Deklaracija o pravima čovjeka UN-a, kako svi moraju poštovati dostojanstvo ljudske osobe ukoliko živi u suglasju sa svojim uvjerenjem, a time ne vrijeđa prava drugih. Stoga se neumoljivo postavlja zahtjev da se sloboda savjesti pojedinca u okviru vjerskih sloboda poštuje kroz pravnu regulativu bilo u domaćem ili međunarodnom zakonodavstvu. Tim više, jer savjest pojedinca u današnjem društvu biva izložena zahtjevima koja su protivna kršćanskom svjetonazoru, a nitko ne smije djelovati i ne smije ga se siliti da djeluje protiv uvjerenja vlastite savjesti. Pravo na prigovor savjesti postaje tako zadnje sredstvo odbrane pred izazovima etičkog relativizma i ideologije relativizma. U tom smislu, pravo na priziv savjesti mora biti zakonom zajamčeno, osobito poradi očuvanja identiteta vlastite osobnosti, dostojanstva ljudske osobe, ali i življenja vjerske slobode u današnjem pluralnom društvu.Conscience is a very complex reality in man and to get an overall picture about it, it requires a consideration of conscience through different approaches and aspects. Based on different anthropologies, philosophy brings different definitions of conscience. Conscience in philosophy is usually seen as a practical reason, as an awareness of good and evil, or generally as cognitively rational. Therefore, in this thesis I want to address the question of conscientious objection from a theological perspective. In the first part of thesis, starting from God's revelation, it says and stands out that conscience is an innermost core and sanctuary of a man where man discovers a law which he doesn't give himself but he must obey it. Man is the image of God, and God has imprinted his reflection in man. Conscience is an instance that keeps the image undefiled from which derives the dignity of human race. Therefore, theology sees the conscience theocentric and puts a special emphasis on the relationship between conscience and the truth. Conscience must have in its basis the truth revealed by God which is manifested by the law of God which is written in the heart of man and released by Logos whom is a Truth. Every judgment of a conscience must be based on the truth. The correctness of the judgment of conscience is crucial for moral action and after baptism a man is called upon his holiness, and mission of the man is to permanently seek for the truth. In this light of the judgment of conscience a man creates the correct truth. In the second part of this thesis, it is emphasized that the Christian conception of conscience requires a serious approach to the shrine of man and its respect for the law and how personal conscience just stem for the dignity of the human race created in God's image. The rights of personal conscience is very much so a concern of religious freedom, because every person has the right to live according to their belief of conscience. On the other hand, even international documents confirm, particularly the Declaration of Human Rights of the UN, that everyone must respect the dignity of human being if they live in accordance with their belief, and this does not violate the rights of the others. Therefore, the freedom of conscience of each individual is respected through religious freedom in national and international law. More so, the conscience of the individual in today's society has been exposed to the demands that are against the Christian views, but no one can be forced or made to act against their own convictions of conscience. So the right to conscientious objection becomes last resort of defense against the challenges of ethical relativism and ideology of relativism. In this sense, the right to conscientious objection must be guaranteed by law, in particular in order to preserve the identity of their own personality, the dignity of the human being, but also the lives of religious freedom in today's plural society