REMEMBER! Guidance is advice about what you should do.
Think about the following examples:
n If you were concerned about your health, you would visit a doctor. n If you were worried about money, you would talk to an accountant. n If you wanted to improve your diet, you would seek advice from a nutritionist.
Each of these is an authority in his/her particular field.
REMEMBER! An authority is a trusted source of guidance on a particular area of life.
Authority plays an important role in religion. To illustrate this, just think about the difficulties raised by the following situations:
n How should a young, unmarried woman respond to a crisis pregnancy?
n How should a lone parent best care for a child who is severely disabled?
n How should you respond to a friend who suffers from an addiction?
Those who accept a particular religious moral vision often turn for advice to the sources of authority in their religion when looking for answers to such questions. This is what Alfred Delp did.
SP TLIGHT ON: ALFRED DELP AND OPERATION VALKYRIE
Alfred Delp was a quiet, scholarly man. In his youth he converted to Catholicism and became a Jesuit priest. In 1939 he was sent to work in the parish of St Georg in his native Germany.
Delp was a thoroughly honest man.
REMEMBER! Honest means being fair and forthright in your dealings. You keep your word and tell the truth.
Unlike most of those around him, Delp never let himself be fooled by the warped version of reality presented by Nazi propaganda. He had no illusions about Hitler. Delp knew that his nation’s leader was a ruthless thug who delighted in destruction. Hitler showed no hesitation in imprisoning and killing anyone who stood up to him.
