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For Christians Holy Scripture is not only a source of revelation on which to ground one’s faith, it is also an indispensable reference point for morality. They are convinced that in the bible they can find indications and norms of right behaviour to attain fullness of life.

The document stresses the fact that direct solutions to the numerous outstanding problems cannot be found in Sacred Scripture. However, although the bible does not offer prefabricated solutions, it does present some criteria whose application is certainly of help in finding valid solutions for human behaviour.

Two basic criteria are presented in the first place, conformity with the biblical concept of the human being and conformity with the example of Jesus.

These are followed by other more particular criteria. From Holy Scripture as a whole at least six strong lines of reasoning emerge that can lead to making solid moral decisions with a Scriptural foundation:

1) Opening up to various cultures, hence a certain ethical universalism (criterion of convergence);

2) A firm stand against incompatible values (criterion of opposition);

3) A process of refinement of the human conscience which can be observed within each of the two Testaments (criterion of progress);

4) A rectification of the tendency to leave moral decisions to the subjective, individual sphere alone ( criterion of community dimension);

5) An aperture towards the absolute future of the world and of history that enables us to mark out clearly the goal and the motivations of human behaviour (criterion of finality);

6) An attentive evaluation, in each case, of the relative or absolute value of moral principles and precepts in the bible (criterion of discernment).