PrincipledMom™

That's a mouthfull! And it's also rich in meaning.

Property-the exclusive right of possessing, enjoying and disposing of a thing; ownership.

Conscience- the principle within us, which decides on the lawfullness or unlawfullness of our own actions and affections, and instantly approves or condems them.

Property is a privilege and responsibility (must have Christian character). It is an issue of stewardship.

Earlier generations felt conscience was a "distinct possession" (James Madison).

...In a word, as a man is said to have a right to his property, he may be equally said to have a property in his rights...Conscience is the most sacred of all property.

Conscience is both internal and external--thought and action. We can see the evidence of conscience in the behavior of those around us. You can see how the principle of individuality is demonstrated here. We have an individual conscience that speaks to us individually and we are individually responsible for it. We can only teach our children the difference between right and wrong, according to the standards in God's Word. They are responsible to carry that out. This also implies consent. Conscience, as with all principles, is internal to external. You cannot force conscience. God works it from the inside out.

We had an interesting discussion on the heart and conscience and how they are related. Here's a clip from that, with my response:

Q. As we teach these principles and try to plant seeds in their hearts, is this interrelated to conscience? Both(heart and conscience) are internal and both govern our actions and conduct, but is one causative to the other or vice versa? I appreciate your insights

A. I believe the "heart" is the soul-- mind, will and emotions. The conscience and heart work together. They are a sort of circuit, each affecting (and maybe infecting) the other, negatively or positively. When your heart is wicked you will have no conscience, and no conscience will allow you to do all sorts of wicked things. Conversely, a sharp conscience will prick the heart at the slightest infraction and the heart will not desire to do wicked, which keeps the conscience sharpened.

That is why all of these principles must work together to see the full effect in the individual. The conscience is only one part of the equation. The other six principles deal with the heart.

Mr. Rose talks a lot about how the principle applies to external economic property, but you'll have to get the book for that!

Applied educationally, conscience is developed through stewardship of property, submission to authority, time management and diligence. You can discuss choices and actions, as in the way you choose to live/educate (assignments, supplies, time mgmt. etc.) and the consequences (and rewards) that come with certain choices of conscience.

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