Wot conscience?

I wonder if it's time for a re-definition of "conscience vote". A great deal is currently being made of the idea that the contentious issue of same-sex marriage should not be determined by "how the party decides" but rather according to the personal views of the elected members of parliament.

Conscience is a funny personal thing. I think mine works pretty well most of the time. I do think about what's the right thing to do, because it's not always immediately apparent in every circumstance. My dad was in Rotary many years ago, and I remember him talking about the 4-way test which that organization had adopted:

• Is it the truth?
• Is it fair to all concerned?
• Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
• Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

My Christian friends (and others) will be also very familiar with WWJD? (What would Jesus Do? - I'm also a big fan of "WWJCD" (What Would Johnny Cash Do?)

How about our elected members of parliament vote according to the views of their constituency, eh? How about following their conscience by really representing the people they were elected to represent? And, if they don't yet know what that those views are, then it's high time they got out into their electorates and found out. Cos, you know, that's kinda their job.

Or maybe, the conscience is about freedom. Not in an amoral, libertine sort of way, but a freedom to follow one's own mind (heart?) and to be loose from the shackles of an external framework which restricts one's true self from its expression. Of course, that could only happen when one actually has a good relationship with oneself.

And, obviously in the context of the of the same-sex marriage debate, the freedom for people to be true to themselves is a fairly primary matter.