Conscience

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(from my blog)

The strongest thing a man can do is build his conscience. Too often we think of conscience as being something we either learn in church or "grow out of." It's neither. The conscience is nothing at birth; it grows as we grow; and for most of us (probably all, in fact, though many would not admit it) it either dissipates or significantly changes as we get older. This change often happens without our knowing it, unconsciously, independent of any will on our part. Man blindly determined by externalities is less a man than man actively confronting externalities seeking to change himself. The former lacks the principle on which conscience is properly built: self control, or more exactly, conscious self-engagement with the world.

What do we mean by conscience? To clarify, we do not mean the little angel and devil on your shoulders. They are external, while we want a conscience that is internal; and on top of that, they are anachronisms of a morally stagnant past of our culture. Conventions are to consciences as the Bible is to the word of God; there is no link between them. In fact it is necessary to rid oneself of conventions before becoming truly moral, for morality -- together with conscience -- is nonexistent until one truly seeks one's own morals.

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All of our experiences shape who we are.

Pessimism is a learned process. Nobody is born with a pessimistic outlook.

and one final thing,

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the Bible is to the word of God; there is no link between them.

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How is there no link?