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In the Holy Scripture conscience is also called “heart.” In the Sermon on the mount, the Lord Jesus Christ compared conscience to the “eyes” by which a person can evaluate his moral condition (Matt. 6:22). The Lord also compared conscience to a “rival” with whom a person must come to terms before he presents himself at God’s Judgment (Matt. 5:25). The word “rival” stresses the main attribute of conscience: to oppose our evil desires and intentions.

Our personal experience convinces us that this inner voice, called conscience, is not under our control but expresses itself spontaneously in spite of our will. In addition, just as we cannot persuade ourselves that we are full when we are hungry or that we are rested when we are tired, similarly we cannot convince ourselves that our behavior is correct when our conscience tells us otherwise.

In the words of Christ regarding the “indestructible worm” (Mark 9:48), the Fathers of the Church see the guilty conscience that will punish sinners in the future life. The Russian poet A. S. Pushkin very vividly described these torments in his dramatic play “Miserly Knight:”

Conscience,
A sharp clawed animal, which scrapes the heart;
Conscience, an uninvited guest, annoying discourser,
A rude creditor; and a witch,
Which dims the moon and graves.

- Bishop Alexander (Mileant), Conscience: God's Voice In Mankind