In a country like Australia Moral Theology operates in the context of a secular society. Within the society there is a general rejection of absolute moral norms and ethical relativism is broadly accepted and, not a little, influences the Christifideles. Utilitarianism is the prevailing approach to decision-making whereby pragmatism and expediency dominate in moral determinations. The autonomy of the individual and of communal groups is the prevailing ethos.

Thus, in the broader social setting for the Church the challenge is clearly to be in dialogue with a society which is secular. Increasingly there are baptised people with a rootless faith or who have rejected the value of their faith. Many people now have a psyche without moral structures.

Western democracies like Australia are constantly faced with issues related to abortion, euthanasia, artificial reproductive technologies (including cloning and the embryonic vs adult stem cell debate), genetic screening, and organ donation. Related but distinguishable issues are sex discrimination, same sex couples, rights of parents and religious liberty.

Society in attempting to deal with these issues invariably resorts to law, including the constant use of legal terminology (eg. rights) without any attendant recognition or appreciation of personal or communal responsibilities. In the absence of any common or absolute norms, law has become the only vehicle for the resolution of competing rights. Law has become the arbiter of claims rather than a vehicle of fostering the common good of the society, predicated upon the virtue of justice.

In this climate moral theology can be drawn towards proportionalism and consequentialism as a way to justify conduct rather that lifting moral thinking to a consideration of the life of virtue and the goal of happiness and the beatific vision.

The Church enters a dialogue with society and contributes to the public debate, but not in an effort to impose itself on the society but rather to be a leaven in its midst. The Church stands as servant. It offers to serve the society, but also to be a faithful servant of the truth. The Church has a contribution to make in proposing the value of natural law, the importance of establishing first principles, of holding up the positive vision of the life of virtue, and offering a teleological perspective to personal and communal moral decision making.