Morality Reviewer

INTRODUCTION TO CHRISTIAN MORALITY

 Every human person is a being of immeasurable dignity because each is created in the
IMAGE and LIKENESS of God
 Jesus: “I came that they may have life and have it to the full.”
 Only God alone can satisfy the human desire for fullness of life and enduring happiness.
 “You made us for Yourself O God, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” St
Augustine of hippo
 MORALITY refers to the ability to differentiate between what is right and wrong.
 Moral: Right
 Immoral: Wrong
 Amoral: outside the realm of morality
 There is responsibility or morality only in the context of humanity.
 Morality is founded on the natural and eternal laws of God. We want to be good
because of our belief in salvation.
 Man is a REWARD-ORIENTED creature.
 CHRISTIAN MORALITY is all about living like Jesus. It is about appropriate and
inappropriate responses to a God who loves us.
 CHRISTIAN MORALITY is summed up in the word RESPONSIBILITY.
 two (2) components of CHRISTIAN MORALITY. First is RESPONSE (To what do we
respond?) and ABILITY To respond to God, To love, Say yes to God.
 According to FRANZ BOCKLE “Morality is that part of Theology that searches for the
norms of free human conduct in the light of God’s revelation.” Morality is concerned
with free human conduct. And Morality is guided by God’s revelation.
 According to ANTONIN SERTILLANGES (French theologian) “Morality is the science of
what human ought to be by reason of what he is. It is concerned with what humans
ought to be in the light of what humanity is.” Morality is a science, Is concerned with
what humans ought to be, and In the light of what humanity is.
 WE ARE CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD. WE ARE CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD.
 We are blessing because of: Immortal soul
 Reason: enable to understand the order of things in His creation
 Intellect: we can distinguish good from evil
 Free will: we can freely choose to follow God’s law of love
 Love: the true, the good and the beautiful
 We inherited the ORIGINAL SIN.
 Baptism Delivers us from Original Sin but not from its effects.
 CONCUPISCENCE refers to passionate desire for something that God has forbidden.
 We received divine grace which enables us to resist the temptations of: The world; The
flesh; And the devil.
  CHRIST’S DEATH and RESURRECTION: ITS EFFECTS Offers us new life in the Spirit; Whose
saving grace delivers us from sin; Heals sin’s damage within us.
 Human life as a profound unity of physical and spiritual dimension is SACRED.
FREEDOM
 MORAL RELATIVISM It says: what is good for you is good for you, and what is good for
me is good for me.
 Sacred Scripture tells us that sin always hurts others.
 sin harms those against whom we sin.
 sin harms the sinner.
 MORAL DETERMINISM our behavior is already determined, and we are not truly free.
 FREEDOM is the state of being free such as: The power to do what you want to; the
ability to move or act freely, the state of not being a slave, prisoner, etc., The state of
not having or being affected by something unpleasant, painful, or unwanted, and The
right to use something or go somewhere without being controlled or limited.
 THREE (3) KINDS of FREEDOM
 PHYSICAL FREEDOM It refers to the absence of any physical restraint.
 PSYCHOLOGICAL FREEDOM: It is called the freedom of choice.
 MORAL FREEDOM This refers to using freedom in a manner that upholds human dignity
and goodness. Freedom is not an object that a person may use in whatever way he/she
pleases.
 ELEMENTS of FREEDOM
 VOLUNTARINESS (PAGKUKUSA)
 It refers to the ability of a person to act out of his or her own free and self-
determination.
 VOLUNTARY ACTS are free acts which can be assigned a corresponding moral value.
 RESPONSIBILITY It refers to the person being accountable for his/her actions and their
consequences.
 FREEDOM is NOT ABSOLUTE
 FREEDOM is the power or right to act, to speak, or think as one wants without hindrance
or restraint.
 However, this acting, speaking, and thinking without hindrance or restraint is NOT
ABSOLUTE, not limitless, it has limits.
 Spiderman “Great power comes with great responsibility.”
 If there are NO limitations in our freedom. There will be CHAOS in society. And
ANARCHY in government.
 “Freedom is a gift to us by God.” Gabriel Marcel
 The Moral Dimension belongs to the realm of human freedom. The act or conduct that
is not the result of free choice is without moral quality.
 The Moral Dimension refers to the concern for a good and happy life.
 The Moral Dimension speaks to our sense of moral responsibility.
  LAO TZU: advocated that a person can and should choose to act, but his/her actions
should be that which could result in harmony.
 FR. REUBEN VILLOTE: “Sapagkat Kami ay Tao Lamang.”
HUMAN ACTS OF MAN
 Moral decisions are made possible through the: Intellect, Freedom, Voluntariness
 HUMAN ACTS or Actus humani. They are acts which proceed from will and rightly be
called personal acts.
 These are actions done intentionally, free, and deliberate of a person.
 These are rational and willful actions that are:
 THREE (3) ELEMENTS of HUMAN ACTS
 DISCERNMENT/KNOWLEDGE The action must originate from a person having wisdom or
knowledge.
 FREEDOM An act is done when the doer acts by his own initiative and choice without
being forced to do so by another person. If the person is not free, it cannot be a human
act.
 VOLUNTARINESS The action must originate from a person with the voluntariness or free
will. (Kusang-loob)
 FREEDOM: means you can choose whether to do it or not.
 VOLUNTARINESS: answers the questions: Are you willing to do it? Do you have the
willingness to do it?
 HUMAN ACTIONS are: GOOD – when they have the moral perfections and fullness
required by the object of the actions, EVIL/IMMORAL – when they are contrary to the
moral perfections required by the object of the action, and NON-MORAL/AMORAL –
when it has no relations with morality.
 if one of the elements is absent, we call it ACTS of MAN.
 ACTS of MAN or Actus hominis. Actions that happen WITHIN the human body without
the control of the will and consciousness of the human mind.
 These acts may become human acts when they are done with malice or when directed
by the will.
 Two (2) Categories of Acts of Man
 Natural Involuntary Actions are actions of man that are performed intuitively or
involuntary.
 Natural Voluntary Actions are actions that are within the control of man’s will but only
for some period.
 KNOWLEDGE is awareness on things we are doing.
 ABSENT-MINDED: your mind is not aware what you are doing.
 MODIFY (verb) means “make partial or minor changes to actions, to improve or make
actions less or extreme.
 MODIFIES means it affects or changes the action of a person.
  IGNORANCE is defined as the absence of knowledge in a person who is required to know
what he does not know.
 INNOCENCE means the absence of knowledge in a person who is not required to know
what he does not know.
 CONCUPISCENCE It refers to the emotions and feelings of man in relation to his actions.
 INSTINCTUAL DRIVES (“kusang lumalabas”) emotional drives attach to things like anger,
jealousy, love, joy, and CRIMES of PASSION:
 FEAR It is the disturbance of mind of a person who is confronted by an impending
danger or harm to oneself or loved ones.
 “From fear” – it causes or moves the person to perform the act.
 “With fear” – the person does an act voluntarily despite fear.
 VIOLENCE or FORCE It is the actual application or use of physical power or external force
to a person by another for the purpose of compelling him to do something against his
will.
 HABIT (mga naka-gawian) It is a constant and easy way of doing things acquired by the
repetition of the same act.
 VIRTUE: good habits, VICES: bad habits
SOURCES DEFINING the MORALITY of the HUMAN ACTS
 Moral Theology lists three sources of the morality of human acts: OBJECT,
CIRCUMSTANCES and INTENTION.
 OBJECT/ACT ITSELF The object of the human act is that effect which an action primarily
and directly causes (finis operis).
 Certain actions have their respective objects: theft, abortion, contract of sale, adultery,
lying, cheating, almsgiving, healing, worship, etc.
 The OBJECT of THEFT is always the appropriation of another person’s goods against
his/her will,
 The OBJECT of ABORTION is always the forcible removal of the non-viable human being
from a womb of a woman, whether it is done:
 primary source for the judgment on the morality of an act.
 CIRCUMSTANCES They are conditions outside the act (not part of the act)
 circumstances increase the goodness or badness of an act.
 The Circumstance of PERSON. (who) It refers to the DOER (agent) of the act and to the
RECEIVER or the person to whom the act is done.
 PRINCIPLE #1: A good act can become better, or a bad act can become worse by the
reason of the doer or the person doing the act.
 PRINCIPLE #2: A good act can become better, or a bad act can become worse by the
reason of the person to whom the act is done.
 The Circumstance of a PLACE. (where) It refers to the particular space or locality where
the act is done or performed.
  The Circumstance of TIME (when) It refers to the exact or definite moment or hour
when the act is done.
 The Circumstance of MANNER. (How) It refers to the way the agent manages to do
his/her act.
 The Condition of the AGENT. It answers the question: “Why? Or in what condition was
the agent when he/she performed the act.
 The Circumstance of the THING ITSELF. (what) It denotes the special quality of the
object.
 The MEANS Answer the question: “By what means?” and “By whose help?”
 INTENTION of the AGENT It refers to the GOAL which the agent aims to achieve through
his/her act.
 It is also the REASON or the PURPOSE why the agent aims to achieve through his/her
act.
 It is also the REASON or the PURPOSE why the agent does the act.
 An act which is good and is done for a good end becomes doubly good.
 An act which is bad and is done with a bad end becomes doubly bad.
 An act which is good and is done with bad intention becomes bad.
 An act which is bad and is done with good end does not become good.
 However, while a good end cannot change a bad act into something good:
 An indifferent act which is done for a good end becomes good.
 An indifferent act which is done for a bad end, becomes bad.
 An act is morally good if the act itself, the purpose, and the circumstance are
substantially good.
 If an act itself is intrinsically evil, the act is not morally allowable regardless of the
intention or circumstance.
 If an act itself is morally good or at least indifferent, its morality will be judged by the
purpose or circumstance.
 Circumstance may create, mitigate, or aggravate sin.
 If all three determinants of the morality of human acts (act itself, purpose, and
circumstance) are good, the act is good. If anyone element is evil, the act is evil.
The PROBLEM of EVIL and the REALITY of SIN
 We label that rejection; we define that refusal as SIN.
 SIN In the Catholic Tradition, Sin is described as: Stain or contagion, Interior disposition
of selfishness A misguided will, an external act that violates a law or rule, Rejection of
God, A power or force of evil and A disordered heart
 St. Augustine: “an utterance, a deed, or a desire contrary to the eternal law.”
 Sin is an offense against reason, truth and right conscience. It is a failure in genuine love
for God and neighbour caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods.
 OLD TESTAMENT, sin is often looked upon as transgression against God’s law and will.
 Sin cuts the relationship, not only of this personal relation but also of friendship.
 The break in this personal relationship with God introduces a disharmony in human
relationship.
 Sin ultimately leads to DEATH, both spiritual and physical’
 NEW TESTAMENT
 Sin is considered as ungrateful dissertation of the Lord (Lk. 15:11-32)
 Antithesis of charity, an offense against charity, and an offense against love (Lk. 7:47)
 Sin introduces a division within the self: “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil
which I do not want is what I do.” (Rom. 17:9)
 Sin hurts the whole body of believers just as a wound in one part of the physical body
hurts the whole body. “If one member suffers, all suffer together.” (Cor. 12:26)
 Sin is lawless and unrighteousness. It is loving darkness rather than light. The sinner
hates the light “lest his deeds should be exposed.”
 Love of self is a natural thing. But to sin is to love oneself inordinately, i.e., not being
open to love God and to love one’s fellowmen.
 CHRISTIANITY affirms that sin can never be considered as personal since it always
involves social dimensions, as the Holy Bible affirms (1 Jn. 4:12-20)
 Although it is true that sin is a personal act, we still have the responsibility for the sins
committed by others when we cooperate in them by:
 Participating directly and voluntary with them.
 Ordering, advising, praising, or approving them.
 Not disclosing or not hindering them when we have an obligation to do so; and
 Protecting evildoers.
 By practical judgment, we realize that not all sins are of the same gravity and a person
acts on this basis. Not all sins are equal.
 MORTAL SIN It is the outcome of a deliberate reversal of our option to be for God and
for others.
 It destroys CHARITY in our hearts through a grave violation of God’s law.
 VENIAL SIN It is described as a morally wrong option, aggravated by lack of clear insight
or insufficient awareness of the consequences involved in a “sinful act”, or by the
imperfect consent of the will.
 It is not deadly, but it is still quite dangerous.
 The “sense of sin” is rooted in our moral conscience and is as it were its thermometer. It
is linked to the sense of God, since it derives from our conscious relationship with God
as creator, Lord and Father.
 When the conscience is weakened, the sense of God is also obscured, and as a result,
with the loss of this decisive inner point of reference, the sense of sin is lost.
 GRACE is the free and undeserved gift of God of His life.
 When you are in a state of MORTAL SIN, separated from God, you can restore that
relationship and seek God’s mercy and forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation
(and Baptism of course).
  When your relationship with God is hurt by VENIAL SIN, the grace we experience in the
Eucharist as well as other sacraments (Baptism and Reconciliation), can repair that
relationship.
 GRACE unites us with God, our hope, and our salvation.
 SIN separates us from God.
 CONVERSION. The teachings of Jesus start from an urgent call to conversion (Mk. 1:15).
This metanoia (change of heart) implies total reconciliation, both personal and
communitarian.
 RECONCILIATION. Through Divine initiative, God has reconciled the peoples who were
“separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, having no hope
with God in the world.” (Eph. 2:12)
 God did not abandon humanity in state of sin. Instead He offers man a joyous invitation
for reconciliation through conversion (Mk.1:15)
 Humble admission of sin and guilt (Lk. 15:21; Mt. 23:12).
 Readiness for the efforts of more renewal (Mt. 10:38).
 Openness for the gift of grace.
 The sacramental enactment and realization of conversion.
The NOTION of LAW
 When the Israelites obeyed the laws of God which He gave thru Moses, they live
abundantly and happily. But whenever they moved away from His laws, their lives
became miserable.
 ST. THOMAS AQUINAS, He stated that all laws come either directly or indirectly from
God.
 LAW (Lex) – is derived from the Latin word “ligare” which means “to bind”.
 ST. THOMAS AQUINAS LAW is an ordinance of reason for the common good,
promulgated by the person who takes charge of the community.
 ORDINANCE of REASON The means of the law must be based on the insight of reason.
 By the PERSON who TAKES CHARGE of the COMMUNITY. Ordinance carry the force of
law only if they are imposed by the competent or legitimate authority
 It must be PROMULGATED. It must be made known to all through an official publication
 SOURCE of the LAW
 The law ultimately comes from God. This is true no matter what the law is or what its
source seems to be.
 As earthly religious and government laws are codified versions of the laws that come
from God, disobeying earthly authorities is just as evil as disobeying God.
 ESSENCE or CHARACTERISTICS of LAW (It describes the purpose of the law.)
 Laws must follow the logical order of practical reason.
 Laws must be directed toward the common good.
 Laws must be made by someone who cares for the community. (Leaders of the
community)
 Laws must be promulgated or spread throughout the community.
 KINDS of LAWS. (Describes the source or the origin of the law.)
 ETERNAL LAW
 It originated by God. It is all law created by God and contains natural and divine law.
 It is everything that is TRUE.
 If something is true, that is part of eternal law because it is in the mind of God.
 NATURAL LAW
 It originated by nature.
 It is the participation of the eternal law in the rational creature.
 By virtue of our reason, these are things that need not be taught.
 HUMAN LAW
 It is originated by civic government and humans and derived from natural law. It is also
created by God.
 DIVINE LAW Originated through religious texts.
 Since man is ordained to an end of eternal happiness which is in proportionate to man’s
natural faculty . . . therefore, it is necessary that, besides the natural law and the human
law, man should be directed to his end by a law given by God.
 In order that men may know without any doubt what he ought to do and what he ought
to avoid, it was necessary for men to be directed in his proper acts by law given by God,
for it is certain that such a law cannot err.
 When God teaches us something through Holy Mother Church, through Scriptures, the
Magisterium, we know it is true because God is truth Himself and He cannot err.