Morality in Law and Action Chapter 3 We

Morality in Law and Action Chapter 3

• • We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among them are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness; That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their power from the consent of the governed; That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers to such form, as to them shall seem likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. ~The Declaration of Independence

Opening Remarks Law: an ordinance of reason that exists for the common good and is legalized by legitimate authority through an official process Laws are absolutely necessary for the common good for the protection of rights for the enjoyment of freedom in society 1

According to the Declaration of Independence. . . the purpose of government is to secure basic rights people possess rights according to the Natural Law unalienable rights are those that cannot be taken away because they are given to men “by their Creator” 2

What is Law? All just law find its origin in God 4 aspects of law It is an ordinance of reason carefully thought out to meet the needs of people and society It exists for the common good preserves and promotes common good regulates fairness in how people interact with each other and the environment 3

It’s made by those in legitimate authority those who have justly received the power to govern legitimate authority ultimately comes from God David and Saul They must be legislated in an official manner must be a product of an established process that is generally accepted and recognized 4

Types of Law A justice system with a court of law and penalties to make reparation for damages implies the existence of a standard of morality All just law finds its origin in God’ mind communicated through Jesus Christ There are 5 types of Law 5

Eternal law: the plan of divine wisdom directing all acts and movements every law-- physical, moral, man-made-- is derived from God’s eternal law Natural law: the eternal law as it applies to human life written on the heart of every person shows us the inherent dignity of the human person and how to attain our proper end it is never imposed upon us 6

Revealed law: the law as revealed by God found in Old and New Testaments finds its fulfillment in the New Law ushered into the world with the coming of Jesus Christ 7

• The New Law is called a law of love because it makes us act out of love infused by the Holy Spirit, rather than from fear; a law of grace because it confers the strength of grace to act, by means of faith and the sacraments; a law of freedom, because it sets us free from the ritual and juridical observances of the Old Law, inclines us to act spontaneously by the prompting of charity and finally, lets us pass from the condition of a servant who “does not know what his master is doing” to that of a friend of Christ-- “For all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you”-- or even to the status of son and heir. • ~Catechism of the Catholic Church 1972

Ecclesiastical law: the law that governs the Church also called Canon Law organization of hierarchy, liturgical and penitential practices, and other matters Civil law: laws enacted by civil governments for the common good of a society or entire country 8

Just Civil Law According to St. Thomas Aquinas, for laws to be just or valid they must reflect part of the natural law articulated in the 10 Commandments a civil law that contradicts the natural law is not considered a valid law 9

3 Conditions for a just and valid civil law Must promote the common good Common good has 3 elements--respect for and promotion of person’s fundamental rights, prosperity, and peace of security of all the people Must reflect an “equality of proportion” burden of law’s fulfillment must be shared by all members of the society must take into consideration the capacities and limitations of individual members of society 10

All authority comes from God every law must transmit, at least in part, what God has eternally established no human authority may declare what God reveals as morally evil to be morally good ex: slavery, abortion, euthanasia, homosexual marriages 11

Conflicts Between Conscience and Civil Law - There should be no conflicts between conscience and civil law - No one is bound in conscience to cooperate with an unjust law - A well-formed conscience will indicate the obligation to obey God’s law over any unjust civil law - Disobeying an unjust civil law should take place after careful consideration - It is prudent to consider the consequences opposing an unjust law would bring 12

Analysis of the Human Act - 13 There are three perspectives to evaluating a human act “A morally good act requires the goodness of the object, of the end, and of the circumstances together. . . The object, the intention, and the circumstances make up the three ‘sources’ of the morality of human acts. ” (CCC 1755, 1757)

- The object or act - good act can become tainted through wrong intention good intention may diminish the gravity of a sinful act but can never turn a sinful object into a good one The circumstances of the act 14 intrinsically evil acts are evil despite circumstances The intention for the act - carries most weight some circumstances lessen the gravity of a sin no circumstances can make a wrong action good

Principle of Double Effect - 15 Principle of Double Effect: The decision to carry out an action which, as a consequence, has unintended bad results may be made only when the good effect cannot be reasonably brought about in any way and when certain conditions have been met.

1. The act must be good in itself - The object/immediate purpose of the act must be in line with moral law 2. The agent must have the right intention - Good effect must be sought Evil effect, while forseen, must not be intended but only tolerated ex: amputating a leg to stop the spread of cancer 3. Good action must be the means of good effect - Evil action can never be a means for a good end “The end does not justify the means” 4. The good effect must be proportional to the evil effect - 16 Good effect of the action must be equal or greater than the evil effect

Errors in Moral Theology - - Moral relativism: moral actions can be judged purely subjectively, by personal dispositions and circumstances and not by natural law this is erroneous There are 3 common errors of subjective morality 17

- 18 Situation ethics: goodness of evil of a given action is determined by the particular situation - ex: cohabitation for financial sake - it is impossible to apply universal law to everyone because we are all in different situations

- 19 Consequentialism: judges an action to be good or evil from the consequences that follow - “the end justifies the means” - objective morality takes a back seat to subjective standards of end results - falsely believes that circumstances can change moral quality of an objectively evil action

- 20 Proportionalism: measures moral goodness of an action by comparing its good and evil effects - an action is good when the good effect proportionately outweighs the evil effect and vice versa

- “It is therefore an error to judge the morality of human acts by considering only the intention that inspires them or the circumstances (environment, social pressure, duress or emergency, etc. ) which supply their context. There are such acts which in and of themselves, independently of circumstances and intentions, are always gravely illicit by reason of their object; such as blasphemy and perjury, murder, and adultery. One may not do evil so that good may result from it. ” (CCC 1756)

What is Sin? - St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas offer three definitions of sin 1. Sin is any deed, word, or desire that violates eternal law 21 violation of the natural law robs man of his dignity reduces man’s freedom and self-control creates distance between man and friendship with Christ

2. Sin is a violation of the moral law - infraction of Ten Commandments - even without direct malice toward God, any violation of a law derived from God’s law is an offense against Him 22

3. Sin is a disordered love for created things over God - arises from an inordinate attachment to created goods - alienates person from God - pursuit of selfish goals taking precedence over will of God 23

Homework! - Study Questions #18 -24 on pg. 83 Practical Exercises #9 -12 on pg. 85 Workbook Questions #30 -34 on pgs. 4548 Due THURSDAY, March 10

Mortal and Venial Sins - 24 Mortal Sin: grave offense against God that destroys our relationship with Him - Grave matter: serious violation of moral law - Full knowledge: know that it’s wrong - Complete consent: deliberate cooperation in a sinful act

- 25 Venial Sin: less serious offense that offends the love of God - weakens our relationship with Him - could contain grave matter but without full knowledge or complete consent - repetition of even venial sins can lead to a life of vice

Effects of Sin - 26 “Mortal sin destroys charity in the heart of man. . . ; it turns man away from God, who is his ultimate end and beatitude. . Venial sin allows charity to subsist, even though it offends and wounds it. ” (CCC 1855)

- 27 Effects of mortal sin - principal effect is loss of sanctifying grace and charity - interior emptiness and profound disillusionment - enslavement to the passions - Sacrament of Penance restores a person to his previous state of grace

- 28 Effects of venial sin - lukewarmness toward Gospel message - dulls charity - loss of interest in following Christ - makes New Commandment nearly impossible - can prepare the way to committing mortal sins

10 Commandments and the Teachings of Christ - 29 For the Israelites, 10 Commandments were the basic guidelines for human conduct Christ teaches the Commandments are a stepping stone to a higher morality - New Covenant exceeds and perfects the Mosaic Law

- - 30 We suffer when we do wrong and prosper when we do good - don’t always see this - moral act always changes us for better or worse Decalogue: from Greek for “ten sayings” - refers to the Ten Commandments

- 31 The Old Law is summarized in the 10 Commandments - first stage of God’s Revelation to His people - conveys many of the truths in the natural law - prepares for the New Law as revealed by Jesus Christ

• “The Lord prescribed the love of God and taught justice towards our neighbor so that man might not be unjust, or unworthy of God. Thus, with the Decalogue, God was preparing man to be His friend and to have the same heart for his friend. . The words of the Decalogue persist also among us. Far from being abolished, they have received an amplification and development in the Incarnation of the Lord. ” • ~St. Iranaeus of Lyons

The Ten Commandments 1. I am the Lord your God: you shall not have strange gods before me 2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain 3. Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day 4. Honor your father and your mother 5. You shall not kill 6. You shall not commit adultery 7. You shall not steal 8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor 9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife 10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods

Precepts of the Church - 32 Precepts of the Church are applications of the 10 Commandments and the two greatest commandments - To love God with your whole heart - To love your neighbor as yourself

1. You shall attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of obligation and rest from servile labor - Keep holy the Lord’s day 2. You shall confess your sins at least once a year - because God’s mercy is great and He wants us to be fully united with Him 33

3. You shall receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season - Eucharist is the life-giving force of the Body of Christ 4. You Shall observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church - Ash Wednesday and Good Friday 34

5. You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church - includes your own parish (community and priests), the universal Church, and the pope 35

Homework! - Study Questions #17 -23 on pg. 121 Practical Exercises #5 -8 on pg. 123 Due WEDNESDAY, March 16

The Beatitudes - Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven - Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy - Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God Blessed are those who are persecuted for righeousness’s sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

Beatitudes as Perfection of the Moral Law - Beatitudes are directives aimed at conforming the human spirit to the heart of Christ - To love as Christ loved 36 detachment from material possessions humble disposition pure and meek heart

- “The Beatitudes depict the countenance of Jesus Christ and portray His charity. They express the vocation of the faithful associated with the glory of His Passion and Resurrection; they shed light on the actions and attitudes characteristic of the Christian life; they are the paradoxical promises that sustain hope in the midst of tribulations; they proclaim the blessings and rewards already sacred, however dimly, for Christ’s disciples; they have begun in the lives of the Virgin Mary and all the saints. ” 37 Catechism of the Catholic Church 1717

Conclusion - God’s laws are the path to profound personal fulfillment and intense happiness. - Civil laws should reflect moral law - We each have the responsibility to work towards a more just society - A concern for justice and resistance to evil must be balanced with Christian love and genuine respect 38