Learn: Christian Ethics: Moral Acts, Natural Law & Just Laws

Civil law

Consists of laws enacted by civil governments for the common good of a particular sector of society or an entire country.

Consequentialism

An ethical system that determines the level of goodness or evil from the effect or result of an act.

Just law

An ordinance of reason that exists for the common good.

Laws of nature

Descriptions of the behavior of the material universe.

Laws of grace

The new law ushered in by Christ.

Fundamental option

The free and responsible choice a person makes to orient his whole existence in a moral direction toward good or evil.

Proportionalism

An ethical system that deduces the moral value of an act from the proportion of its good and evil effects.

Situation ethics

An ethical system that determines the good or evil nature of an act from the circumstances.

Human law

Law promulgated by human authority, either civil or ecclesiastical.

Components of the moral choice

Object, intention, circumstances.

Principle of double effect

Used to determine whether or not actions that have both good and evil effects are permissible.

Natural law

Simply the eternal law as it applies to human life.

Ecclesiastical law

Called the canon law, consists of laws enacted by ecclesiastical government.

Eternal law

God's wisdom as manifested in the nature of acts and movements.

Object

What am I doing?

Intention

Why am I doing it?

Circumstances

Secondary factors (how, where, when, etc.) that can make a good act better and a bad act worse.

Opposing an unjust law

Yes, sometimes a Christian is called upon to actively oppose an unjust law. Disobedience to an unjust law should only occur after careful deliberation.

Just civil law

Must promote the common good and reflect an equality of proportion.

Authority

All authority comes from God.