Theology III - STOP Method

S-T-O-P Method

S - Searching out the facts
T - Thinking about the alternatives
O - Others that we can consult with and consider how your actions could affect others
P - Praying to the Lord for guidance

Any good decision requires using your God-given intellect to dig out facts

-ACTING WITH PRUDENCE-

Prudence

- The moral virtue that inclines us to lead good, ethical, and moral lives
- "Right reason in action"
- Involves using one's ability to reason to distinguish what is right and good
- Necessary for correct judgement

The foundation of all knowledge that we acquire comes from answering the questions beginning with:

WHO
WHAT
WHERE
WHEN
WHY
HOW

Three parts of every moral act...

1. Moral object---What is the act?
2. Intention/Motive---Why?
3. Circumstance---Who? When? Where? How?

Moral object---What is the act?

- Tells us what is the "content" or "matter" of our moral decision
- Our intellect, human experience, and God's revelation can help us to determine if the "what" is good or bad.

Some actions are always evil and wrong because it is...

- Hostile to life itself
- Genocide, homicide, abortion, etc.
- Violates integrity of the human person
- Offensive to human dignity
- These are called intrinsically evil acts
- They are ALWAYS evil

Our actions...

- Express who we are
- Make or form us into the persons we are growing to be
- Impact the world around us.
- Your acts must provide the true good and respect the dignity of humans or they are evil...Remember the human person!!
- As Christians, we have been given guides for good and loving behavior... Ten Commandments

Intention/Motive---Why?

- Purpose/reason for doing something
- Motive or intention for performing an action
- Essential element for judging the morality of an action
- Our intellect, human experience, and God's revelation can help us to determine if the "why" is good

You can have more than one intention for doing things...

Ex: Service Saturday
- Intention #1: NHS hours
- Intention #2: I want to hang out with my friends
- Intention #3 I do because I love
Keep the intention good.
Both your object and intention must be good for the act to be morally good

The end doesn't justify the means...

- For an action to be moral, the means must be moral
- Ex. I must not cheat to get good grades I may not lie to help myself get good job

Means:

- A method, course of action, or instrument by which something can be accomplished
- Means-> goal(goal intended)
- Important to remember with Intention!
- Who can know our intention fully and completely?
- GOD

Determining if an act is morally good or bad...

Good act + good/best intention = morally good action
Good act + bad intention = morally bad action
Bad act + good intention = morally bad action
Bad act + bad intention = morally bad action

Circumstance---Who? When? Where? How?

- Cannot change the moral quality of an act
- Changes the seriousness of an act -> more serious, less serious

Circumstance--Who? When? Where? How? (cont.)

- Increase/decrease the moral goodness of an act
- EX. Stealing is always wrong But stealing $10 from a homeless man is more serious that stealing $10 from a millionaire
- Can diminish/increase a person's culpability
- Sometimes makes a difference or not

Culpability

- Responsibility or blameworthiness
- Knowledge of the situation... eating in the library

Thinking about the consequences and alternatives...

Do I do...
A?
B?
C?
D?
What will happen when I do this?

Alternatives:

- Doing right always involves examining various possibilities before acting
- Until alternatives are considered, oral decisions should not be made
- Thinking out alternatives takes creativity

Consequences:

- We should never act without considering the consequences of our actions
- Consequences are not the only or decisive factor in determining the morality of actions; the moral object is the decisive factor
- Using consequences alone to determine the moral of an act is called Proportionalism. It is FALSE.

2 rules when considering the consequences are...

1. Act only in those ways that would treat all people at all times with respect
2. Never do anything that would treat others as a means to an end, or for your own gain or profit. NO USING.

Rationalizing vs Reasoning:

Reasoning:
- Reasoning is using your intellect to judge the morality quality of an act...Object, Intention, Circumstances
- Taking responsibility for your actions
Rationalizing:
- Rationalizing is self-serving excuses to disown one's own responsibility
- Pacing the blame on another

Others --- Consult them and consider how your actions will affect them

Who can I go to for advice?
How will my actions affect others?

Concern for others:

Personalistic norm
- Christianity recognizes that as human beings we live with others and as Christians, we live for others

We must always ask how our proposed action will affect others.

Questions to think about:
1. Do my words and actions affect others positively or negatively?
2. Is this action strengthening or weakening my relationship with those around me? With God?
3. Would I want what I am doing done to me?

Look to others for advice:

1. Church and Magisterium
2. Teachings of Jesus in NT
- Sermon on the Mt.
3. Sacrament of Reconciliation
- A sensitive confessor can give you helpful and practical advice on how to make wise decisions
4. Fellow Christians
- Parents, g-parents, teachers, counselors, family, friends