morality final

Genesis Creation Story

God created human beings to live in loving relationships with God and one another. God has been at work throughout history to restore to perfect loving community with God and one another. God made human beings in his image and likeness.

Original Sin

• the sin of the first human beings, who disobeyed God’s command by choosing to follow their own will and thus lost their original holiness and became subject to death

• the fallen state of human nature that affects every person born into the world, except Jesus and Mary

Consequences of Original Sin

• Human nature is weakened

• What should be natural to us is harder and more challenging.

• Moral decisions are more difficult and confusing.

• Our relationship with God is clouded and hidden.

Free Will

allows us to choose to act in ways that are consistent with God’s plan. We are responsible for the choices we make. Certain factors, such as fear or ignorance, can affect our freedom to choose.

Soul

Our spiritual principle, is immortal, and it is what makes us most like God. It is created by God at the moment of our conception. It is the seat of human consciousness and freedom.

Intellect

The divine gift that gives us the ability to see and understand the order of things that God places within creation and to know and understand God through the created order.

Beatitudes

• Our vocation as Christians, the goal of our existence. It is true blessedness or happiness that we experience partially here on Earth and perfectly in Heaven.

• They promise that will we know happiness by embracing the hardships of life, not by avoiding them.

• They promise that we will know true joy by pursuing justice (righteousness) and peace, not by pursuing wealth, fame, or power.

• Living the Beatitudes is challenging, but the Holy Trinity provides us with what we need to do so.

Eternal law

God created the universe with order in nature and spirit. This order reveals God and God’s will. It is always true and never changes. All other types of law have their basis in this law and are only true if they reflect the truth of this law.

Moral law

established by God and is a rational expression of Eternal Law. This law reflects God’s wisdom; it is the teaching that leads us to the blessed life he wants for us.

Old Law

Divine Law revealed in the Old Testament, summarized in the Ten Commandments. Also called the Law of Moses.

New Law

Divine Law revealed in the New Testament through the life and teaching of Jesus Christ and the witness and teaching of the Apostles. This law perfects the Old Law and brings it to fulfillment. Also called the Law of Love

Sermon on the Mount

Jesus quotes from the Old Law and then makes it more challenging. Jesus shows that his New Law does not abolish the Old Law but reveals its full meaning.

Justification

the process of being brought into the right relationship with God. It is something God initiates; we cannot justify ourselves. When we accept God’s mercy and love, our sin is removed and we receive God’s grace.

The 10 Commandments

also known as the Decalogue, the first 3 are about our relationship with God and the last 7 are about our relationship with others.

Jesus’ Great Commandments

Jesus’ summary of the entire Divine Law as the love of God and the love of neighbor.

Precepts of the Church

guide all believers in the minimum requirements for maintaining an active faith life.

Magisterium

are responsible for passing on and teaching moral truth. They are responsible for applying Eternal Law to modern situations. They have been given the gift of infallibility when speaking officially about faith and morals. Catholics have an obligation to listen carefully to the teaching of this and follow it.

Sin

deliberately choosing to act in a way that is contrary to God’s will.

Sin of omission

A sin that is the result of a failure to do something required by God’s moral Law

Sin of Commission

a sin that is the direct result of a freely chosen thought, word, or deed.

Mortal Sin

a serious offense against God that results in a complete separation from God and his grace. Without contrition and forgiveness, it will result in eternal death.

Lust

Undisciplined, unchecked desire for self-enjoyment, especially of a sexual nature. It is one of the seven capital sins.

Gluttony

Excessive eating or drinking; a capital sin.

Greed

The desire to accumulate earthly goods beyond what we need. It is one of the capital sins and contrary to the Tenth Commandment

Sloth

Habitual laziness; failing to put forth effortand take action; one of the capital sins.

Wrath (anger)

A desire for revenge that prevents reconciliation, one of the capital sins

Envy

Resentment that we direct at others who have some success, thing, or privilege that we want for ourselves. It is one of the capital sins and contrary to the Tenth Commandment.

Pride

Believing one is better than others, often resulting in despising or disrespecting other people; one of the capital sins.

Venial Sin

A less serious offense against the will of God that diminishes one’s personal character and weakens but does not rupture one’s relationship with God

Conscience

inner feeling that guides the rightness or wrongness of a behavior

Sin in the Old Testament

• Sin is rebelling against God.

• Sin is missing the mark.

• Sin affects one’s family and community.

• God punishes people for their sins.

• God withdraws his favor as a consequence of sin

Sin in the New Testament

• Hamartia is the most common Greek word used for sin and means “falling short.”

• Paraptoma and parabasis (“transgression”) and anomia (“lawlessness”) are other Greek words associated with sin.

• The Gospel of John talks about sin as living in darkness.

• Saint Paul emphasizes another truth: Everyone sins.

• “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord God.”  (Romans 6:23)

• Jesus corrects misunderstandings of sin, such as God punishing us out of vengeance.

Canon Law

The name given to the official body of laws that provide good order in the visible body of the Church.

Concupiscence

the tendency of all human beings toward sin, as a result of Original Sin

Etiology

A story that explains something’s cause or origin

Social justice

The defense of human dignity by ensuring that essential human needs are met and that essential human rights are protected for all people.

Merit

God’s reward to those who love him and by his grace perform good works. To have merit is to be justified in the sight of God, free from sin and sanctified by his grace. We do not "merit” justification or eternal life; the source of any merit we have is due to the grace of Christ in us of the Church and intended to guarantee for the faithful the indispensable minimum in prayer and moral effort.

Vice

A practice or habit that leads a person to sin

Social Sin

The impact that every personal sin has on other people; sin that directly attacks others’ life, freedom, dignity, or rights; and the collective effect of many people’s sins over time, which corrupts society and its institutions by creating “structures of sin.”

First commandment

“I, the LORD, am your God. . . . You shall not have other gods besides me” (Exodus 20:2–3).

Second commandment

“You shall not invoke the name of the LORD, your God, in vain” (Exodus 20:7).

Third commandment

“Remember the sabbath day—keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8).

What does the First Commandment mean

This is the starting point of our moral life. It calls us to put God first in our lives. The other commandments depend on this commandment. A natural expression of the Theological Virtues: faith, hope, and love.

What does the Second Commandment mean

This commandment forbids us from dishonoring God’s holy name. To dishonor God’s name is to dishonor God. This commandment also extends to other holy people’s names, such as Jesus Christ, Mary, and the saints. It aims to keep that which is Sacred holy. Names were very important to the people of the Bible. When God revealed his name to Moses (see Exodus 3:11–15), it was a big deal. Jesus emphasized the holiness of God’s name in the Lord’s Prayer: “hallowed (holy) be your name.”

What does the Third Commandment mean

This commandment requires us to keep the Sabbath holy. This commandment reminds us that God “rested” on the seventh day of Creation. It reminds Jewish people of their liberation and their covenant with God.

Biblical context for the Sabbath

Jesus healed on the sabbath, which upset some pharisees. Jesus showed that the sabbath is also a day for doing god’s work. “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath” (Mark 2:27).

Biblical context for The Lord’s Day

Early Christians began to celebrate the Eucharist on Sunday, in honor of Christ’s resurrection. Gradually, Christians moved the observance of the sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. Sunday became the “lord’s Day” in honor of our lord and Savior.

How to keep the Sabbath day holy

• Attend mass on Sundays and other holy days.

• Abstain from unnecessary work on Sundays.

• Devote time to rest, works of charity, quality time with family, and spiritual reading and prayer.

What do the first 3 commandments have in common (theme)?

The First through Third Commandments focus on our relationship with God. Their placement before the Fourth through Tenth Commandments shows that the love of God is the basis for our love of our neighbor.

What did the First Commandment mean in the Old Testament?

This was literally the worship of foreign gods and goddesses such as Baal and Asherah. The idea of only one god was still not completely understood.

What did the First Commandment mean in the New Testament?

By the time of Jesus, the Jews had come to believe there was only one God. Jesus warned against a different kind of idolatry, such as putting some worldly value, such as the love of money, at the center of your life. This is the kind of idolatry that continues in today’s world.

What did the Second Commandment mean in the Old Testament?

In the Old Testament, sacred commitments made in God’s name are called covenants. Jesus reinforces the importance of keeping commitments: “Make good to the Lord all that you vow. . . . Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No’” (Matthew 5:33,37).

Sins against the First Commandment

Happens when we fail to place our faith in God, to put our hope in his promises, and to love him with all our hearts.

• Sins against faith: doubt (in God’s revealed truth), heresy, and apostasy

• Sins against hope: religious despair and presumption

• Sins against love: indifference, ingratitude, lukewarmness, and even hatred of God

Sins against the Second Commandment

include speaking disrespectfully about something that is sacred or treating it with disrespect. Profanity, Blasphemy, and Perjury.

Who was given the commandments?

Moses on Mount Sinai

Yahweh - what does this name mean? Where in the Bible does it come from?

Which Means “I am who am” and Lord. It’s mentioned in Exodus 3:11-15, where Jesus reveals this name to Moses.

Marriage

One of the original focuses of the Second Commandment was being true to vows or commitments made in God’s name. Making a sacred commitment to a person or group makes you more free by keeping you focused on something truly important.

agnostic; agnosticism

One who believes we cannot know anything about God’s existence or his nature; the belief that we cannot know anything about God’s existence or his nature.

Apostasy

The act of renouncing one’s faith.

Atheist; atheism

One who denies the existence of God; the denial of the existence of God.

Blasphemy

Speaking, acting, or thinking about God, Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, or the saints in a way that is irreverent, mocking, or offensive. It is a sin against the Second Commandment.

Divination

The practice of seeking power or knowledge through supernatural means apart from the one true God; a sin against the First Commandment.

Heresy

The conscious and deliberate rejection by a baptized person of a truth of faith that must be believed.

Idolatry

The worship of other beings, creatures, or material goods in a way that is fitting for God alone. It is a violation of the First Commandment.

Magic

The belief in a supernatural power that comes from a source other than God; a sin against the First Commandment.

Perjury

The sin of lying while under an oath to tell the truth. It is a sin against the Second and Eighth Commandments.

Perpetual adoration

The practice of people committing to pray before the Blessed Sacrament in a designated location so that someone is always in the presence of Christ, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.

Profanity

Speaking disrespectfully about something that is sacred or treating it with disrespect.

Sabbath

In the Old Testament, the “seventh day” on which God rested after the work of Creation was completed. In the Old Law, the weekly day of rest is to remember God’s work through private prayer and communal worship. Christians fulfill the Sabbath observance on the Lord's Day, celebrated on Sunday, the day on which Jesus was raised, which Catholics also observe with participation in the Eucharist.

Sacred

The quality of being holy, worthy of respect and reverence; set apart for God.

Sacrilege

An offense against God. It is the abuse of a person, place, or thing dedicated to God and the worship of him.

Simony

Buying or selling something spiritual, such as a grace, a sacrament, or a relic.

Superstition

Attributing to someone or something else a power that belongs to God alone and relying on such powers rather than trusting in God is a sin against the First Commandment.

Tithe

A commitment to donate a tenth or some other percentage of our income to the Church and other charitable causes.

Venerate

To show respect and devotion to someone or something.

Covenant

A solemn agreement between human beings or between God and a human being in which mutual commitments are made.

Examination of conscience

Prayerful reflection on, and assessment of, one’s words, attitudes, and actions in light of the Gospel of Jesus; more specifically, the conscious moral evaluation of one’s life in preparation for the reception of the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation.

Monotheism

The belief in and worship of only one God.

Pantheon

All of the gods of a people or religion collectively.

Theological virtues

The name given to the God-given virtues of faith, hope, and love. These virtues enable us to know God as God and lead us to union with God in mind and heart.

Sabbath, why we keep it holy, why it is called the “lord’s Day”, and how we can keep it holy.

The Sabbath is rooted from the story of creation and represents the seventh day. God rested on that day after all of the work he had done. We keep the Sabbath day holy to remind ourselves of our covenant with God. We can keep the Sabbath day holy by going to mass, relaxing, don’t work, spending time with the people you love.

Fifth commandment

Thou shall not kill

Sixth commandment

You shall not commit adultery

Ninth commandment

You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife

What does the fifth commandment mean?

• The gift of life is God’s greatest gift to us.

• The Fifth Commandment teaches that God did not create us for death but for eternal life.

• To murder or intentionally harm yourself or another person is a sin against human dignity and God’s gift of life.

• The Fifth Commandment is also a call to love and take care of ourselves.

What do the sixth and ninth commandments mean?

• Our sexuality is a great gift.

• When used as God intended, it brings new life and greater love into the world.

• When sexuality is used immorally, it has great power to harm people and relationships

Sacredness of human life in the Old Testament

• Creation accounts teach us that every human life is sacred because we are created in the image of God (see Genesis 1:26).

• Human life is uniquely sacred. Killing a human being is far more serious than killing a plant or animal.

• Murder is also wrong because God alone is the author of life and death (see Deuteronomy 32:39).

Sacredness of human life in the New Testament

• Jesus goes beyond just not killing. He forbids all anger and revenge (see Matthew 5:21-22).

• Christ’s Law of Love calls us to avoid harm of any kind to another person—physical, psychological, or spiritual.

Sins against the Fifth commandment

• Obvious sins are acts like violent assaults, rape, torture, and terrorism.

• Less obvious sinful acts might be things like hazing rituals, name-calling, reckless driving, and dangerous practical jokes.

• Scandal—leading another person into sin—is an example of harm to a person’s spiritual life.

• Governments and businesses can sin by promoting unsafe products and practices.

Sins against the sixth and ninth commandments

• adultery

• polygamy

• divorce

• cohabitation

Seamless Garment

articulated by Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of Chicago. It is named after the tunic worn by Jesus, woven of one whole cloth without seams. It advocates the interconnectedness of all issues of life. An image teaching that all human life must be protected from natural conception to natural death. 

Death penalty

The Church has declared that the death penalty “is inadmissible because it is an attack... on the dignity of the person” (Catechism, number 2267). Modern society can keep violent criminals locked away from society for life if necessary.

Stem cells

• Shows promise for treating disease and even for growing new organs.

• A main source of stem cells is tissue from aborted embryos and fetuses. Stem cell treatments using this type of tissue are wrong. A good intention cannot justify an evil act.

Genetic engineering

• Prenatal testing and gene therapies used to prevent diseases or disabilities are generally permissible.

• Prenatal testing and gene therapies used to decide whether to have an abortion or create a “designer” baby are morally wrong.

Purity of Heart

• “Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8)

• Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit.

• In the temple of our body, we must protect the innermost core, our heart, from defilement.

• Practice of modesty, controlling our sexual desires.

Adultery

Sexual activity between two persons, at least one of whom is married to another, is prohibited by the Sixth Commandment. 

Annulment

The declaration by the Church that a marriage is null and void, that is, it never existed as a sacramental union. Catholics who divorce must have the marriage declared null by the Church to be free to marry once again in the Church.

Artificial insemination

The process by which a man’s sperm and a woman’s egg are united in a manner other than natural sexual intercourse. In the narrowest sense, it means injecting sperm into a woman’s cervical canal. The procedure is morally wrong because it separates intercourse from the act of procreation.

Chastity

The moral virtue by which people are able to successfully and healthfully integrate their sexuality into their total person, leading to an inner union of body and spirit, recognized as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

Cohabitation

A man and woman living together before marriage. Prohibited by the Sixth Commandment.