Theology 3 - Morality Final

Original Holiness

grace given to the first humans by which they lived in close friendship with God

Free will

gift from God that allows humans to choose good or evil

Intellect

gift of reason which allows us to see and understand the order of things as God has established and to distinguish between what is truly good and what only appears to be good

Original Justice

state of the first humans before the Fall including harmony within themselves, with each other, and with all of creation

Original Sin

disobedience of the first humans which resulted in the fallen state of human nature that affects all humans

Freedom

power to act on choices that when exercised properly is a manifestation of the image of God

Concupiscence

weakness or tendency of all humans toward sin as a result of original sin

Sanctification

being made holy.

Biblical Etiology

literary style or form used to explain origins and causes, answering questions about why things are the way they are

beatitude

our vocation as Christians, which is true blessedness, happiness, peace, and joy

Beatitudes

eight statements made by Jesus in Matthew's gospel which outline basic attitudes and dispositions that challenge us to life a high level of moral life and lead us to true happiness

justification

God's action of bringing sinful human beings into right relationship with God by freeing us from sin and sanctifying us.

merit

to be justified in the sight of God, freed from sin, and sanctified by God's grace; God's reward that we must accept in order to actively participate in the plan of salvation

moral law

objective standards authored by God and taught by Church authority

spirituality

how one relates to God and how one nurtures that relationship in prayer and ritual

theology

what one believes about God

morality

standards by which one judges actions to be good or evil

morality

how one acts, based on one's beliefs.

actual graces

God's interventions and support for us in the everyday moments of our lives that are important for conversion and for continuing growth in holiness

Cardinal Virtues

"hinge" or "pivot" virtues that are viewed as essential for full Christian living because all the other virtues depend on them

culpable

to be guilty of wrongdoing

Fortitude

also called strength or courage is the Cardinal Virtue that enables one to maintain sound moral judgment and behavior in the face of difficulties and challenges

hope

Theological Virtue by which we trust in the promise of God and expect from God both eternal life and the grace we need to attain it

justice

Cardinal Virtue concerned with rights and duties within relationships; the commitment, as well as the actions and attitudes that flow from the commitment, that ensure we give to others what is due them

charity

Theological Virtue by which we love God above all things and, out of that love of God, love our neighbors as ourselves

prudence

Cardinal Virtue by which a person is inclined toward choosing the moral good and avoiding evil; sometimes called the rudder virtue because it helps steer the person through complex moral situations

sacramental graces

the gifts proper to each of the Seven Sacraments.

special graces

also called charisms, are gifts to an individual or group that are intended for the common good of the whole Church

temperance

Cardinal Virtue by which one moderates appetites and passions to achieve balance in the use of created goods

faith

from a Latin word meaning "trust" or "belief," is the Theological Virtue by which one freely accepts God's full Revelation in Jesus Christ, both with the head and the heart

Gifts of the Spirit

given at Baptism to help us live as followers of Jesus and to build up the Body of Christ, the Church, they are wisdom, understanding, counsel, and fortitude, and others

fruits of the Spirit

including love, peace, joy, patience, and others are thus called because they are desirable and valuable

grace

free and undeserved gift of God's loving and active presence in our lives that God gives us to empower us to respond to his call

sanctifying grace

heals our human nature wounded by sin and restores us to friendship with God by giving us a share in the divine life of the Trinity

virtue

a habitual and firm disposition to do good, a habit that directs us to make good moral decisions.

moral virtues

also called human virtues; we can develop them by our own effort in cooperation with God's grace

antecedent

judgment of conscience that occurs before the act is committed

concomitant

judgment of conscience that occurs while the act is being committed

consequent

judgment of conscience that occurs after the act is completed

rationalize

to make excuses for wrong actions to make them appear good or justifiable

vincible

ignorance could be prevented, and is thus the fault of the one who does not know the truth

invincible

ignorance when one has no reasonable way of knowing the truth and therefore is not culpable

Theological virtues

gifts from God that lead us into a deeper knowledge of and relationship with God

examen

a daily reflection on one's life, thanking God for the blessings of the day and identifying areas in need of conversion

well-formed

conscience which is healthy and based on truth, deduces correctly what is right or wrong in a situation

erroneous

conscience that, because it ignores the truth, is faulty and improperly formed and judges wrong acts as right

lax

conscience that is careless and carefree, making excuses for wrong actions and minimalizing the seriousness of sin

scrupulous

conscience that is overly sensitive and fearful, imagining sin where there is none and amplifying the severity of sin

object

the act itself, the specific act, word, or thought that is being chosen

intention

the goal or intended outcome of the person doing the act

circumstances

specific conditions or facts surrounding the act and affecting the decision

effect

result, outcome, or consequences - what happens after the act

sin of commission

a direct result of a deliberate (freely chosen) thought, word, or deed

sin of omission

a failure to do something required by God's moral law

mortal sin

deadly, sin, a serious offense that destroys charity and completely separates us from God's grace

venial sin

less serious offense that diminishes moral character and weakens but does not rupture one's relationship with God

capital sins

seven deadly sins that lead to and reinforce other sins and vices

occasion of sin

any situation, person, place, or thing that will likely lead one to sin

social sin

embedded in the structures and institutions of society as a situation of injustice that denies the dignity of certain people

personal sin

individual sin, that which is committed by individuals

common good

social conditions that allow all people to meet basic needs and achieve fulfillment

God

The authority of the state comes from _?_ and thus should preserve the common good

intrinsically evil

act that is evil in itself and is thus always wrong

biblical expressions for sin

transgression, rebellion, missing the mark, falling short

conditions for mortal sin

grave matter (serious), full knowledge, full consent

moral relativism

denies the objectivity of good and evil; denies the existence of intrinsically evil acts; leads to faulty moral judgments wherein any act can be rationalized and judged as "good"; assumes that nothing is really sinful because one's opinion is the only judge of an act

harm caused by failure to forgive

spiritual, emotional, physical

Decalogue

name for the Ten Commandments

epistle

New Testament letter

subjectivism

reducing morality to one's own opinions, treating what one thinks and feels as a god

minimalism

reducing morality to merely following the law, thus treating the law as a god

moral law

established by God as a rational expression of eternal law that governs human relationships with God and others and reflects God's wisdom and love

eternal law

cosmic order that reflects God's will and purpose, the balance and harmony in creation that governs the universe

good

Something is _?_ to the extent that it is what it is meant to be, or is an act that is in accord with what it means to be fully human

infallibility

gift from the Holy Spirit whereby the Magisterium can definitively proclaim doctrine of faith and morals without error

ecclesiastical law

Church law, consisting of the Precepts of the Church and Canon Law

Old Law

divine law revealed in the Old Testament and summarized in the Decalogue

canon law

lists the most important Church laws, the official body of laws that provide good order in the Church

Precepts of the Church

minimum requirements to help us grow in love of God and neighbor

characteristics of Eternal Law

always true, immutable, universal, basis of all law, intrinsic to all of creation

parts of the Old Covenant

Covenant Code, Priestly Code, Holiness Code

chastity

moral virtue and gift of the Holy Spirit 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

cohabitation

living together before marriage

adultery

sexual activity between two persons, at least one of whom is married to another

annulment

declaration by the Church that a marriage is null and void, that is, it never existed as a sacramental union

artificial insemination

process by which a man's sperm and a woman's ovum are united in a manner other than natural sexual intercourse, usually by injecting sperm into the woman's cervical canal

artificial contraception

use of mechanical, chemical, or medical procedures to prevent conception from taking place as a result of sexual intercourse

fornication

sex outside of marriage, sexual intercourse between two people, neither of whom is married.

generative

bringing new life into the world, having children, caring for children and supporting life, sharing the gospel

in vitro fertilization

fertilization of a woman's ovum (egg) with a man's sperm outside her body, followed by the transferal of the embryo into the woman's uterus

masturbation

self-manipulation of one's sexual organs for the purpose of erotic pleasure or to achieve orgasm

Nuptial

marital union, total gift of self - body and soul, becoming "one body", unconditional love

polygamy

having more than one spouse, an act contrary to the dignity of marriage and a sin against the Sixth Commandment

surrogate motherhood

medical process whereby a woman becomes pregnant by artificial means and then carries the child for someone else

pornography

written description or visual portrayal of a person or action that is created or viewed with the intention of stimulating sexual feelings

prostitution

act of providing sexual services in exchange for money, drugs, or other goods

NFP

method of birth regulation that is accepted by the Church and can be used either to help a couple conceive or to help them space their children

modesty requires

patience in responding to sexual desires, decency in words and actions toward others, discretion in what one wears, care in what one listens to or watches

integrity

wholeness; one's inner and outer life are united, not divided, and one's thoughts, words, actions reflect God's purpose for the gift of sexuality

Theology of the Body

Pope Saint John Paul II's teaching on sexuality, marriage, and the family, given in a series of general addresses delivered between 1979 and 1984