Key Concepts in Catholic Morality and Ethics

Morality

The goodness or evil of human acts, attitudes, and values.

Moral Relativism

The belief that moral principles and values are not absolute but are instead relative to the individual, culture, or society.

Absolute Moral Truths

Moral truths grounded in natural law and divine revelation, as taught by the Catholic Church.

Objective Reality

The belief that we live in an objective reality based on natural laws and an ordered universe.

Moral Law

Rooted in natural law, which is accessible to human reason and reflects God's eternal law.

Ethical Confusion

A result of moral relativism that leads to a breakdown of societal norms and can lead to great evil.

Conscience

Must be informed by objective moral truths and the teachings of the Church.

Guidance from the Church

Encouragement for believers to seek guidance from Scripture, tradition, and the Magisterium to form a well-informed conscience.

Freedom

The power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, and to perform deliberate actions on one's own responsibility.

Ultimate Good

The ultimate good is God, and freedom has the possibility of choosing between good and evil until it binds itself to this ultimate good.

Moral Goodness and Freedom

The more one does what is good, the freer one becomes.

Abuse of Freedom

The choice to disobey and do evil, leading to 'the slavery of sin'.

Limited Freedom

Man's freedom is limited.

Refusal of God's Plan

By refusing God's plan of love, man deceives himself and becomes a slave to sin.

Moral Evaluation of Human Acts

Human acts can be morally evaluated as either good or evil.

Factors Affecting Morality

The morality of human acts depends on: the object chosen; the end in view or the intention; the circumstances of the action.

Theological Virtues

Faith, hope, and love (or charity).

Virtue

A good habit that creates within us a kind of inner readiness or attraction to move toward or accomplish moral good.

Cardinal Virtues

Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, Temperance.

Vice

A practice or habit that leads a person to sin; a habitual and firm disposition to do evil.

Cultivating Virtues

The Church emphasizes the importance of cultivating virtues as a means of overcoming vices and living a moral life.

Mortal Sins

Serious offenses against God that result in a complete separation from His grace.

Venial Sins

Less serious offenses that do not sever one's relationship with God but weaken it.

Role of Governing Authority

To ensure as far as possible the common good of society.

Authority

Exercised legitimately if it is committed to the common good of society.

Common Good

The sum total of social conditions which allow people to reach their fulfillment more fully and more easily.

Essential Elements of Common Good

Respect, prosperity, peace/security.

Social Justice

Can be obtained only in respecting the dignity of man.

Reducing Inequalities

Catholics should help to reduce excessive social and economic inequalities.

Source of Truth

God is the source of all truth.

God's Word and Law

His Word is truth. His Law is truth.

Living in Truth

Members of God's people are called to live in the truth.

Manifestation of Truth

In Jesus Christ, the whole of God's truth has been made manifest.

Living in the Spirit of Truth

To follow Jesus is to live in the Spirit of truth.

Need for Enlightenment

Man stands in need of being enlightened by God's revelation.

Religious & moral truths

Can be known by all men with ease, firm certainty, and without error.

Honor

A recognition (by word or sign) of another's worth or station.

Marks of honor

Should be paid to worth of any kind.

Worship

How we must honor God as our first beginning and last end.

Catholics' demonstration of honor

Through a variety of practices and beliefs.

Fourth Commandment

Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD, your God, has commanded you.

Family

The community in which, from childhood, one can learn moral values, begin to honor God, and make good use of freedom.

Civil authorities' duty

To acknowledge the true nature of marriage and the family, to protect and foster them, and to safeguard public morality.

Creation

God created the universe 'out of nothing'.

Existence of everything

Because God chose to create it, not because it was necessary or pre-existing.

Humans' creation

In the 'image and likeness of God'.

God's assessment of creation

After each day of creation, God saw that it was good, culminating in the statement that everything He made was 'very good'.

Goodness and order of creation

There is a goodness and order of God's creation.

Sabbath

Established on the seventh day when God rested from His work.

Purpose of creation

Meant to reflect God's glory and to allow humanity to enter into a relationship with Him.

Original sin

Man preferred himself to God, choosing himself over and against God.

Transmission of original sin

Original sin is transmitted to all mankind.

ABRAHAM

The man of faith and patriarch of Israel with whom God made a covenant promising him land and many descendants.

COVENANT

A solemn agreement between human beings or between God and a human being involving mutual commitments or guarantees.

Key elements of the covenant

Land, descendants, blessing.

Lessons from Abraham's story

Teaches us several important lessons: faith, obedience, God's faithfulness.

Sacredness of human life

From the moment of conception to natural death, every human life is sacred and deserves our utmost respect and protection.

Dominion over creation

God gives humanity dominion over creation, tasking us with its stewardship.

Caretakers of earthly goods

We are not absolute owners but caretakers who must manage earthly goods responsibly.

7th Commandment

Reinforces and forbids the unjust taking or keeping of a neighbor's goods.

Right to private property

The Church recognizes this right, but it is not absolute.

Charity

Should always be voluntary, never forced.

Consumerism and materialism

Pose significant threats to a balanced understanding of material goods.

Material goods in the Old Testament

Seen as necessary for life, and abundance is sometimes viewed as a blessing from God.

Misuse of riches

Is condemned.

Jesus' teachings on possessions

Emphasize detachment from material possessions and concern for the poor.

Truthfulness

A virtue, a good habit that makes you a person of integrity.

Human inclination

By nature, human beings are inclined toward the truth.

Lying

Is almost never okay, and is almost always a sin.

Honesty

When we fail to be honest, at minimum, we negatively affect our own morality.

Truth as a weapon

It is wrong to use the truth as a weapon.

Moral obligation to tell the truth

It is not right or moral to tell someone the truth if the intention is to hurt the other person.

Truth and harm

You are not morally bound to tell the truth to someone who will use it to harm another person.

Truth in society

Truth is the glue what makes a society work harmoniously.

Public's right to information

The public has the right to information based on truth, freedom, and justice.

Christian morality

Christian morality is more than just following rules; it is about developing a relationship with Christ within the Church.

Natural law

The natural law is how we, as humans, understand good and evil through reason.

God's voice

Through reason, we recognize God's voice urging us to do good and avoid evil.

Divine law

Divine law builds upon natural law, guiding us through the Old and New Testaments.

Role of grace and the Holy Spirit

Grace and the Holy Spirit play a crucial role in enabling us to live morally.

Holy Spirit and moral life

The Holy Spirit and grace are fundamental in moral life, fostering theological and moral virtues.

Virtues

Virtues, both theological and cardinal, are essential in shaping moral character.

Faith and morals connection

Faith and morals are deeply connected, and adhering to Church teaching is vital.

Conscience and Magisterium

Our conscience must be subject to the Church's Magisterium, which authoritatively explains the moral law.

Moses' birth

Moses was born into a Hebrew family during a time when the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt.

Moses and the burning bush

In exile, Moses encountered God in the form of a burning bush, where God commanded him to return to Egypt to free the Israelites.

Moses confronts Pharaoh

Moses returned to Egypt and, with his brother Aaron, confronted Pharaoh, demanding the release of the Israelites.

Ten plagues

Pharaoh's refusal led to a series of ten plagues, culminating in the death of the firstborn sons in Egypt.

Crossing the Red Sea

Moses led them out of Egypt, crossing the Red Sea miraculously as God parted the waters.

Ten Commandments

After their escape, the Israelites camped at Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments and the Law from God.

Moses and Christ

Just as Moses led the Israelites from slavery to freedom, Christ leads humanity from sin to salvation.

King Saul

King Saul was chosen by God through Samuel and anointed as the first king of Israel.

King Saul's disobedience

King Saul's reign was marked by several acts of disobedience to God's commands, which led to his eventual rejection as king.

King David's reign

King David reigned over Israel for approximately 40 years. His reign is marked by significant military conquests, the unification of the tribes of Israel, and the establishment of a centralized government.

King Solomon's ascension

King Solomon ascended to the throne around the age of eighteen, succeeding his father, David.

King Solomon's reign

His reign, which lasted forty years, was notable for its peace and prosperity.

King Solomon's wisdom

King Solomon is perhaps best known for his wisdom. God granted him unparalleled wisdom, and his reputation spread far and wide.

Construction of the Temple

One of Solomon's most significant achievements was the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem.

Temple's significance

The Temple became the center of Israelite worship and a symbol of their covenant with God.

Solomon's downfall

Despite his wisdom and achievements, Solomon's life took a tragic turn. He sunk from wealth into luxury and vice, forming marriages (in spite of the prohibition of God) with foreign women, until he had seven hundred wives, and three hundred concubines.