Theology III Final

Morality

Goodness/ Sinfulness of human actions

Relativism

Belief that morals are subjective and based on context

• No moral rules that apply to all cultures or all people in one culture and no country or person should impose their moral rules on any other culture or person

Absolutism

Belief that morals are objective regardless of context

• There are universal moral truths that are unchanging regardless of context

Consequentialism

Morality based on the results of our actions

Egoism

moral principle that states the right thing to do is what’s in the agents self-interest

Enlightened/ Ethical Egoism

States that the agent will consider and choose what is good for others only if it is also best for themself-a “win-win”

Utilitarianism

moral principle that states whatever action leads to the greatest balance of benefits over harm for everyone affected is the right choice in any situation

Non-consequentialism

Morality based, not on consequences, but on adherence to principles, rules or rights, which should be followed regardless of consequences or bias

Deontology

Uses rules to distinguish right from wrong (rule based ethic); study of duty

Kant’s Categorical Imperative

Kant's idea of a moral obligation that we should act in a way in which we would be willing to have everyone else act

2 formulas: Universilizabilty principle and formula of humanity

Virtue ethics

non-consequentialist concept of building the character of the individual

Principle

Basic/ fundamental truth used to support a line of reasoning, belief or way of behaving

Principles of reason

Non-contradication, objective evidence and complete explanation

Principle of Non-Contradiction

Something cannot be both X and not X in the same respect at the same place and time

Principle of Complete Explanation

The best explanation is the one which accounts for the most data

Principle of Objective Evidence

For a claim to be reasonable, you must provide evidence that can be verified by others

Principle of Beneficence

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (golden rule); do the good

Principle of Non-Maleficence

Do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you (silver rule); do not harm

Principle of Consistent Ends and Means

The ends do not justify the means; you cannot use an evil method to achieve a good result

Principle of Full Human Potential

Every human being deserves to be valued according to what he is capable of achieving at his highest potential, not according to the development he has achieved at a particular time

Principle of Natural Rights

All human beings in themselves (because of their existence alone) have the inalienable right to life, liberty, and property ownership. No government gives these rights and no government can take them away.

Principle of the Hierarchy of Rights

Any right which is a necessary condition for the very possibility of another right’s existence is the more fundamental right. In a conflict of rights the more fundamental right should take priority.

Principle of Limits to Freedom

Creating a new right for some people is wrong if it becomes a burdensome duty for others; One person’s right cannot become another person’s duty to die, suffer or be unfairly burdened.

Why are these principles so important?

• All reasonable/ responsible people would want these to apply to them

• Can be applied to any topic and all people (universal)

• Without them we would have no legal/ political protection from being mistreated (we’d all need to fend for ourselves).

Human being vs. human person

A human being is any being of human origin/ any human while human persons have rights that deserve protection under law

Nominal vs. real definition

• Nominal: basis of language that assigns name to something without telling us anything about the thing being defined

• Real attempts to get at the essence/ intrinsic nature/ core of the thing be defined

• We can change the nominal definition of an object, but it doesn’t change its essence/ real definition

Definition of human personhood

A living being with human DNA that contains and real and existing power to direct its own development toward fulfillment through perfect, unconditional and infinite Truth, Love, Goodness, Beauty and Unity and will do so if all the proper conditions are met.

3 gifts from God

• Soul: The innermost aspect of man, that which is greatest value in him, that by which he is most especially in God’s image; our spiritual principle

• Intellect: Gift of reason 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.

• Free will: The ability of choice that individuals are responsible

Abortion

The deliberate termination of a pregnancy by killing the unborn child, which the Catholic Church is against because it is killing a human person.

Natural Family Planning (NFP)

Learning one’s menstrual patterns in order to identify fertile/ infertile days to prevent getting pregnant by picking infertile times to have sex.

• Promoted by the Church

• Growing awareness of own body and respecting it, as well as growing in communication with your spouse instead of suppressing the body’s natural processes

In Vitro Fertilization

an assisted reproductive technology that combines sperm and eggs, which have been removed from the parents bodies, in a lab where they fertilize to make an embryo, which is then implanted into the uterus leading to pregnancy when the embryo attaches to the uterine wall. 

• Catholic Church has issues with this because it is forcing something that should be from intimacy (3rd party instead of 2 people). The “best” sperm is used, so you're selecting genetics (playing God). Plus, if not all fertilized eggs are used, then you’re “throwing out” a person. 

NaPro Technology

Meaning natural procreative technology, it uses the Creighton Model Fertility Method to understand a woman’s fertility schedule and then attempts to treat underlying reproductive problems. 

• Church promotes this because it attempts to fix the root of the problem, which can lead to an easier time getting pregnant, instead of making a baby unnaturally. 

STEM cells

Unique cells that have the potential to reproduce themselves as different human tissues and organs

• Embryonic: Undifferentiated cells harvested from the embryo, terminating their life, and therefore Catholics are against it

• Cord blood: Undifferentiated cells harvest from the umbilical cord of a newborn baby, causing no harm, so the Church supports it

• Adult: Undifferentiated cells harvested from a person who has been born, causing no harm, so Church supports

Prenatal testing

Various medical tests offered to pregnant women to assess the health of the fetus and identify potential risks or conditions. The Catholic Church is against this because it often leads to the abortion of a child with potential issues.

Physician assisted suicide

A physician helps someone commit suicide, but doesn’t participate in the deadly act.

• Ex. Physician writing prescription for deadly dose of drugs that a patient self-admisters

• Ex. Canada’s MAiD program

Euthanasia

To deliberately cause the death of a human being with the intention of ending their suffering

• Ex. a physician administering a lethal injection

Ordinary vs. Extraordinary means of care

• Ordinary means: Food, shelter, palliative care, etc.

  • Catholic Church says may not be legitimately interrupted

• Extraordinary means ex.: Ventilator

  • Catholic church believes burdensome, extraordinary or dangerous means disproportionate to the expected outcomes can be discontinued, as long as death is not willed

• Painkillers to relieve suffering is moral and aligns with human dignity even if it shortens life, as long as it is only tolerated as inevitable and death is not willed

• Palliative care is special charity and should be encouraged

Death punishment/ capital punishment

The infliction by due legal process of the penalty of death as punishment for a crime

• Goes against principles of non maleficence, non contradiction, natural rights, etc.

• Jesus says to love your enemy and asked God to forgive those crucifying when he was on the cross

• Catholic Church originally taught the death penalty was permissible if non-lethal means weren’t sufficient to protect people’s safety, but in 2018 Pope Francis said death penalty attacks a person’s inviolability and dignity and therefore the Church is against it

Legitimate Defense

Limited violence is morally acceptable in defending yourself or your nation from attack

• Harming aggressor must be last resort

• Intention must not be to kill

Just War Theory

• St. Augustine was 1st promoter, discussing right intention and a just cause

• Just ad bellum (right to war) refers to whether war is just to beign with, including just cause, right inetntion, last resort, etc.

• Just in bello (right conduct in war) refers to principles that govern how war should be fought, including proportionality, only attacking combatants and minimization

Consistent Ethic of Life

Catholic teaching that ALL 5th Commandment issues are interconnected and rooted in the same principle- all human life is sacred and precious to God, so we have a moral obligation to defend the defenseless/ most vulnerable members of our society

• Ex. Can’t be pro-life, but support the death penalty

• Developed by Cardinal Robert Bernardin

• AKA the seamless garment

Culture of Life vs. Culture of Death

• Culture of Life: Societies which hold all life sacred from conception to natural death and build structures that protect human life in all stages

  • Pope St. John Paul II challenged all societies to be like this

• Culture of Death:Society that denies that human life is sacred in all its stages

Levels of Happiness

Level 1: Physical pleasure and possessions

• Crisis: Feelings of living beneath self, boredom, loneliness

Level 2: Ego gratification

• Crisis: Comparison traps leads to jealousy, fear of failure, ego sensitivity, blame, bitterness, contempt, resentment, inferiority, superiority, etc. and life becomes aggressive competition

Level 3: Good beyond self

• Crisis: Frustration/ despair that the world isn’t different because we can’t achieve perfect transcendentals

Level 4: Ultimate Good (God as priority)

• Crisis: Feeling we’re not worthy of God’s unconditional love, feelings of abandonment by God

In relation to life issues:

• Abortion: How there life may be negatively impacted (level 1 and 2) vs. trusting in God’s plan and bringing the most vulnerable into the world and caring for them (level 4 and 3)

• Physician assisted suicide: Not being able to do what they desire (levels 1 and 2) vs. trusting in God and living for others as long as they can (levels 4 and 3)

• Capital punishment: Revenge (level 2) vs. forgiving one’s enemy as Jesus did (levels 3 and 4)

Sacraments of Initatiation

Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist

Sacraments of Healing

Penance/ Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick

Sacraments of Service

Matrimony and Holy Orders

Baptism

Washing away of original, venial and mortal sin, adopting us into God’s family/ uniting us with Christ/ giving us an indelible character that marks us as Christ’s own

• Only receive once

• Ordinary minister: deacon, priest or bishop

Confirmation

Booster of baptism; strengthens outpouring of the Spirit in us; personal Pentecost in U.S. Catholic Churches

• Only receive once

• Ordinary minister: Bishop

  • Priests are allowed to confirm with the blessing of the Bishop

Eucharist

“To give thanks”

Both the Mass and the consecrated species of bread and wine, celebrating our salvation through Paschal Mystery

• Helps us enter the saving events of the Lord’s Death and Resurrection

• Receive as often as you can when in a state of grace

Penance and Reconcilliation

“To restore to union;””to put together again”

Expressing/ feeling true contrition, confessing all sins, listening to the priests counsel and doing penance

• Receive as often as you can

• Ordinary minister: priest, bishop

Anointing of the Sick

Sacrament of healing and sacrament to prepare those who are dying, helping suffering people unite their suffering to the Passion and Death of Jesus

• Contains penance/ reconciliation and eucharist (viaticum (Eucharist given to person in danger of death w/ or w/out anointing of the sick))

• Can receive multiple times

Matrimony

Marriage of love meant to be

• Co-creators with God

• Unity and Procreation

• Domestic Church (educate your children about God)

• Ordinary ministers: deacon, priest, bishop

Holy Orders

Deacons, priests and bishops whose mission is to build up and guide the Church and represent Christ

• Act “in persona Christi” (in the person of christ; representative of Christ when giving sacraments)

• Celibacy (priest and bishops)

• Ordinary minister: bishop

Sacrament

Efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us.

Grace

A participation in the life of God; “the free, undeserved help that God gives us to respond to HIs call to become children of God”

Efficacious

Capable of producing a desired effect

Form

Traditional words used for the sacraments

Ex. “I do” in marriage ceremony

Ex. Long consecratory prayer of the ordination ceremony to become a member of the Holy Orders

Matter

Traditional physical element(s) and/or gestures used in the sacraments

Ex. Mutual consent of the coup and their promise to live together as husband and wife in a lifelong union

Ex. In Member of Holy Orders initiation: baptized male, oil and laying on of hands

Sacramental Worldview

Someone with this view is filled with gratitude and awe for their blessings, views the world as a gift from God, strives to discover God in all things and serves as a sacrament for others.

Baptism of blood

Unbaptized Christian able to attain forgiveness of sin and experience God’s saving mercy through martyrdom

Baptism of desire

Catechumen who dies before being baptized can receive forgiveness of sin and experience saving mercy

Threefold mission of Christ

Priest: Holy people, connection between God and people

Prophet: Share God’s message

King: You and everyone are part of God’s kingdom

Source and summit of the Christian life

Eucharist

Contrition

State of feeling remorseful and pentient

Perfect contrition

Heartfelt sorrow for sins committed along with the intention of sinning no more because we love God and want to be in relationship with Him.

Imperfect contrition

Contrition with motives other than that of perfect contrition, such as common decency, fear of Hell, etc. Your sins are still forgiven because of God’s grace, but you are not changed as much as in perfect contrition.

3 conditions of a mortal sin

Grave matter (seriously violation of God’s law), full knowledge (that what you’re doing is wrong) and full consent (freely and deliberately choosing to do the act)

Concupiscence

Human tendency to sin, like lust, stemming from original sin

Examination of Conscience

Reflection on past sins often before reconciliation

Absolution

The prayer by which a priest, by the power given to the Church by Jesus Christ, absolves a repentant sinner

Penitent

Person who admits their sins, is truly sorry for having sinned and wishes to be restored to the good graces of God and the Church

Pentecost

In relation to confirmation, the receivement of the Gift of the Holy Spirt, leading to strength to spread and defend the faith in word and deed

Jesus teaching on suffering

• Jesus prayed for his persecutors, demonstrating love in time of sufferings

  • Suffering is a part of Jesus

  • Jesus suffered the ultimate sacrifice

• You are not alone in your suffering

• Suffering is an opportunity to learn

• Suffering on earth is nothing compared to eternal life in heaven

Divine Retribution

Supernatural punishment or consequence administered by a deity for specific actions, behaviors, or beliefs, often seen as a manifestation of divine justice. Catholic Church does NOT believe in this.

Vatican II’s impact on anointing of the sick

Made it a sacrament of healing and a sacrament to prepare those who are dying, instead of just the critically ill or dying/ extreme unction.

Viaticum

Eucharist given to a person in danger of death w/ or w/out the anointing of the sick

Last Rites

Set of rituals and prayers performed in the Catholic Church for a person who is in danger of death

• Anointing of the sick can be a part of this

Primordial Sacrament

Jesus is this because he is “God with us,” and the first/ primary efficacious sign of God’s presence.

Degrees of the Sacrament of Holy Orders

Deacon, priest, bishop

Genesis 2:24

“Therefore a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of the become one flesh”

• Intercourse is part of matrimony

• Should be co-creators with God

Theological themes of the 7 sacraments

• Baptism: Initiation

• Confirmation: Strengthening of faith

• Eucharist: Spiritual nourishment and memorial of Christ’s sacradice

• Penance: healing and restoration

• Anointing of the Sick: Spiritual and physical healing

• Holy Orders: Ordination

• Matrimony: Sacred union of a couple

Explain how one’s relationship with Jesus Christ, as nourished by the sacraments, can make a difference in the pursuit of living a good life. Provide concrete examples of how each sacrament can contribute to one’s pursuit of holiness and living a good life.

• Grace: A participation in the life of God; “the free, undeserved help that God gives us to respond to His call to become children of God”

• 7 sacraments

  • Baptism

    • Cleanses of all sin

    • Grafts us onto Christ (adopts us into God’s family)

    • Sacramental character (indeblible mark)

    • Gives you gifts of holy spirit ()

    • Mission of priest, prophet and king

  • Confirmation

    • “Personal Pentecost”

      • Promises, name, godparents (sponsor) for yourself

    • Renewal of graces of baptism

  • Eucharist

    • ”To give thanks”

      • Helps show gratitude to God

    • Meditate of Paschal Mystery

    • Receive real presence of Christ

    • Spiritual food for the week (nourishes spirit)

    • Hearing the word of God in scripture

    • Connecting w/ others in communion

    • Forgives venial sins 

  • Penance/ Reconciliation

    • Forgives sin

    • Reflection/ helps you understand yourself (examination of conscience)

    • Acknowledge wrongdoing

    • Resolve to do better

    • Restores relationship with God 

    • Penance can restore relationship with others

  • Anointing of the Sick

    • Spiritual strengthen for a person in their time of need

      • Can give peace and strength for journey to eternal life

      • Join their suffering to Christ’s

        • Shows their not alone 

      • Often gives family peace too

    • Provides strength of the sacraments they receive (penance/reconciliation and Eucharist) 

  • Matrimony

    • Spouse and kids teach you self-sacrifice, love, patience, commitment, etc. helping you grow in virtue

  • Holy Orders

    • Personal spiritual growth

    • Help others grow in faith

      • Makes sacraments available to the faithful

      • Witness of devoting lives to Christ and service to others

    • Virtue and sacrifice 

      • Celibacy