Religion 11 Final Exam Review - Catholic Morality

Sources of Catholic Morality

  • Catholic Morality Definition: This is a body of knowledge based on three pillars: human experience, reason, and God’s revelation. Its purpose is to help individuals discover what they ought to do to live fully human lives.
  • Three Main Sources:
    • Human Reason: Utilizing our God-given intellects to understand the world and our actions.
    • Human Experience: Drawing from the collective wisdom of others, both those currently living and those who have died.
    • Divine Revelation: Relying on the teachings of God as they are found in the scriptures and the official teachings of the Catholic Church.

Key Terms and Concepts in Catholic Morality

  • Conscience: A God-instilled faculty in every person used to decide the goodness or sinfulness of an action. It is defined as a judgement of reason where a person recognizes the moral quality of a concrete act before, during, or after its completion.
  • Character: Defined as who we really are and who we are becoming through the choices we make and the actions we take.
  • Discernment: A decision-making process that deliberately attends to the implications and consequences of an action or choice. This process inherently includes prayer.
  • Discern: The act of trying to find the right course of action by identifying God’s will and the best possible path.
  • Determinism: A philosophical stance arguing that free will does not exist and is merely an illusion.
  • Dignity: The quality of being worthy of esteem or respect. Because every person is made in God’s image, every person has inherent value and worth in God's eyes.
  • Freedom: The power, rooted in reason and will, that enables a person to perform deliberate actions on their own responsibility. The "degree of freedom" refers to the different options available to a person in specific circumstances.
  • Free Will: The power that allows us to be the master of our own actions.
  • Imago Dei: A Latin phrase meaning being made in the "image and likeness of God."
  • Magisterium: The official teaching authority of the Catholic Church.
  • Original Sin: The consequence of the sin committed by Adam and Eve; it is removed through the sacrament of Baptism.
  • Nihilism: A philosophy that claims existence has no meaning, rejects all positive values, and believes in nothing.
  • Vocation: The act of living out God’s specifically intended plan for one's life.
  • Virtues: Good habits or traits that serve to bring us closer to God and others.
  • Vices: Bad habits or traits that move us further away from God and others.
  • Mortal Sin: A sin that completely breaks and severs the relationship between the individual, God, and others.
  • Venial Sin: A sin that damages but does not necessarily destroy the relationship with God and others.
  • Means: A method, instrument, or course of action used to accomplish something.

Freedom and Its Impediments

Freedom is the basis of moral responsibility, but it can be hindered by several factors:

  • Ignorance: Not knowing what should or should not be done.
  • Inadvertence: Not paying attention or being distracted while acting.
  • Duress: Occurs when someone else tries to force us to do something against our will.
  • Fear: An emotion triggered by the anticipation or awareness of danger.
  • Limitations to Freedom:
    • Internal Limitations: Factors within ourselves that limit choice, such as fear or addiction.
    • External Limitations: Factors outside ourselves that destroy or threaten the power of choice, such as poverty or tyranny.
    • Other Categories: Moral decisions are also analyzed based on Physical, Emotional, and Intellectual limitations.

The Hierarchy and Types of Law

St. Thomas Aquinas defined law as being: reasonable, for the common good, from competent authority, and promulgated (announced so all are expected to know it).

  • Moral Law: God’s loving plan for His creatures, summarized by the love of God and neighbor. Violations (hatred, indifference, blasphemy) lead to sin and a need for repentance.
  • Natural Law: The light of understanding placed in humans by God. It helps us understand the laws of the natural world.
    • Preservation of Life: Human life is sacred. Murder or abortion violates this and leads to legal penalties or societal condemnation.
    • Living in Society: Humans are made for community. Acts like fraud or corruption harm the common good and result in loss of trust or legal fines.
  • Revealed Law: Laws found in scripture.
    • Old Law (Mosaic Law): The Ten Commandments given to Moses. Breaking these results in spiritual harm and loss of grace.
    • New Law (Law of the Gospel): Emphasized in the Beatitudes, focusing on love, grace, and the Holy Spirit. Failure to love enemies or seek holiness results in spiritual harm.
  • Civil Law: Laws originating from the government to govern civilians.
    • Traffic Laws: Ensure public safety. Violations (speeding, DUI) lead to fines or imprisonment.
    • Contract Laws: Resolve disputes fairly. Violations (non-payment) lead to legal action.
  • Canon Law: Also known as Church Law, these are the official rules governing the Catholic Church.
    • Sacramental Rules: e.g., only a validly ordained priest can celebrate the Eucharist. Receiving communion in a state of mortal sin is a violation with consequences like invalidity or excommunication.
    • Governance of Clergy: Rules on duties and property. Mismanaging funds can lead to removal from office.

Principles of Catholic Social Teaching (CST)

  • Subsidiarity: A higher unit of society should not perform tasks that a lower unit can do as well or better.
  • Solidarity: The principle calling people to help everyone in society who is in need, recognizing we are one human family.
  • Human Dignity: No one should be hurt, violated, or disrespected; it is inherent to every person.
  • Common Good: Pursuit of what is best for every single member of society.
  • Preferential Option for the Poor: The call to look out for the poorest and most vulnerable first.
  • Economic Justice: The economy must serve the people; workers have rights to fair wages, safe conditions, and productive work.

The Virtues: Theological and Cardinal

  • Theological Virtues (Gifts from God):
    • Faith: Enables belief in God and all He has revealed through the Church.
    • Hope: Enables the desire for heaven and eternal life, trusting in Christ's promises.
    • Charity (Love): The greatest virtue; empowers us to love God above all and neighbors as ourselves. Even includes loving enemies.
  • Cardinal Virtues (Human / Hinge Virtues):
    • Prudence: "Right reason in action"; involves responsible decision-making.
    • Justice: Giving God and each person their due by right.
    • Fortitude: Courage to persist in the Christian life; often called "spiritual guts."
    • Temperance: Moderation in physical pleasures; fights vices like greed, gluttony, and lust.

Aspects of Moral Decision Making

To determine the right course of action, one must analyze three components:

  • Moral Object: The quality of the action itself—is it directed toward the true good?
  • Intention: The specific aim or objective of the course of action.
  • Circumstances: The setting of the action, which can determine the degree of responsibility or fault.
  • The Golden Rule of Action: We must always ask how our proposed actions will affect others.

Jesus as the Moral Guide

  • Actions of Jesus:
    • Washing the Feet: A task for slaves that Jesus performed for His disciples to demonstrate the call to serve others.
    • Forgiveness on the Cross: Jesus asked the Father to forgive those crucifying Him, showing that we are called to forgive even those who commit serious wrongs.
  • Teachings from the Sermon on the Mount:
    • The Beatitudes: Found at the start of the Sermon, these include promises for the poor in spirit, the clean of heart, peacemakers, the meek, those who mourn, those who hunger for righteousness, the persecuted, and the merciful.
    • The Golden Rule: "Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them."
    • Turn the Other Cheek: Do not respond to violence with more violence.
    • Love Thy Enemies: Love even those who do not love you and pray for persecutors.

Life Issues in Evangelium Vitae

Pope John Paul II identified several "threats to life" that prioritize personal comfort over human dignity, contributing to a "culture of death."

  • Threats Identified: Abortion (killing innocent in the womb), Euthanasia (elimination of suffering through death), Suicide, Contraception/Sterilization (acting against openness to life), and social issues like poverty, hunger, and war.
  • Key Arguments:
    • Intrinsic Evil: Depriving an innocent human of life is always morally evil and can never be a means to a good end.
    • Equality: Every human has an equal right to life; people are persons, not objects to be used.
    • Devaluation of Life: Attacks on life cloud the conscience and make it hard to distinguish good from evil.
    • Distortion of Medicine: Acts against life violate the medical professional's oath to "do no harm."
  • Protecting Life: Actions include education (DNA evidence shows unique life at conception), political commitment (supporting pro-life legislation), and challenging the culture.

Addressing Social Injustices: Racism, Poverty, and War

  • Racism:
    • Causes: Distorted belief in superiority, lack of education/prejudice, and fear of "otherness."
    • Solution: Promoting a culture of dialogue.
    • CST Relation: Contradicts Solidarity (promotes division), Human Dignity (denies equality), and the Common Good (prevents participation).
  • Poverty:
    • Causes: Structural barriers (unequal access to resources), unequal distribution of wealth between nations, and lack of access to integral development (education/training).
    • Solution: Promoting integral development and job creation through government policy.
    • CST Relation: Violates Human Dignity (deprives human flourishing) and Subsidiarity (requires local and large-scale coordination).
  • War:
    • Causes: Economic/social inequalities, breakdown of social structures, and lack of vigilance by leaders.
    • Solution: Establishment of a properly ordered society that upholds justice.
    • CST Relation: War should be a last resort. Governments have a duty to defend against aggression, but only to restore justice.

Additional Moral Guidelines

  • The Paschal Mystery: Jesus' passion, death, and resurrection freed us from sin and showed us how to live in forgiveness.
  • Excellence: Virtuosity and human excellence are connected; more virtue leads to higher excellence.
  • Responsibility: Free will is inherently tied to responsibility.
  • Inherent Dignity: Human dignity cannot be earned or lost; it is inherent.
  • Moral Imperfection: People can make mistakes and still remain ethical.
  • Mass and Sin: Only venial sins are forgiven during the Penitential Act at the beginning of Mass.
  • Sacrament of Reconciliation: Requires confession, contrition, absolution, and penance to accept God's mercy.