Who am I? What is Christian Morality?
This is our moral fundamental question. Morality is about moral
striving to become the kind of person we are and we want to be.
Our identity determines our actions, decisions, choices, etc. Think
about this:
ALL OUR MAJOR DECISIONS OR ACTIONS ARE DETERMINED
BY OUR VERY OWN IDENTITY
Ex.
IDENTITY ACTION/MISSION
STUDENT STUDY
HUMAN BEING LIVE FULLY AS HUMAN
CHRISTIAN LIVE AS CHRIST LIVED
Simply put, our identity determines our actions.
Our identity — humanity — human nature — is grounded on the
One who created us. We are created as “God’s image and
likeness”. With this our life commitment as Christians or as
believers is always an act of faith in the context of our moral living,
in every choices we make.
Our Christian commitment then is always a commitment
to BE and DO the GOOD.
Nothing else, No one else is the NORM of what is good, but
GOD. God is good!
But what is NORM?
Norm means a principle, standard for:
(1) reflection
(2) judgment
(3) action
Thus, the word “morality” by its origin mean a norm. Morality
in Latin, “moralitas” means a body of
standards or principles derived from a code of conduct from a
particular philosophy, religion or culture.
A standard is that which we believe that is good and/or to be good
not just for own self but as well for others, for all. It has a universal
value. That means, it is true, just, right and good to anyone, to all.
That is why, in what we do there should always be a certain degree
of an “oughtness" (“goodness” or “rightness”) in it. Mga bagay na
hindi lang DAPAT gawin, kundi KARAPAT-DAPAT ("oughtness).
That what makes our act universal.
Thus, the word MORALITY refers to the standards by which we
judge our actions to be good or evil.
And thus, CHRISTIAN MORALITY refers to the standards by which
we judge our actions to be good or evil in accordance to our
Christian faith. It aims to help us grow in the knowledge and love of
God in order to be as Christ-like as possible.
In concrete reality, CHRISTIAN MORALITY is following Christ who
manifest in his life the fundamental norm or law, that is, love. Love
for God, love for others.
What are the characteristics of Christian Morality?
Affects first the person and then the action
Morally good lives make sense to others and are seen as worthy of
imitation.
Morality transforms first the soul and then the moral appearance
It is evident that it is the interior of a person, the heart, that the
moral life is forged.
Encompasses the attitudes of the person
Good moral habits are founded on good personal habits
Accounts for what is forbidden, but stresses more what ought to be
done
People have the moral obligation to avoid human sins and if
possible, prevent these evils.
Requires not only just actions, but also holiness
It is a morality for freedom — God respects human freedom that he
will not force a person to do something contrary to his will
It is fulfilled on earth, but it pertains to the next life
It is a mistake to think that, because we have here no lasting city,
but seek the city which is to come, we are entitled to shirk our
earthly responsibilities
Finds its beginning and end in love
As Christ said: “Love one another as I have loved you” (1 Jn. 4:7-
11)
Finds nourishment in the Holy Eucharist and the sacraments
The Holy Mass occupies the unique place to which all of the other
sacraments are ordained, the greatest treasure of the Church.
DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHIES
OF THE HUMAN PERSON
There are many ways to view the human person, who he is in
relation to his or her very self, others and Transcendent being, God.
MODERN WORLD VIEWPOINTS
The modern world also views the human person in a different way,
however, through the lens of (1) advertising and the (2) the world of
business and politics.
Advertising...
What the markets sell is a temporary image for one to be
acceptable, to belong, to feel “in”, to “feel good”.
There is nothing wrong with that, but if it becomes the “norm” it is
something else that we need to be critical about; If the emphasis of
beauty, of human nature, becomes the external rather than the
internal
Another is the....
World of Business and Politics
For the world of business money rules, “money is king.” No wonder
in the Philippines running for public office through election has
become a family affair.
The sad reality of this view is that happiness is equated with
“buying” and with what you buy. And so the mantra is: “Buy
everything, buy everyone.” By buying you have the sense of control
over everyone, over everything as long as you “have.”
_________^^^^^_________^^^^^________^^^^^________^^^^^^__
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DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHIES
Aside from the modern world viewpoints about the human person,
we can also see the human person from other viewpoints
or philosophies.
This is the Oriental view also known as Buddhism
Here we see the human person submitting him/herself to
the powers flowing in the universe and let these powers control
him/her.
The proponent of this philosophy is: the Buddha, Siddharta
Gautama
This is Hedonism.
This the philosophy of those who seek a life of pleasure. For them,
everything is a game. This philosophy espoused through
advertisements, commercials.
This is Communism.
In this philosophy, the individual has worth only to the degree that
s/he helps the interests of the state. The State ensures the safety
and protection of the individual. It aims to create a classless
society.
The proponent of this is: Karl Marx
This is Individualism/Liberalism
In the field of philosophy, this also called as atheistic existentialism.
This philosophy espouses that each person is radically alone and
separated from all others.
Proponent of individualism is Jean-Paul Sarte
This is Nihilism.
This philosophy maintains that human person can not find meaning
(within). For this philosophy life is absurd. It rejects all religious and
moral principles because life is meaningless. It leads to relying on
material wealth for temporary happiness
This philosophy was conceived in the aftermath of Great
Depression (1929-1939).
THE HUMAN PERSON:
CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
There is no better source to ground our understanding of the
human person, about who we are than the Creation Account or
story:
“Then God said: ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle,
and over all the wild animals and all creatures that crawl on the ground.”
“God created man in His image; in the divine image He created him; Male and Female
He created them God blessed them, saying:
‘Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the
sea, the birds of the air,
and all the living things that move on the earth.”
“And so it happened. God looked at everything He had made, and He found it very
good.”
The essential point here is that God created man and woman in his
image and likeness (Imago Dei). As image and likeness s/he has
both BODY (Physical) and SOUL (Spirit).
This means s/he has REASON and FREEDOM.
Reason, because s/he is capable to understand; and freedom,
because s/he is capable of directing himself/herself “to do good” as
God wills.
In these powers, human being can become the best in God’s
creation. And when these powers used to the purpose of God, it
promotes one’s dignity.
The first characteristic being God's image is that human person by
nature is GOOD like the One he created him. And thus, he is...
1. HUMAN PERSON IS ESSENTIALLY GOOD
“God looked at everything He had made, and He found it good.”
(Gen. 1:31)
Man is born with natural inclination to do good and avoid evil and
with the capacity to distinguish between right and wrong by virtue of
his reason and will.
By what human person does as an image of God he reflects God’s
goodness. The more the person acts according to the way he
reflects the Creator. This is how challenging the responsibility of the
human person is. And he needs the strength of faith and the will to
really live up to the challenge. But there is no other recognition we
could have than making us God's very own image.
We always have to recognize this very identity by making sense of
our life and moral living for we are God's crowning glory. No one
can erase and deny that.
And because we are essentially good, we are also...
2. HUMAN PERSON IS FREE (NOTION ABOUT FREEDOM)
By the virtue of his being God's very own image, man is endowed
with freedom.
But what is freedom?
The classic definition that of St. Thomas of Aquinas, a doctor of the
Church, is still relevant. He defines freedom as:
"Power rooted in reason and will"
This means that man has the freedom to act or not to act, to do this
or that, and to perform deliberate actions anchored to one’s
responsibility (by reason and will)
If we mean freedom as power it could mean two things, it is
a power:
to be (n. state of being); and
to do (v. an act).
As said, our identity or state of being defines or determines our
action, and our actions form our identity, being. And so, the
challenge is to be truly and authentically free.
And thus, freedom is always at the service of what is good and just.
And that what makes it authentic. No one should act contrary to
one's will and informed reason.
According to Dignitatis Humana: “... people should act on their own
judgment, enjoying and making use of responsible freedom, not
driven by coercion but motivated by sense of duty (to what is
good).”
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC): “... it is not ‘the right
to say and do anything’ but to ‘do good.’” For freedom has a
relational or communal dimension. It means that what I do freely
and willingly does not hinder everyone from doing their own. And
that what I do also makes them free as I am.
Freedom is not Unli.../it is limited
It is limited because it should only be exercised within the
parameters of moral law, moral good, God's command. Any
exercise of freedom contrary to the moral law, moral good, and
God's commands is a limit in itself.
“Man is certainly free, inasmuch as he can understand and accept
God’s commands. But his freedom is not unlimited.” Human
freedom finds its authentic and complete fulfillment precisely in the
acceptance of God's commands.
What is freedom in the Scriptures?
In the Old Testament, on one hand, freedom is associated to God’s
law, the Ten Commandments or the Decalogue (Ex. 20: 1-17; Dt 5:
6-21)
By keeping God’s law, our basic freedoms to life, honor, properties,
marriage, etc. are protected.
We are summoned by God's command to love God, to love others.
By doing so, we live freely as a people like what the people of God
did. Loving God and loving others are conditions of being free.
Freedom is relational.
In the New Testament, on the other hand, freedom is living in or
following of Christ.
In Christ , we see how to truly love God and others. Jesus calls us
to true freedom — to love freely as manifested in his life, in the
Paschal mystery (suffering, death and resurrection). Christ invites
us all to the fullness of graced life and freedom, that is;
Freedom from: conditions, attitudes, and acts that hinder us from
following him
Freedom for: growing in Christ’s likeness
Following Christ is not easy, not a “walk in the park”. There are
always obstacles present: internal and external
Internal threats: negative habits or vices, fears, doubts, disordered
desires, prejudices, and ignorance
External threats: forces or realities in our community that influence
us to act in a self-centered way
To withstand these threats, we have to be always grounded in the
Truth, to remain in Christ, he said:
“If you remain in my word, you will know the truth, and the truth will
set you free” (Jn. 8: 31-32)
What is this truth? It refers to what Christ has revealed about who
we are and what we should do through his life, his teachings,
Paschal mystery
St. Paul challenges us:
“For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit
again to the yoke of slavery... For you were called for freedom...
But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather,
serve one another through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one
statement, namely, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself...’ I
say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the
desire of the flesh.” (Gal. 5: 1, 13-14, 16)
Freedom as we experience it
In a day to day basis, how do we really experience freedom? Moral
theologians point out two levels or aspects of experiencing
freedom: our freedom of choice (or moral choices) and (2)
fundamental freedom.
(1) Freedom of Choice
It is a freedom in terms of a choice, freedom to choose or do a
particular among others. But these free choices are founded on the
moral good, founded in truth, acted out in charity/love.
Example, every morning you have a choice not go to school, but
still you choose to. It is because you believe that to study is a
morally good act, and that it is founded on the truth of your very
identity that you are a student, and your primary duty is to study.
You are doing it out of love for yourself, your parents or those
people who sponsor your schooling.
St. Thomas Aquinas states that “it is through free choice that
human person are masters of their action.” Doing and deciding for
ourselves freely and morally we become the masters of these acts.
Council of Trent also states the same point: “Human persons are to
choose... to become the persons that they want to be” as well as
the Vatican II: “Free choice is an exceptional sign of the divine
image within human persons.”
And what is fundamental freedom?
(2) Fundamental Freedom
It is the freedom in terms of “who we are”. Moral theologians say
this is our basic stance or fundamental freedom for self-
determination. It is fundamental because it is the person’s basic
option underlying all his particular moral choices. This is the
freedom “I am or I become” through the moral choices I make.
If I believe that I am essentially good because I am God's image
then my fundamental stance (or stand, paninindigan) is that I have
to be and do the good, make good moral choices. It is never my
option to be and do contrary to fundamental identity or freedom I
have. It is never my option to submit myself to sinning of grave
matter like; killing, abortion, stealing, destroying others' reputation,
etc.
According to Joseph Boyle, a moral theologian, fundamental
freedom “is exercised at the very core of human person, the locus
of self-determination and moral responsibility."
The exercise of fundamental freedom usually happens in a life-
turning decisions or actions. To choose a career by choosing a
course and/or life vocations, like; priesthood or religious life,
married life and single blessedness are good examples. Decision-
making here happens at the very core of one's life. His or her
decision would be starting point of his or her life's direction, way of
life.
Freedom of choice and fundamental freedom mutually influence
each other. Our free choices shape our fundamental freedom, and
our fundamental freedom remains the single most determining
factor of our individual choices. Example: doing school work
honestly and diligently makes an honest and hardworking persons.
The challenge for us is to integrate our fundamental freedom
(identity) and freedom of choice (moral choices, acts).
How to grow in freedom
To grow in freedom entails a lifetime commitment to following
Christ. In our particular situation, we begin to:
More acutely aware of how we freely choose and act
Act in a way that considers the welfare of others
Reflect on and identifying our personal values
Nurture our life of prayer
Freedom and Responsibility
“The more one does what is good, the freer one becomes.”
Freedom as power entails responsibility. The freedom to be, the
freedom to do holds us accountable and so we are responsible of
our acts and choices.
And that responsible freedom leads us to the fruits of the Holy
Spirit:
Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Generosity. Faithfulness. G
entleness. Self-control
3. HUMAN PERSON IS SOCIAL BY NATURE
"No man is an island," an old adage says. We can not live alone.
We need other people. And that is the reality.
We are social beings by the virtue of the following reasons:
o BY others (conception, birth, upbringing)
o WITH others (family, friends, neighbors)
o FOR others (love and service)
And so, we have to build first with
Relationship with oneself.
As image of God and if God is a God of relationship (the very
meaning of the Holy Trinity), we have to have a healthy relationship
with ourselves first and foremost. We have to affirm that we are
God's image, not copy-cuts, but real. We have to nurture self-love
so we can give love also to others. Simply because, we can not
give if we don't have. And so we expand this relationship with,
Relationship with others
This relationship is built on friendship, but it does not stop there. It
should move to solidarity. It means that we see in them the same
human dignity that God endowed in us. Human dignity makes us all
equal and one, one and same human nature. And so humanity is
one solid organism. The affliction of one is the affliction of another.
The joy of one is also the joy of another. In the Catholic Church
teaching, the best expression of solidarity is love. And love is not
just a feeling of affection towards another but rather action that is
born out of love of another as brothers and sisters and as friends.
The challenge of this relationship based on solidarity is that we
always need to live in social groups with appropriate structures.
Structures that are worthy of man or woman with human dignity.
Structures that are founded on truth and justice. Part of the
challenge is to right what is wrong in some structures. It is only us,
human persons as moral agent, who can do that.
And this relationship shall challenge us together as a community of
persons to build a healthy...
Relationship with nature
At the base of this relationship is found in the vocation we have as
the first in God's creation, that is, to render "responsible dominion"
over all of God's creation. We are the stewards. We are responsible
for what have have received. After all, it is always God’s
prerogative to take away what God has given us.
We have to keep in mind some of the principles in our duty of
responsible dominion or accountable stewardship towards God's
creation.
All things are meant for man/woman’s use and service
Not to do with these things as we please, but to use these
things reasonably and responsibly to satisfy our needs according to
God’s plans
Life is a gift; it has to be lived to its fullest, potentials; reach its
perfection
Pope Francis, in his first encyclical (letter) now known as, Laudato
Si ("Care for our Common Home) is a good resource for us to see
and evaluate how far we have been in our duty as stewards and
efforts in promoting and protecting the integrity of creation.
Watch this short video.
All these relationships we have should lead us to ...
Relationship with God
This relationship we have with God is born out of our being God's
image. With that, we are called to perfection. And this perfection is
not the perfection because of meeting the standards but by and in
love and in loving, the way God has loved us in the cross and is
loving us in the many failures we have and in the joys we celebrate
each day of our life. His love is unconditional.
4. HUMAN PERSON IS REDEEMED IN CHRIST
Who am I?
The answer to this question is founded on Christ, on how he
redeems the dignity of the human person from sin to grace through
the Paschal mystery (passion, death and resurrection).
The Catechism of the Catholic Church: “By his passion Christ
delivered us from Satan and from sin. His grace restores what sin
had damaged in us.”
Also,
John Paul II says: “Jesus, in his very person, fulfills the law, brings
it to perfection, and reveals to man his/her noble calling."
Thus, moral life ultimately means following Christ to a life perfected
in love and a life dignified because of the goodness of our acts and
in the sincerity of relationships. Through and by this, we are called
to be Alter Christus.
HUMAN ACTS
In Christian morality the human person is regarded as
the subject (doer, actor). This means, he is the moral agent. As
said, "the human person with his or her intellect and free will, is the
moral agent." All the aspects of the human person and his or her
acts (done with knowledge and freedom and the full consent of
the will) are under the scrutiny of Christian morality
What is a human act?
A human act (L. actus humanus) is any thought, word, deed,
desire, or omission which comes from a person acting with full
knowledge of what s/he is doing, who is free to act or to refrain from
action, and who gives full assent to his/her will to act.
Another way to define it:
Human act is an action that proceeds from insight into the nature
and purpose of one’s doing and from the consent of free will.
Here are the examples of the human acts:
Thinking. Loving. Reading. Studying. Praying. Reciting in class.
Serving. Volunteering.
Human act is different from Act of Man (L. actus hominis)
Act of man is performed without the intervention of intellect and free
will. It comprised all spontaneous biological and sensual processes
Therefore,
Act of man is not deliberate, involuntary, not free, not under one’s
control and beyond the mind and the will. Human act is. It is not
subject to moral scrutiny, only human act.
What are then the constituent principles governing the human acts?
Knowledge
A person cannot will without prior knowledge of what the object is
concerned with.
Voluntariness
Voluntariness of the human act is determined by the will of the
agent (intention of the agent)
What makes an act voluntary?
What is “willed” is both the object (desire, intention) and
the effect of the will (acted, caused what is desired)
Freedom
With knowledge and full consent of the will, a person ought to act
freely
Watch this video to sum up the discussion.
This another video reminds us that every act, every ramdom act of
kindness forms our very person. What do we get from doing morally
good human act? It is not just positive emotions; being appreciated,
felt love, happiness, deepened understanding of humanity, etc.,
rather the building up of iur character, the complete sense of being
human as God's image, that we are essentially good, free, social in
nature and redeemed in Christ.