1.9 Natural law and Catholic attitude towards sciences

Question 1

What is natural law?

Answer 1

Natural law refers to the idea that hymans are born with an understanding of what is right and wrong - the moral principles inherent to all humans

Question 2

What does natural law mean for the Catholic Church?

Answer 2

Following natural law is important as it’s part of God’s will for humans.
Humans shouldn’t need rules to tell them what’s right. Humans find fulfilment by being good people like Catholics state God’s creation is, which comes from following natural law.

Question 3

Why do people have natural law according to the Catholic Church?

Answer 3

God made all of creation, including humans, good(Genesis 1).
Humans are made in the image of God so share in his qualities including of being good(Genesis 1:27).

Question 4

Basic natural laws

Answer 4

To do good and avoid evil as they’re created in the image of God(Genesis 1:27) so have a natural knowledge of what it is to be good and fully human.
To protect and preserve life(sanctity of life), all life is an expression of God’s love so is holy

Question 5

The Second Vatican Council

Answer 5

A series of meetings 1962-65 between the Pope and the Bishops to update the Catholic Church’s teachings on a number of topics.

Question 6

Teachings of the Second Vatican Council

Answer 6

Religion and science don’t have to contradict each other(so if the Genesis creation stories are read as myths they don’t contradict the theory of evolution).
The Catholic Church supports science to understand God’s creation(e.g. Catholic priest George Lemaitre first proposed the Big Bang theory).
Religion and science come up with different answers for different questions, religion explains why things happen and science explains how things happen. Catholics believe scientists should use their God-given talents for people to understand the nature and purpose of God’s creation.
The bishops in the Second Vatican Council insisted religious viewpoints must not be disregarded in Gaudiem et Spes 36.

Question 7

Famous Catjolic scientists

Answer 7

Georges Lemaitre, big bang model.
Jean Baptiste Lamarck, devising an early theory of evolution, called Lamarckism.