final exam Flashcards
4 types of martial love
free love
total love
faithful love
fruitful love
free love
love that is not controlled or manipulated by someone else or by a disordered desire. no one is forcing you to love; you love freely because you want to
total love
to love without conditions, holding back nothing. one makes a gift of themself to another (total self-donation) in total love
faithful love
love that is committed. the commitment that guides all other actions. you keep your promises once they have been made, no matter how your feelings have changed
fruitful love
love that is life-giving, because it is free, total, and faithful. it is ordered toward procreation in the physical realm and is life-giving in the spiritual and emotional realm as well
abstinence
the action of self-control that avoids (or “abstains” from) something. in this case, abstinence means participating in sexual intercourse
celibacy
also known as celibacy for the kingdom. it is the state of not being married; it is a free choice to not marry on earth and to devote oneself entirely to the marriage of Heaven
chastity
the virtue that frees us from the selfish attitude of using others, which makes us capable of love. it includes purity of mind, body, and heart, and helps us to order our sexual desires according to our own dignity and the dignities of other people
contraception
every action before, during, or after sexual intercourse that deliberately attempts to impede its pro creative potential. acts like these are intrinsically evil and always morally unacceptable
discernment
also known as discernment of God’s plan. it is listening for the voice of God through prayer and the counsel of others in an effort to discover His desire for ourselves
love
a decision to “will the good of another” person. john paul II echoes this same definition in some of his writing on love and adds that it involves a sincere gift of oneself to others
lust
sexual desire apart from God’s love. it is a selfish desire that seeks one’s own pleasure at the expense of another; it is “disordered desire for or inordinate enjoyment of sexual pleasure” (CCC 2351)
natural family planning
a natural, moral, and effective method for achieving or postponing pregnancy that involves charting a woman’s fertility rather than suppressing it
natural law
God’s word that is written on our hearts
objectify
to treat someone as a thing rather than as a person through actions that disregard their inherent dignity as a human
pride
the tendency with eve and adam (and all of us) to prefer our wills to the will of God. this is the root of all moral evil in the world
redemption
the ransom of humanity from the slavery of sin to a new life of freedom through the sacrificial death of Christ on the Cross
theology of the body
a study of God, the purpose of existence, and the call to love like God loves, as discovered and explained through our bodies
utilitarianism
there are several versions of utilitarianism, but in this case, it is the maximizing of pleasure and the minimizing of pain, often at the expense of others. when applied in relationships, one can end up using a person for one’s own gain. if the one’s only goal for sexual encounters is pleasure, the other person become a means to that end
vocation
a call from God to live a life of holiness in a particular manner and state of life, making a sincere gift of self to God in a permanent way
theological virtues
faith
hope
charity/love
faith
theological virtue that enables us to believe in Gos, all He has said and revealed to us, and all that the Church proposes for our belief because Gos is truth itself
hope
theological virtue that enables us to desire Heaven and eternal life, trusting in Christ’s promises and relying on the help of the Holy Spirit and his graces. (hope keeps us from getting discouraged when times get tough and lonely)
charity/love
theological virtue that is the greatest virtue of all that empowers us to love God over all thing for His own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God. it enables us to observe the commandments and love everyone (even our enemies)
cardinal virtues
prudence
justice
temperance
fortitude
prudence
cardinal virtue that inclines us to lead good, moral, and ethical lives of action. as st. thomas aquinas put it: “right reason in action”
justice
cardinal virtue that involves relationships with others and our life in community. it gives both God and neighbor what is their due by right
temperance
cardinal virtue that regulates our attraction to pleasure and helps us to use God’s created goods in a balanced way
fortitude
cardinal virtue that ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of good
human dignity
also known as dignity. the quality of being worthy of esteem or respect. every person has worth and value because each person is made in God’s image
object/intention/circumstance
the sources (or constitutive elements) of the morality of human acts (and decisions)
object
also known as moral object. the moral content of an action that suggests whether the action is directed toward true good. this is the decisive factor in the morality of actions (which is what we do as well as how it does or does not contribute to our ultimate good)
intention
the objective or aim in a course of action
circumstance
the facts or conditions attending an event and having some bearing on it. this can increase or decrease the moral goodness or evil of an action
fraternal correction
telling someone they did something (morally) wrong in order to help them, not to make them feel bad about themself
alternatives
part of the process of making moral decisions in which one examines various possibilities before acting. thinking out alternatives requires the exercise of imagination and moral decisions should not be made until they are considered. intellect and hard thinking can search out the facts necessary to make good conscientious decisions
consequences
part of the process of making moral decisions in which one must take responsibility for their actions. these outcomes are not the only nor the decisive factor in the morality of an action. looking at the possible effects of an act can help determine if something is morally good
external freedom
freedom that is limited by external factors
external freedom example
physically, people are limited and not everyone can become a star athlete because the ty are not coordinated
internal freedom
freedom that is limited by internal factors
internal freedom example(s)
intellectual makeup limits many people because the are not smart enough to be once scientists; having a strong temper limits your freedom because it is more difficult for you to control your emotions
ignorance
not knowing what we should do or not do. this is an abuse against freedom
st. thomas aquinas’ definition of law
“an ordinance of reason for the common good, promulgated by the one who is in charge of the community” (st. thomas aquinas, in CCC, 1976)
important elements and requirements to laws (according to st. thomas aquinas)
reasonable
for the common good
from competent authority
must be promulgated
natural law
the reasoned participation of human’s hearts in God’s eternal law that reveals what He intends us to do and avoid according to His wise and loving plan
old Law
also known as the Law of Moses. the Ten Commandments (the Decalogue) summarize the moral prescriptions of the old Law, expressing many truths concerning natural law that human reason can discover obit own
new Law
it is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the law of love. this law perfects the divine law, but the natural law and revealed law. it is the work of Christ (who most perfectly reveals it in the Sermon on the Mount) and is the work and grace of the Holy Spirit. the new Law does not add new precepts for us to follow, but it helps us understand the core attitudes that precede our actions
Church law
Church law is to divine law what social law is to natural law. the precepts of the Church are set in the context of a moral life nourished by and bound to the liturgical life; they are minimal obligations for Catholics to observe
civil law
a particular application of the natural law for members of a given society. societies apply the natural law differently according to custom and circumstances
emotions/passions
emotions have been discussed under the term passion which means “feelings.” these are movements of the senses that predispose us to act or not act in relation to something we feel or imagine to be good or evil. emotions are morally neutral and not important or moral, or unholy or holy; it is what one does with their emotions that counts
golden rule
“do to others what you would have them do to you. this is the law and the prophets” (Mt 7:12). Jesus teaches this and it is a summation of the old Law and the teachings of the prophets
Beatitudes
an attitude guiding us to follow Jesus more closely in order to achieve holiness and happiness. a list of laws that do not correct the Old Testament, but fulfill it
conscience
a practical judgement of reason. that helps a person decide the goodness or sinfulness of an action or attitude. it is the subjective norm of morality we must form and then properly follow
mortal sin
personal sin that involves serious matter, sufficient reflection, and full consent of the will. it results in total rejection of God and alienation from Him
venial sin
personal sin that weakens but does not kill our relationship with God
Reconciliation
a sacrament of healing, also known as Confession or Penance, through which Christ extends his forgiveness to sinners
social sin
a cycle of sin, injustice, and villence caused by individuals
heresy
outright denial by a baptized person of some essential truth about God and faith that we must believe
idolatry
the worship of false gods
atheism
the denial of God’s existence
euthanasia
direct or active euthanasia is any omission or action which of itself and by intention causes death. with the purpose of eliminating all suffering. euthanasia that is direct is always wrong despite one’s good intentions
conditions that must be met in order for catholics to be able to fight in a just war
there must be real, grace, lasting, and certain damage inflicted by an aggressor on a nation or a community of nations
war must be a last resort
the values and rights in the conflict must be so important that they justify killing
a war cannot be just unless waged for the noblest reasons and with a commitment to postwar reconciliation with the enemy
only proper representatives of the people, entrusted with the common good, have the right to declare a war of defense
the chances for success must be calculated against the human cost of the war to prevent hopeless use of force and resistance when either will prove futile, anyway
armed conflict must not create even worse evil that that to be eliminated
capital punishment
we must always use bloodless means and avoid kill (if at all possible) to defend against aggressors. capital punishment cannot be justified for many reasons
reasons why capital punishment cannot be justified
the sanction of death. when it is not necessary to protect society, violates respect for human dignity and life
state-sanctioned killing in our names diminishes all of us
it’s application is deeply flawed and can be irreversibly wrong, is prone to errors, and is biased by various factors
we have other ways to punish criminals and protect society
abortion
the deliberate killing of an unborn human by mean surgical or medical procedures. direct abortion is very wrong because it is an unjustified attack on human life
types of justice
commutative justice
social justice
legal justice
distributive justice
commutative justice
individual to individual
regulates relationships of exchange; calls for fairness in agreements and contracts between individuals and various social groups
social justice
Gospel of Jesus Christ to structures of society
applied the gospel message of Jesus to the structures, systems, and laws of society in order to protect the dignity of persons and guarantee the rights of individuals
legal justice
individuals to social whole
governs what individuals owe society as a whole
distributive justice
government authorities to individuals
protects and guaranteed the common welfare; seeks the fair distribution of the goods of creation that God intends for us all to use and share
cheating
involves trickery, misleading, fraud. dishonesty, stealing, and musing. it violates the Seventh Commandment by taking something that does not rightfully belong to you and the Eight Commandment by bearing false witness about what you have done
