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Following Jesus and Catholic

MoralityPart 3

Tonight’s Topic❖Brief Review

–Natural Law & Revealed Law

–Type of Sin (Venial and Mortal)

❖The 5th Commandment

–Abortion

–Euthanasia

–Embryonic Stem Cell Research

–Just War

How will we respond to such love?Faith & Faithfulness

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you;

abide in my love. If you keep my commandments,

you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his

love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you,

and that your joy may be full. John 15:9-11

What is Moral Law❖“The fatherly instruction of God, setting

forth the ways which lead to happiness

and proscribing those which lead to evil.”CCC Glossary

•Natural Law – inscribed on the heart &

discovered by reason

•Revealed Law – found in Revelation and

defended by the Church

“To me you shall be sacred; for I, the Lord, am sacred, I who have

set you apart from the other nations

to be my own.”Leviticus 20:26

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Natural Law• Because natural law is written into our

very nature, it is universal and unchanging

•All have the same rights and obligations

under natural law

•All must obey natural law

•Discoverable by reason

• Natural law is the basis of civil law, but is

superior to it

Two Types of Sins❖“If any one sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin,

he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not

mortal. There is sin which is mortal; I do not say that one is to

pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not

mortal (1 John 5:16-17 ).”

–Venial sins – “Sin which does not destroy the divine life

in the soul, as does mortal sin, though it diminishes and

wounds it.”

–Mortal sins – “A grave infraction of the law of God that

destroys the divine life in the soul of the sinner

(sanctifying grace), constituting a turn away from God.”

The Reality of Sin❖Three Conditions for a Sin to be Mortal

–Grave matter – “something gravely contrary to the divine law and to the ultimate end of man”

–Full knowledge of the evil of the act – “knowledge of the sinful character of the act, of its opposition to God's law.”

–Full consent of the will – “consent sufficiently deliberate to be a personal choice.”

❖Mortal sin “destroys in us the charity without which eternal beatitude is impossible. Unrepented, it brings eternal death.”

The Ten CommandmentsExodus 20:2-17 & Deuteronomy 5:6-21

1. I am the Lord your God: you shall not have strange gods before me.

2.You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

3.Remember to keep holy the Lord’s day.

4.Honor your father and mother.

The Ten Commandments5. You shall not kill.

6. You shall not commit adultery.

7. You shall not steal.

8. You shall not bear false witness.

9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife

10.You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.

Foundational Principles• The Sacredness of Human Life – each person is

an irreplaceable gift from God with a priceless

dignity

–No one can ever be used as an object or means

–We are made in the image of God

• The Language of the Body

–Our bodies speak a language – the language of self-

gift and love

–We must never lie with our bodies

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5th Commandment• You shall not kill

–Human life is sacred and dignity of life must be respected

–“Do not slay the innocent and righteous” (Ex. 23:7)

• Grave / Mortal sins against this commandment:–Killing the innocent – murder and abortion

–Direct euthanasia or denying food and water (starvation)

–Self-mutilation, torture, serious cutting, and suicide

–Embryonic stem cell research

–Abusing drugs or alcohol; drinking and driving

–Condemning others to hell, unforgiveness, kidnapping

5th Commandment• You shall not kill

• Venial sins against this commandment:–Anger, insults, jealousy, and fighting• Can be mortal if grave damage or serious wishing of evil

–Scandal – leading others into sin• Is mortal if leading others into mortally sinful actions

–Gluttony (can be mortal if doing grave harm to self)

Anger – CCC 2302Anger is a desire for revenge. "To desire vengeance

in order to do evil to someone who should be

punished is illicit," but it is praiseworthy to impose

restitution "to correct vices and maintain

justice." If anger reaches the point of a deliberate

desire to kill or seriously wound a neighbor, it is

gravely against charity; it is a mortal sin. The Lord

says, "Everyone who is angry with his brother shall

be liable to judgment (Mt 5:22)."

Anger – CCC 2303Deliberate hatred is contrary to charity. Hatred

of the neighbor is a sin when one deliberately

wishes him evil. Hatred of the neighbor is a

grave sin when one deliberately desires him

grave harm. "But I say to you, Love your

enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

so that you may be sons of your Father who is

in heaven (Mt 5:44-45)."

Scandal – CCC 2284Scandal is an attitude or behavior which

leads another to do evil. The person who

gives scandal becomes his neighbor's

tempter. He damages virtue and integrity;

he may even draw his brother into spiritual

death. Scandal is a grave offense if by deed

or omission another is deliberately led into

a grave offense.

Matthew 18:6Whoever causes one of these little

ones who believe in me to sin, it

would be better for him to have a

great millstone fastened round his

neck and to be drowned in the

depth of the sea.

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Suicide – CCC 22802280 Everyone is responsible for his life

before God who has given it to him. It is God

who remains the sovereign Master of life. We

are obliged to accept life gratefully and

preserve it for his honor and the salvation of

our souls. We are stewards, not owners, of

the life God has entrusted to us. It is not ours

to dispose of.

Suicide – CCC 2282 Grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or

grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture can

diminish the responsibility of the one committing

suicide.

2283 We should not despair of the eternal salvation

of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways

known to him alone, God can provide the

opportunity for salutary repentance. The Church

prays for persons who have taken their own lives.

Suicide – CCC 2282 & 22832282 Grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or

grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture can

diminish the responsibility of the one committing

suicide.

2283 We should not despair of the eternal salvation

of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways

known to him alone, God can provide the

opportunity for salutary repentance. The Church

prays for persons who have taken their own lives.

Catholicism is

Pro-Life

Abortion• The direct killing of an innocent child in its

mother’s womb is absolutely never allowed.–Approx. 1 million reported abortions in USA yearly

– Not including abortions from abortifacient contraceptives

–The womb is the most dangerous place to live –The #1 cause of death is abortion–56 million abortions a year worldwide (153,000 a day)

• It is the greatest evil in our world - genocide• Denying that the unborn are persons (just like the Nazi’s

did with the Jewish people and was done with slaves)• Basing a child’s right to live on whether or not the child is

wanted (age, location, wanted do not determine worth)

Abortion – Responding to Arguments• What about if the parent’s can’t raise the child

–Doesn’t mean they should kill the child -> adoption–We must teach teens to save sex until marriage–Mother Teresa – “It is a poverty to decide that a child must

die so that you may live as you wish.”• What about “my body, my choice”

– It isn’t the mother’s body, it is a baby with its own body, own DNA, own heartbeat and own ability to feel pain

– Illogical – would not say that someone wanting to jump off a bridge, do heroine, or sit naked in playground

– No one has the right to murder someone else, no matter where that person resides

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Abortion – Responding to Arguments• What about instances of rape and incest?

– The baby hasn’t done anything to deserve death– Can give the baby up for adoption– Just because a horrible evil was done to a person, doesn’t

mean they have the right to then murder a child– Punish the rapist, not the innocent baby– Women who choose life, experience great healing. – Women who choose abortion experience great guilt

because they were innocent during the rape, but not during the abortion

– Abortions from rape/incest are less than 1% of abortions

Abortion – Should it be illegal?❖Yes – it should never be legal to murder anyone

–People who say it should be legal think there is a

difference between an unborn child and a born toddler

–Children are dependent on others too, but that doesn’t

mean parents can kill them

❖This is not imposing religious opinions, this is part

of natural law–Laws exist partly to defend human rights from those who

try to deny them

–An unborn baby can’t defend itself – the law should

Abortion – Responding to Arguments❖What about the life of the mother?

–There is never a medical reason that makes it necessary

to directly strike at and cause the death of the child to

save the life of the mother

❖Ectopic Pregnancies – embryo in fallopian tube

–Cannot directly strike at the child

–Moral solution is to remove the whole tube. Unintended

side-effect is that child will die, but not causing directly

–Science can progress where we could save the child

Embryonic Stem Cell Research• Any research that results in the destruction of

an embryo is gravely immoral – its murder

• Adult Stem Cells have benefited in the

treatment of 77 diseases; embryonic -> 0

• Could also use adult stem cells, induced

pluripotent stem cells, stem cells from

umbilical cord, placenta, or amniotic fluid

Euthanasia• Intentionally killing a person suffering is gravely sinful

–Whether by act (injection) or omission (starvation)

–Reveals a belief that suffering is meaningless

•Usually a person’s plea for euthanasia is really a

cry for help and love – help carrying their cross

• Imagine a world where the suffering experience a

radical outpouring of love, kindness, prayers

• Redemptive suffering - We can unite our sufferings to

Jesus’ Cross as a powerful intercession

Colossians 1:24

“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for

your sake, and in my flesh I

complete what is lacking in

Christ's afflictions for the sake of

his body, that is, the church…”

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Euthanasia & End of Life Issues• Ordinary means – Always morally necessary

(food, hydration, hygiene, shelter, etc.)o Food and water are always morally necessary so long as

the body can process food

o To deny basics for life is to kill a person

• Extraordinary – may be morally necessary or

not depends on age, condition, and technologyo Ventilator not necessary if no chance of getting better

o Risky surgeries not necessary if not much chance of

working

Matthew 25:31-46

❖“ I was sick and you visited me”

❖“Truly, I say to you, as you did it

to one of the least of these my

brethren, you did it to me.”

Catholics and Public Life❖Laws should be rooted in natural law

• Laws help people know right from wrong

❖Our morality isn’t just a matter of religion, but

objective truth rooted in human nature

❖What about Separation of Church & State?

• The state should not be involved in the running of

the Church, but believers must be involved in

democracy. Laws are based on natural law (reason)

• We have an obligation to bring the truth to the

public sphere.

Voting Pro-Life – Bishop Sheridan“There must be no confusion in these matters. Any Catholic

politicians who advocate for abortion, for illicit stem cell research

or for any form of euthanasia ipso facto place themselves outside

full communion with the Church and so jeopardize their

salvation. Any Catholics who vote for candidates who stand for

abortion, illicit stem cell research or euthanasia suffer the same

fateful consequences. It is for this reason that these Catholics,

whether candidates for office or those who would vote for them,

may not receive Holy Communion until they have recanted their

positions and been reconciled with God and the Church in the

Sacrament of Penance.”

Voting Pro-Life❖The Right to Life is fundamental and cannot be

trumped by other issues

❖We cannot support pro-abortion candidates when

there are pro-life alternatives

–Wouldn’t support someone who is pro-slavery if they had

other policies you agree with – it would disqualify

–What could outweigh the death of 1 million children every

year? Nothing.

❖We can end abortion, if we persevere

Non-Negotiable Issues for Catholics❖Abortion

❖Euthanasia / Assisted Suicide

❖Embryonic Stem Cell Research

❖Human Cloning

❖Same sex “marriage”

❖Taking Away Religious Freedom

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War – CCC #2308 & 2309• All citizens and all governments are obliged to work

for the avoidance of war.

• However, "as long as the danger of war persists and

there is no international authority with the

necessary competence and power, governments

cannot be denied the right of lawful self-defense,

once all peace efforts have failed."

• The evaluation of these conditions for moral

legitimacy belongs to the prudential judgment of

those who have responsibility for the common good.

Just War – CCC #23092309 The strict conditions for legitimate defense by military

force require rigorous consideration. The gravity of such a

decision makes it subject to rigorous conditions of moral

legitimacy. At one and the same time:

• the damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or

community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain;

• all other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to

be impractical or ineffective;

• there must be serious prospects of success;

• The use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver

than the evil to be eliminated. The power of modem means of

destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition.

Just War – CCC #2310• 2310 Public authorities, in this case, have the

right and duty to impose on citizens the

obligations necessary for national defense.

• Those who are sworn to serve their country in the

armed forces are servants of the security and

freedom of nations. If they carry out their duty

honorably, they truly contribute to the common

good of the nation and the maintenance of peace.

Just War – CCC #2311-2312❖2311 Public authorities should make equitable

provision for those who for reasons of conscience

refuse to bear arms; these are nonetheless obliged to

serve the human community in some other way.

❖2312 The Church and human reason both assert the

permanent validity of the moral law during armed

conflict. "The mere fact that war has regrettably

broken out does not mean that everything becomes

licit between the warring parties."

Just War – CCC #2313Non-combatants, wounded soldiers, and prisoners

must be respected and treated humanely.

Actions deliberately contrary to the law of nations

and to its universal principles are crimes, as are the

orders that command such actions. Blind obedience

does not suffice to excuse those who carry them out.

Thus the extermination of a people, nation, or ethnic

minority must be condemned as a mortal sin. One is

morally bound to resist orders that command

genocide

Discussion Questions❖Are there other pro-abortion arguments you

have heard and discuss possible responses?

❖Is there anything from today’s talk that you

didn’t know or struck you?

❖What could we do to build a pro-life culture

and end abortion as well as other sins against

the dignity of the person?

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Reminders❖Turn in sponsor paperwork ASAP

❖Turn in homework from missed classes

❖If struggles with Church teaching, please set

up meeting with Fr. Matt or Fr. Nathan

❖“I believe and profess all that the holy

Catholic Church believes, teaches, and

proclaims to be revealed by God.”

Resources❖Evangelium Vitae – St. John Paul II on human life

❖Donum Vitae & Dignitatis Personae – Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith on specific life issues

❖Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church

❖Ethical and Religious Directives for Health Care Workers

– United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

❖ncbcenter.org – National Catholic Bioethics Center– Articles on a variety of moral issues

– On call ethicists to help with very tough issues

❖Persuasive Pro-Life: How to Talk About Our Culture’s

Toughest Issue by Trent Horn

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you;

abide in my love. If you keep my commandments,

you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his

love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you,

and that your joy may be full. John 15:9-11