Christian Perspectives on Freedom

University of Santo Tomas

• Established in 1611
• Located in Manila
• Pontifical University

Invocation to the Holy Spirit

• Come, Holy Spirit
• Enlighten our minds and hearts
• Give grace to respond to the Father's love through Christ
• Allow a share in goodness, glimpse of divinity and eternity
• Ensure all actions are in accordance with God's will
• Glorify God in all things

Christian Vision of the Human Person

• Theology 1
• Genuine Freedom: Pursuit of Good
• Speaker: Mariel Bersamin Blanza, LPT, MA

Study

• Grounding lessons in real-life situations
• Acknowledging prior beliefs and questions
• Addressing current issues and realities

Question: How Do I Distinguish Good from Evil?

• A question posed in the presentation, along with an image of a devil and angel

Freedom Different Things to Different People

• Focus on diverse viewpoints on freedom's meaning and application

Research

• Approaching subjects from various angles and opinions
• Appraising different viewpoints and perspectives
• Generating dialogue and discussion

Proper Understanding of Freedom

• Questioning what constitutes a proper understanding of freedom

Dignity of the Human Person

• Rooted in creation in the image and likeness of God
• Endowed with spiritual, immortal soul, intelligence, and free will
• Called to eternal beatitude

Two-Fold Dignity of Human Beings

• Intrinsic dignity as human beings, made in God's image
• Acquired dignity through growth as intelligent and free persons
• Choosing to shape lives and actions aligned with truth

Human Freedom

• Social Freedom: Absence of social demands and restrictions, freedom to do as one pleases
• Personal Freedom: Inner man's ability to shape life, free from psychological constraints
• Christian Freedom: Liberation from sin and evil, reconciliation with God, living in grace
• Genuine Freedom: Manifestation of the divine image in man

Human Person: Crown of God's Creation

• Purpose to participate in God's creative works, which are good
• Freedom towards good, achieved and perfected in God
• Awareness of call to faithfulness to one's dignity

True Freedom

• Freedom is for the good
• Man is expected to choose good in all undertakings

Genuine Freedom: Emphasis on Fidelity to Dignity

• Importance of recognizing lost dignity due to sin
• Commitment to living in accordance with God's will and seeking awareness of one's fidelity to dignity

Striving to Become Like God

• The constant striving towards "likeness to God" and its impact on humanity
• Humans become more human as they strive to be more like God
• A cycle of improvement and self-discovery

Man's Obedience to God's Law

• Man's free obedience to God's law involves participation in God's wisdom and providence
• Man is called to share in God's dominion over creation

Dignified Freedom: Manifestation of God's Presence

• Dignity and Freedom: Fulfillment and manifestation of God in man

God's Presence in Man

• Man's life is from God who alone has the right to take it away
• Man is cleansed through Christ's blood, becoming acceptable before God
• Virtue through baptism, making one's body a temple of the Holy Spirit
• God's presence in man makes him/her holy and sacred.

Freedom and the Presence of God

• Freedom arises from man's respect for others and God
• Man's dignity makes everyone equal before God

Mother Teresa

• Icon of holiness
• Model of exercising genuine freedom, working for God's works

Responsibility in Exercising Freedom

• The conscious and unconscious responsibility for actions
• The good must be placed above other considerations, especially sin
• Freedom of action ideally leads towards good

The Beginning of Freedom

• The first step towards freedom is to be free from negative actions, such as murder.
• The removal of such crimes from a person's life is the start of freedom of action, but there are further steps for perfection.
• Not perfect freedom, but a start.

Freedom and Law: Biblical Context

• Genesis 2:17: "Of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat"
• God's command and limitations on freedom of knowledge
• Genesis 2:16-17,35: Details on the book of Genesis, God's command, and humanity's mortal implications

Imagery of Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil

• Revelation teaches that the power to distinguish good from evil belongs to God
• Humanity has free will, capable of understanding and accepting God's commands

Limited Freedom

• Freedom is not without limitations; acknowledging God's moral law
• Human freedom finds fulfilment in accepting God's law
• God knows and suggests what is good for man

Second Vatican Council's Encouragement

• A desire for dialogue with modern culture, emphasizing the universal character of moral law

Moral Truths and Divine Wisdom

• Some people disregard divine wisdom's influence on human reason
• Positing a complete sovereignty of human reason, with disregard for Divine revelation's role

Human Morality's Boundaries

• Moral boundaries are not entirely human, but influenced by God's guidance and regulations
• God provides guidelines, but humans are free to choose

God's Gift of Counsel to Man

• God left man in the power of his own counsel (Sir 15:14)
• The divine image, manifested through freedom of choice
• This is a pathway for man to arrive at a perfect state of fulfillment by choosing to stay close to God

Dominion, Autonomy, and Human Community

• Man's task of world dominion in accordance with the Creator's command ("Fill the earth and subdue it," Gen 1:28)
• Emphasizes a rightful autonomy for man and the human community
• Recognition of "created things" natural laws and values

Restraints on Freedom

• By forbidding man from eating the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God implicitly asserts that humanity does not originate with this natural understanding, but participates in it with the aid of reason and divine revelations.
• God determines the limits of man's freedom

Discussion Board

• Assessing learning insights from the lesson
• The necessity of understanding freedom

This quiz explores the concept of freedom from a Christian viewpoint. It examines the differences between social and personal freedom, motivations behind harmful behaviors, and the relationship between human dignity and divine creation. Test your understanding of these important themes.