Morality Midterm Study Guide PDF

Morality Midterm Study Guide Unit 1: Morality as Life in Christ Vocab ​ Magisterium: The teaching authority of the Church, made up of the Pope and bishops in union with him, entrusted with guarding and interpreting the Deposit of Faith. ​ Nihilism: The rejection of all religious and moral p...

Morality Midterm Study Guide Unit 1: Morality as Life in Christ Vocab ​ Magisterium: The teaching authority of the Church, made up of the Pope and bishops in union with him, entrusted with guarding and interpreting the Deposit of Faith. ​ Nihilism: The rejection of all religious and moral principles, believing life is meaningless. ​ Human dignity as inherent, inalienable, inviolable: ○​ Inherent: A natural and permanent quality of being human. ○​ Inalienable: Cannot be taken away or given away. ○​ Inviolable: Secure from destruction, violence, or desecration. ​ Freedom vs. License: ○​ Freedom: Authentic freedom allows us to shape our lives by choosing good, serving God, and others in love. ○​ License: Unbridled freedom with no responsibility, distorting authentic freedom. ​ Divine Providence: God’s wisdom, power, and goodness guiding creation toward perfection. Topics Defining Morality ​ Sources of Knowledge: ○​ Human reason: Our capacity to think and discern right from wrong. ○​ Human experience: Collective wisdom from our lived experiences. ○​ Divine revelation: God’s revealed truth through scripture and tradition. ​ Moral Relativism vs. Objective Truth: ○​ Moral relativism: No universal or absolute moral principles; "whatever works for you." ○​ Objective truth: Universally true regardless of agreement. ​ Problem with Moral Relativism: ○​ Denies the need for repentance and rejects revelation, truth, and reason. ​ Morality as a Response to God: Living in a loving relationship with God, others, and creation through responsibility and aligning our actions with His will. Basis of Morality ​ Human Abilities: ○​ Intelligence: Understanding God’s truth.  ○​ Freedom: Exercising free will responsibly. ○​ Ability to love: Sacrificially choosing the good of others. ○​ Capacity to grow: Continually improving in virtue and holiness. ​ Help of the Holy Spirit: Enables us to participate in God’s life, making us holy and empowering moral living. ​ Support of the Church: Through sacraments, community, examples (saints and disciples), and teaching (Magisterium). ​ Jesus as Ultimate Model: ○​ Jesus lived a life of love, humility, and respect for human dignity. ○​ He healed, forgave sins, and taught us to love God and neighbor. Made in the Image and Likeness of God ​ Human Beings as Creatures: Dependent on God as Creator, stewards of creation. ​ Union of Spiritual and Physical Natures: Humans are both body and soul, capable of reflecting God’s image. ​ Creation as “Good”: Humanity is the summit of creation, fundamentally good despite the effects of sin. Human Dignity ​ Meaning and Source: God’s love gives humans inherent dignity, making them worthy of esteem and respect. ​ Actions of Respect: Listening, apologizing, helping others, keeping promises. ​ Aspects of Dignity: ○​ Intellect: Ability to think and discern God’s voice. ○​ Freedom: Choosing responsibly. ○​ Responsibility: Accountability for choices. ○​ Ability to Love: Sacrificing for others. ○​ Capacity to Grow: Developing in virtue and holiness. Sin and Human Dignity ​ Effects of Sin: ○​ Distorts but cannot erase human dignity. ○​ Leads to disorder, imperfection, and separation from God. ​ The Fall: ○​ Abuse of freedom by Adam and Eve disrupted harmony with God, others, and creation. ○​ Loss of original holiness and justice. ​ God’s Response: ○​ Protoevangelium: The first promise of a Messiah to restore the relationship. ○​ Paschal Mystery: Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection restore our relationship with God.  God’s Law as a Guide to Eternal Happiness ​ Basis of God’s Law: Protecting human dignity and leading to authentic freedom. Identify Each Type of Law 1.​ Law: Ordinance of reason for the common good, made by a competent authority. 2.​ Civil Law: Reflects natural law; discern morality by evaluating whether it upholds dignity and serves the common good. 3.​ Natural Law: Written in our souls, discerned through reason. Guides us in preserving life, developing communities, and sharing life. 4.​ Revealed Law: a.​ Old Law: Ten Commandments; preparation for the Gospel. b.​ New Law: Law of Love revealed in the Gospel, rooted in grace and freedom Unit 2: Called to Beatitude The Beatitudes ​ Definition: Eight blessings preached by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, teaching about supreme happiness in heaven ("beatitude") and calling for decisive choices to purify the heart to love God above all. ​ Key Points: ​ Beatitude = "supreme happiness," especially eternal happiness in heaven. ​ The Beatitudes guide a lifestyle to follow Jesus by purifying the heart to fully love God. Understanding the Beatitudes 1.​ Blessed are the poor in spirit: ​ Meaning: Humility; recognizing dependence on God rather than material things or pride. ​ Lesson: "I cannot do this on my own and am not meant to." 2.​ Blessed are they who mourn: ​ Meaning: Mourning for sin leads to renewal and God’s comfort. ​ Lesson: True joy is found in God’s healing and sorrow is a testament to love. 3.​ Blessed are the meek: ​ Meaning: Patience, gentleness, and trusting in God rather than seeking power. 4.​ Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness: ​ Meaning: Seeking justice and goodness; fulfillment comes from God’s righteousness. 5.​ Blessed are the merciful:  ​ Meaning: Show mercy to others to experience God’s mercy. ​ Lesson: Compassion sees a hurting heart behind hurtful words. 6.​ Blessed are the clean of heart: ​ Meaning: Sincerity and focus on God clear the heart of material distractions. 7.​ Blessed are the peacemakers: ​ Meaning: Those who spread peace and reconciliation reflect God’s nature. 8.​ Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness: ​ Meaning: Standing firm in faith brings reward in heaven. ​ Lesson: In persecution, remain steadfast in Jesus. Key Concepts ​ Beatific Vision: ○​ Definition: Contemplation of God in heavenly glory; the source of eternal happiness and union with the Triune God for eternity. ​ Kingdom of God: ○​ Definition: A reign of peace and justice inaugurated by Jesus, reconciling and renewing creation. ○​ Key Points: ​ Both now and yet to come ​ Fully realized at the end of time. ​ Metanoia: ○​ Definition: Deep spiritual transformation and conversion. ○​ Key Points: ​ Involves repentance, seeking forgiveness, and aligning with God’s will. ​ More than behavior change; a turning of the heart and mind. ​ Corporal Works of Mercy: ○​ Actions that care for the physical needs of others: feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, etc. Jesus and the New Law ​ New Law: ○​ Goals: ​ Eternal happiness and self-emptying love. ​ Serving others with love centered on the Great Commandment: “Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.” ○​ Key Points: ​ Conform to Jesus by allowing Him to live in us through the Holy Spirit. ​ Spirit of the Law vs. Letter of the Law: ○​ Spirit of the Law:  ​ Emphasizes intent and love as the standard. ​ Perfects and intensifies the Old Law. ○​ Letter of the Law: ​ Strict interpretation of the literal meaning. ​ Limits to minimum requirements. ​ Golden Rule: ○​ “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.” ○​ Key Points: ​ Encourages fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. ​ Rejects moral superiority, pride, and arrogance. ​ Observing sinful behavior calls for neighborly correction without judgment of motivation (judgment belongs to God). Virtues and Character ​ Character: ○​ Definition: The mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual. ○​ Shown through actions, beliefs, and choices. ○​ Always developing. ​ 3 Aspects of Good Moral Character: 1.​ Loving God, self, and others. 2.​ Being fully human. 3.​ Living virtuously. ​ Virtue: ○​ Definition: Good habits that help us do good and empower us to become who God wants us to be. ○​ Govern actions, overcome obstacles, and move closer to eternal life. ○​ Theological Virtues (Most important; come from God): ​ Faith: Enables belief in God. ​ Hope: Enables desire for heaven and eternal life. ​ Charity/Love: The greatest virtue; enables love for God and neighbor. ○​ Cardinal Virtues (Human virtues acquired through education and actions): ​ Prudence: Helps recognize and choose right from wrong. ​ Temperance: Promotes self-control in choices. ​ Fortitude: Provides courage to face challenges and fight temptation. ​ Justice: Ensures fairness and giving others what they deserve. Freedom and Responsibility ​ Freedom: ○​ Makes us self-determining (choose goals and actions to achieve them). ○​ Choices form identity and character.  ○​ God’s law aids true freedom and avoids determinism. ​ Determinism: ○​ Philosophical view that all events, including human actions, are inevitable. ○​ Freedom refutes determinism. ​ Responsibility for Actions: ○​ Definition: Acting with knowledge and free will makes us responsible. ○​ Effects: Choices shape character, influence others, and carry moral, legal, or social consequences. ​ Impediments to Freedom: ○​ Ignorance: Not knowing what we should or should not do. ○​ Inadvertence: Acting without attention or while distracted. ○​ Inordinate Attachments: Letting material things limit freedom. ○​ Habit: Repeated bad behaviors. ○​ Duress: Being forced into sinful actions. ★ How do we overcome impediments? ○​ Through self-awareness, education, growth, and support systems. Emotions ​ Definition: Natural states of mind driven by circumstances, mood, or relationships. ​ Role in Moral Life: ○​ Emotions prompt action or inaction. ○​ Morally neutral themselves; morality is determined by the actions taken. ○​ Love and fear are primal emotions. Unit 3 - Sin, Conscience and Moral Decision-making Vocab ​ Discernment: The ability to judge well, particularly with moral decisions. ​ Prudence: Moral virtue that helps us live ethically and make good decisions. ​ Consequences: The effects or outcomes of an action, both immediate and long-term. ​ Means: The methods or resources used to achieve an end. ​ Justification: The act by which God moves a willing person from sin to grace. ​ Grace: Undeserved favor from God, offered through the Holy Spirit. ○​ Sanctifying Grace: Habitual gift that makes us holy and free from sin. ○​ Actual Grace: God's intervention in specific moments to help us choose good. ○​ Sacramental Grace: Gifts particular to each sacrament. ​ Charisms: Spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit for the good of the Church. ○​ Healing, hospitality, music, etc. ​ Conscience: The inner judgment or awareness of what is morally right or wrong.  ​ Conscientious: Acting with a desire to do what is morally right. ​ Vice: A moral fault or bad habit. ​ Lax Conscience: A conscience that fails to recognize the seriousness of sin. ​ Scrupulous Conscience: An overly rigid conscience that sees sin where there is none. ​ Vincible Ignorance: Ignorance that can be overcome by effort. ​ Invincible Ignorance: Ignorance that cannot be overcome despite reasonable effort. ​ Fortitude: Courage in facing moral challenges. ​ Capital Sins: The seven root sins from which all other sins spring. ○​ Pride, Greed, Envy, Anger, Lust, Gluttony, Sloth ​ Original Innocence: The state of purity before Original Sin. ​ Original Sin: The first sin of humanity, resulting in a fallen human nature. ​ Hattah: Willful rejection of God's will. ​ Pasha: Consciously choosing to ignore or oppose God’s authority. ​ Awon: The weight or consequence of sin. ​ Social Sin: Collective sin that harms societal structures. SEER STEPS in Moral Decision-Making: 1.​ Three sources/facts of moral acts: ○​ Moral Object (What?): The action itself. ○​ Intention (Why?): The reason behind the action. ○​ Circumstances (Who, When, Where, How?): The context in which the action occurs. 2.​ Importance of Each Source: ○​ Moral object is the decisive element; determines if the act is good or evil. ○​ Intention is subjective and reflects personal motives. ○​ Circumstances affect the action but do not change the moral object. 3.​ Measuring Each Source: ○​ Moral Object: Is the action inherently good or evil? ○​ Intention: Is the intention good, and does it align with moral truth? ○​ Circumstances: Do the circumstances contribute positively to the action or make it worse? 4.​ Influence of Each Source: ○​ The moral object determines whether the action is good or bad. ○​ Intention can mitigate or worsen the morality of an act. ○​ Circumstances affect the overall context but do not define morality. Discipleship and Responding to Grace ​ Discipleship involves learning to love and follow Jesus, becoming more like Him. ​ Responding to grace is about accepting God's help and transforming your life through faith. ​ We "merit" salvation through God's grace, by cooperating with Him and growing in virtue. Conscience ​ Conscience is the practical judgment of reason about the goodness or evil of an act. ​ Wrong ideas about conscience: 1.​ Majority Opinion: Following the crowd; problem: it ignores moral truth. 2.​ Feeling: Morality based on emotions; problem: emotions don't determine truth. 3.​ Superego: Conscience as learned childhood rules; problem: neglects personal relationship with God. 4.​ Gut Instinct: Acting on instinct; problem: lacks reflection and moral understanding. 5.​ Jiminy Cricket: Conscience as an external voice; problem: conscience is internal. 6.​ Guilt: Conscience as guilt; problem: reduces morality to feelings of shame. ​ Conscience formation is a lifelong task. We must study moral teachings, elect to do good, execute good decisions, and review our actions. Types of Conscience ​ Erroneous Conscience: Conscience in error, thinking something immoral is moral. ​ Scrupulous Conscience: Sees sin where there is none. ​ Lax Conscience: Too relaxed, failing to take sin seriously. ​ Certain Conscience: Conscience that accurately distinguishes right from wrong. The SEER Method ​ Study: Learn moral teachings and principles. ​ Elect: Choose actions that align with truth and goodness. ​ Execute: Act on the decision to do good. ​ Review: Reflect on actions to strengthen the conscience. Sin ​ Sin is an immoral act that violates God’s law. ​ Categories of Sin: ○​ Mortal Sin: A grave sin that destroys charity and separates us from God. ​ Must receive Reconciliation to return to life in Christ ○​ Venial Sin: A less serious sin that weakens our relationship with God but does not sever it. ​ Can be forgiven in penitential rite at Mass ○​ Sins of Commission: Acts done intentionally (e.g., lying). ○​ Sins of Omission: Failing to do what is right (e.g., not standing up for someone). ​ Personal Sin: A deliberate act against God’s law. ​ Effects of Sin: ○​ Damages our relationship with God. ○​ Results in a weakened moral life.  ○​ Can be healed through Reconciliation. ​ Capital sins - moral vices that is the root of all mortal sin ○​ Pride - Excessively high opinion of oneself ○​ Greed - Immoderate desire for materials ○​ Envy - Jealousy; sorrow over another’s good fortune ○​ Anger - Hostile feelings or a desire for revenge ○​ Lust - Unrestrained craving for sexual pleasure ○​ Gluttony - Immoderate consumption of food or drink ○​ Sloth - Laziness or neglecting duties Sin in Scripture: ​ Old Testament Terms: ○​ Hattah: Willfully rejecting God’s will. ○​ Pasha: Choosing to oppose God’s authority. ○​ Awon: The weight of sin’s consequences. ​ New Testament: ○​ Sin is viewed as a refusal to accept God’s offer of grace. ○​ Lawlessness - contempt for God and his Law ○​ Injustice - a failure to do right, especially toward others ○​ Falsehood or darkness - sin that opposes God’s truth, which can be found only in Jesus ○​ New testament explanation says sin is a “refusal to love, accept God’s offer of friendship and grace in our Lord Jesus Christ” God’s Response to Sin ​ Jesus and the Paschal Mystery: Jesus' life, death, and resurrection offer salvation and the grace to overcome sin. ​ Baptism: The sacrament that removes Original Sin and sanctifies the soul. ★ Solution to og sin - Paschal Mystery, Baptism, Grace and gifts of the Holy Spirit counter concupiscence Unit 4: Commandments 1-3 Context ​ Covenant Relationship: God gave the commandments to His people as part of a covenant relationship. ​ Sacrilege: profane treatment of sacred things ​ Simony: the act of selling sacred blessings or items consecrated to God. Selling the blessing itself is an act of simony. ​ Sunday Sabbath: Sunday is the day for Christians to commemorate Christ’s resurrection and celebrate the Eucharist. It is the day of rest, prayer, and charity.  ​ Eucharist: the celebration of the Paschal Mystery, where believers receive Christ’s body and blood, symbolizing unity with Christ and the Church community. Decalogue ​ Jesus and the Commandments: ○​ Jesus upholds the commandments in His teachings. ○​ He uses the Rich Young Man example to move from following the letter of the law to living by the spirit of the law. ○​ The Decalogue is the basis for moving towards a deeper understanding of love and the moral life. ​ Context for the Decalogue ○​ Given after the Exodus, God frees the Israelites and guides them with the commandments. ○​ Revelation of God’s Law: God’s law reveals both His will and Himself. ○​ Commandments as an Organic Whole: Breaking one commandment means breaking the whole law. ★ Natural Law: Accessible to human reason and revealed by God. ○​ Fundamental Rights & Responsibilities: The commandments show duties to God and neighbor, based on natural law and revelation. ○​ Love for God and Neighbor: The commandments summarize the essential duties in love for God and love for others. First Commandment ○​ Based on believing that God is the ultimate authority and source of all goodness. ○​ Worship and imitation of Jesus Christ are central to positively responding to this commandment ​ Imitating Jesus involves living according to His teachings and example of humility, love, and obedience to the Father. ○​ Violation against the 1st Commandment ​ Heresy: rejecting or doubting the faith as taught by the Church ​ Apostasy: completely abandoning one’s faith ​ Schism: refusing unity with the church and its authority ​ Despair: losing hope in God’s mercy and salvation ​ Presumption: assuming one can save oneself without God’s help or assuming forgiveness without repentance ​ Idolatry: Worshiping idols, material things, or other gods instead of the one true God. ​ Superstition: Attributing power to rituals or objects apart from God. ​ Divination and Magic: Seeking supernatural power apart from God, such as through astrology or sorcery. ​ Irreligion: Disrespecting sacred things, including sacraments and holy practices. ​ Atheism: Denying God's existence. ​ Agnosticism: Claiming uncertainty about God's existence or being indifferent to it. Second Commandment - You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain ○​ implications for us in God revealing His Name ​ expressing reverence for God’s name ​ Deepens our relationship with God ○​ Offenses against the second commandment: ​ Blasphemy: Hateful, defiant, or disrespectful speech or actions against God, Jesus, saints, or sacred things. ​ Perjury: Lying under oath, which disrespects God as the source of truth. ​ Obscenity & Vulgarity: Use of language that degrades sacred matters or promotes disrespect. Third Commandment - Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day. ○​ Connects to the creation accounts because God rested on the seventh day, establishing a divine rhythm of work and rest. ○​ “The Sabbath is Made for Man, not Man for the Sabbath” (Mk 2:27) ​ The Sabbath exists to benefit people, not to burden them with rules. ○​ Actions That Violate the Commandment: ​ Missing Mass: Fails to honor God and neglects spiritual growth. ​ Excessive Work: Prioritizing material gain over rest rejects God’s provision. ​ Trivializing Worship: Treating sacred rituals as mere obligations undermines their transformative power. ○​ Work That Violates the Commandment: ​ Labor that unnecessarily takes away from worship or family time dishonors the sanctity of the Lord’s Day. ​ Exploitation of others’ need to work on Sundays disregards their right to rest and worship. Love of Neighbor: Commandments 4-10. A separate document will be posted with additional terms and material. Any information covered after the Christmas Break will appear on the Final Exam. 2024 Written Response Prompt. A Case Study on Conscience Development. You will be completing a case study regarding a teen response to following a social media account. The situation will be described for you. ​ You will describe a morally good response to the case presented, including the action and intention. ​ Then you will develop an explanation of how the response you described resulted from a correctly formed conscience. ​ To do this you will need to explain how each stage of SEER was engaged. ​ Finally, you will identify a virtue that can be seen in the response you described. Points will be awarded for thoughtful explanations and incorporation of specific class material.