Moral Final Study Guide PDF
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Providence College
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This is a PDF moral final study guide with multiple-choice questions covering moral theology, natural law, and human nature. Examines concepts like human rights, marriage, artificial contraception, and the relationship between science and moral philosophy.
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Moral Final Study Guide Multiple Choice: 1. Eugene “Bull” Conner was the Commissioner of Public Safety in Birmingham that opposed King's protests there. Select one: True False 2. Dr. King argues that Christians in the early Church influenced the society around them by ending S...
Moral Final Study Guide Multiple Choice: 1. Eugene “Bull” Conner was the Commissioner of Public Safety in Birmingham that opposed King's protests there. Select one: True False 2. Dr. King argues that Christians in the early Church influenced the society around them by ending Select one: a.mistreatment of Jews and religious minorities b.pagan worship of demonic gods c.slavery and other forms of servitude d.infanticide and gladiatorial games 3. Which of the following is not an instance of which Dr. King cites as an example of injustice toward blacks? Select one: a.abuse of black people by police and law enforcement b.attacks on black families by lynch mobs c.segregated hotels and amusement parks d.forbidding blacks to speak their native language in school 4. The Birmingham clergyman who criticize Dr, King support segregation and the "supremacy of the white race." Select one: True False 5. King’s “Letter” is a response to the criticisms that "Bull" Connor made in the newspaper. Select one: True False 6. How does Dr. King defend the need for a “direct action campaign” in Birmingham? Select one: a.The time for non-violence is over – blacks must fight back. b.Too many people accept the decision of Brown v Board of Education. c.The authorities will only negotiate if a “crisis” is forced upon them. d.His daughter has been pestering him to go to “Funtown.” 7. Dr. King argues against the view that human progress is "inevitable." Select one: True False 8. Dr. King was president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Select one: True False 9. St. Thomas Aquinas argues that a law is unjust if it "fails up uplift human personality." Select one: True False 10. Which is credited as the beginning of the Civil Rights movement? Select one: a.The Supreme Court decision Brown v Board of Education b.The Montgomery Bus Boycott c.The Supreme Court decision Plessy v Ferguson. d.The publication of the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” 11. Whom does Dr. King cite to prove that “sin is separation”? Select one: a.Reinhold Niebuhr b.Edmund Burke c.St. Augustine d.Paul Tillich 12. Upon what basis does St. Thomas Aquinas assert that man-made laws are just? Select one: a.if they are rooted in the natural and eternal law b.if they uplift human personality c.if they bring people together instead of “separating” them d.all of the above 13. Why should the law act for the common good? Select one: a.When individuals help the community, they are really helping themselves. b.The law should act for the good of the majority, not the minority. c.The few must suffer so that the many may enjoy wellbeing. d.The laws are for the goal of the community, which means the common good. 14. How is reason essential to making just laws? Select one: a.Reason judges the best way to achieve the good of the community. b.Reason is a higher form of instinct, which we share in common with the animals. c.Reason allows each man to find what is “right” for him. d.Reason allows us to control our passions, which helps society. 15. The Catechism insists that the "diversity of political regimes is morally acceptable, provided they serve the legitimate good of the communities that adopt them." Select one: True False 16. That human laws have a divine source ("all authority comes from God") is a view unique to the Bible. Select one: True False 17. While an aristocracy is a "rule of the best, an oligarchy is a rule of the "few" usually the rich. Select one: True False 18. Dr. King insists that "An unjust law is a code that a numerical or power majority group compels a minority group to obey but does not make binding on itself." What aspect of "law" does this violate? Select one: a.promulgated b.Due authority c.for the common good d.rational 19. Which of the following statements best expresses St. Thomas’s teaching? a. Nothing is truly “immoral” until the human law declares it so. b. All immoral actions should be outlawed by civil authorities. c. Civil authority should not make laws based on people’s “morality.” d. Immoral actions should be outlawed when they endanger the community. 20. Which of the following is not governed by the Eternal Law? a. Angels b. Plants and animals c. Non-living physical beings (elements, compounds, planets, stars, etc.) d. This is a trick question -- these are all governed by the Eternal Law 21. The “Human Law” is so called because it governs all of humanity. True False 22. According to St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans, how is the natural law promulgated? a. Revealed by God b. Taught by Moses c. Written on the heart d. This is a trick question -- St. Paul denies that the natural law is promulgated 23. An offense against the natural law is a _____, while an offense against the eternal law is a _______. a. vice, sin b. crime, sin c. vice, crime d. sin, vice 24. The “Natural Law” is the way that man shares in the “Eternal Law.” True False 25. According to St. Thomas, one is bound in conscience to follow the man-made law when it conforms to the natural and eternal law. True False 26. How do man-made laws that are “conclusions” from the natural law differ from “applications”? a. The “conclusions” should be the same for all people, but “applications” might differ. b. The “conclusions” change over time, but the “applications” should stay the same. c. People always get the “conclusions” right, but make the wrong “applications.” d. The “conclusions” can be right, even if the principles are wrong. 27. How would St. Thomas explain the cultural differences in forms of punishment? a. People misinterpret the natural law – there is no need for “punishment.” b. People fail to punish in the right way because they need the divine law. c. People adapt the natural law in different ways because of different circumstances. d. Virtuous people decree fair punishments, while wicked people decree unfair ones. 28. St. Thomas distinguishes our natural "inclinations" because a. our inclinations are a form of programming or "instinct." b. our inclinations must be conquered and overcome for us to be virtuous. c. our "rational" inclinations are good, while our "animal" inclinations are bad. d. our inclinations are signs of the goods to which the natural law commands us. 29. The Eternal Law is received in different ways by different creatures. True False 30. When should one follow a law that forbids worship to God or requires worship of false gods? a. When it is necessary to save other people’s life b. When it will not threaten the wellbeing of the community c. When it is necessary to save one’s life d. This is a trick question – one should never follow such a law, even at the cost of human life 31. What is the right order of these laws, from largest community to smallest? a. Natural Law, Eternal Law, Human Law b. Human Law, Natural Law, Eternal Law c. Eternal Law, Natural Law, Human Law d. Eternal Law, Man-Made Law, Natural Law 32. What does St. Paul teach in Romans 13 about the obedience Christians owe to human laws? a. Christians should follow human laws for “there is no power but from God.” b. Christians should follow the human laws “when the rulers accept the Gospel.” c. Christians are free from human laws because “Christ has freed them” d. Christians should follow man-made laws “when the Church commands it.” 33. Which of the following is most clearly an "application" of the natural law? a. Japan criminalizes theft of "intellectual property" (e.g. music, DVDs, etc) b. Canada lowers the drinking age from 21 to 18 c. Bolivia declares that killing one's wife with her lover is "a form of murder." d. Germany outlaws lethal experiments on human subjects 34. Unlike human intelligence, animal “intelligence” is merely a. associative b. abstract c. conceptual d. tactile 35. The text of Genesis denies that God works through nature in creating living things. True False 36. According to Church teaching, every human conception involves a supernatural act of God, infusing a rational soul. True False 37. What distinctive act of rationality is displayed by Adam in the garden? a. he names the animals b. he makes a shelter for Eve c.he is fruitful and “multiplies” d. he fashions tools for hunting 38. Peter Singer is one of the founders of the "animal rights" movement, especially through his book Animal Liberation. True False 39. How does modern science explain how human beings became “rational”? a. homo sapiens have bigger brains than earlier humans. b. humans started making cave drawings, and this made them “rational.” c. humans imitated the complex tool making of Neanderthals. d. This is a trick question – modern science at this point cannot explain the origin of human rationality. 40. Humans are the only primates that can communicate with signs. True False 41. Which statement best characterizes the position of Peter Singer on human dignity? a. Western society needs to recover the view that man is made in God’s image. b. In light of Darwin, we must give up believing in a “special dignity” for human life. c. Man should be ruled by the animals, like the storyline of The Planet of the Apes. d. The teaching of the Bible can be harmonized with the teaching of Genesis. 42. Moral philosopher Judith Jarvis Thompson compares a pregnant women to a a. person forced to give an organ to a dying person. b. alien implanting its eggs in a human being. c. insect implanting its eggs in another animal. d. person forced to provide life support for a seriously ill person. 43. Nearly half of all abortions are from women who have household incomes lower than $30,000 per year. True False 44. Which country has the highest abortion rate? a. Russian Federation b. Japan c. United States d. China 45. Roughly 1 in 3 pregnancies in the United States end in abortion. True False 46. Even though American blacks are only 12% of the population, they have ___ of all abortions. a. 35% b. 53% c. 15% d. 70% 47. Which reason is the most common one that women give for an abortion? a. fetal deformity b. not ready for responsibility c. rape/incest d. health problems of mother 48. Prescribing a combination of lethal drugs to a patient is a form of “active” euthanasia. True False 49. What characterized abortion law in the United States just before Roe v Wade and Doe v Bolton? a. Abortion was only allowed for "rape, incest and health of the mother." b. No state allowed any form of abortion. c. Many states had allowed abortion shortly after World War II. d. Some states had legalized “abortion on demand,” though most forbade it. 50. Which of the following is not part of "basic care"? a. feeding tube b. hygiene c. hydration d. ventilator 51. Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, promoted eugenics. True False 52. Roe v Wade (and its companion decision Doe v Bolton) decided that a woman had a right to an abortion a. for any reason, for all nine months of pregnancy b. for rape, incest and socio-economic reasons, up to the 12th week c. for rape, incest and maternal health, up to the 24th week d. for any reason, up to the 24th week 53. Which of the following is the clearest case of passive euthanasia? a. Removing nutrition and hydration from a patient in "persistent vegetative state" b. Removing a comatose patient from a respirator c. Discontinuing an experimental treatment with 50% chance of success d. Discontinuing chemotherapy because of dangerous side effects 54. Nobody who defends legal abortion believes that the fetus is truly human. True False 55. Which state does not allow "physician assisted suicide"? a. Washington b. Wisconsin c. Vermont d. Oregon 56. A means is labeled as “disproportionate” when the end result fails to justify the burden of risk, expense and/or physical pain. True False 57. “Euthanasia” comes from two Greeks words that mean a. “good death” b. “blessed rest” c. “true sleep” d. “painless death” 58. Traditionally, Catholics understood a "good death" to mean dying with a. sacraments ("last rites") b. no pain c. no credit card debt d. friends and family 59. When Genesis declares that man should have "dominion" over the animals, dominion comes from the Latin word for a.providence b.lordship c.wisdom d.control 60. Which is the best description of the Catholic Church’s teaching on evolution? a.There is no way in which human beings “evolved” b.It is possible that the human body evolved, but not the human soul c.Both the human soul and body developed over time d.This is a trick question – the Catholic Church has no “teaching” on scientific matters 61. Which view is espoused by Darwin in The Origin of Species and The Descent of Man? a.Man and other creatures were specially created by God b.Man and other creatures evolved by God’s direction from earlier forms c.Man and other creatures evolved by chance from earlier forms d.Man and other creatures developed from extra-terrestrial “seeds” 62. St Thomas argues that "fornication" is against Divine Law but not against "Natural Law." True False 63. Christ forbids divorce in the Gospel of Matthew, because “New Testament” marriage a. is expected to image Christ and the Church. b. will be strengthened by supernatural grace. c. is a restoration of the original “one flesh” union proclaimed in Genesis. d. all of the above 64. The so-called "Comstock Laws" were passed by Catholic majorities in the United States, despite Protestant opposition. True False 65. Griswold v Connecticut overturned the remaining "Comstock Laws" against contraception. True False 66. Which most accurately states the Catholic teaching on artificial contraception? a. Artificial contraception is needed to control the “inferior races.” b. Artificial contraception violates the natural purpose of sexual activity. c. Artificial contraception is only wrong because the Church condemns it. d. Artificial contraception can be moral if the motivation is moral 67. “Annulment” is the Catholic way of ending a valid marriage. True False 68. "Birth control" pills work by using hormones to suppress ovulation. True False 69. The Protestant Reformers such as Luther and Calvin use the story of ____ to prove the Biblical condemnation of contraception a. Obed b. Obediah c. Onan d. Ogalala 70. Which of the following is not a prediction by Pope Paul VI concerning the effects of artificial birth control, especially “the Pill”? a. greater conjugal infidelity, lowering of morality b. a shrinking population of younger workers endangers social programs c. respect for women will decrease, they will be considered objects d. governments will encourage, even impose contraceptive policies 71. The three marriage “goods” are fertility, unity and sacrament. True False 72. The union of man and woman in sacrament of marriage signifies the union between a. Christ and His Church b. Human and Divine nature in Christ c. Adam and Eve d. God and Creation 73. Demography is the study of how food is distributed in a society. True False 74. The minimal “replacement level” TFR (Total Fertility Rate) in developed countries is 2.1. True False 75. The declaration that “what God has joined, let no man put asunder” was first made by a. Moses b. Jesus Christ c. St. Augustine d. St. Paul 76. What problem does the collective trend of having fewer children create for programs such as Social Security and Medicare? a. A smaller number of workers is supporting a larger number of retirees b. A smaller number of workers lowers wages. c. Older people start to retire earlier and earlier d. This is a trick question – retirees are paid from their investments. 77. With few exceptions, the wealthy industrialized nations in the world have TFR levels sufficient for “replacing” the population. True False 78. St. Paul teaches in his Letter to the Ephesians that a. "The primary end of marriage is procreation and education of children" b. "Moses granted you a writ of divorce, because of the hardness of your hearts." c. "What God hath joined, let no man put asunder" d. "Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the Church, and gave his body for it" 79. Which most accurately states the Church's reason for prohibiting artificial birth control? a. Artificial birth control violates the natural purpose of sexual activity. b. Artificial birth control is only wrong because the Bible condemns it. c. Artificial birth control can be moral if the motivation is moral d. Artificial birth control is important for controlling the population of inferior races. ESSAYS: 1. Moral Theology vs Science on Human Nature a. What is human nature? i. Part of the human experience 1. Openness to truth and beauty 2. moral goodness 3. Freedom+conscience 4. our human souls point us towards higher things, which are not physical b. Science- study of physical world/matter/material things i. Very useful for telling us what things are 1. Cannot tell us how to act or why things are c. Morality i. CCC tells us we have a longing for god ii. Human nature has a rational nature 1. We act on conscience- reasoning+judgement iii. It allows us to participate in the natural law iv. Our rational/spiritual soul in immaterial v. This sets us apart from all other creation 1. We have dominion over all animals vi. Most important part of our human nature is reason: it leads us to goodness 2. Natural Knowledge of Morality a. Access to the natural law i. The natural law is naturally known through human reason 1. Part of our rational nature ii. Illustrations to the Tao 1. The natural law gives us precepts/principles (not application) a. Moral reasoning i. major precept, minor precept, conclusion ii. principle, application, judgement 2. We have sinful natures a. So we may not use reason correctly b. We may choose ulterior motives because of this b. What do we need besides natural law? i. CCC says we receive revelation (bible) and grace (supernatural help) ii. With help from god we can get rid of our errors iii. Grace and Revelation build upon the natural law 1. All of the precepts remain true 2. God does not replace, but fulfills c. How does Christianity correct these errors i. The church / through Genesis teaches human dignity ii. We are made in god's image so we have an innate dignity 1. MLK: Christians ended the ancient evil such as gladiatorial contests iii. The evils such as polgamy, human sacrifice are not compatible with the teachings of the gospel 3. Human Rights and the Natural Law a. Natural Law i. Protects the human goods in a society 1. honesty/truth 2. good will 3. life/safety 4. peace 5. etc ii. Protecting these goods in necessary for living in a community 1. It upholds the common good for society and posterity iii. It has the biding force of law b. Fundamental Duties i. Man has duties given to him by the Natural Law ii. Duty to Children (provide & protect) iii. Duty to God (worship) 1. Obey authority, be good, tell the truth, etc iv. Doing your duty is necessary for upholding the common good c. Fundamental Rights i. Mankind has freedoms/rights that correspond with our duties 1. Right to private property, education, freedom of religion, etc.. 2. Right to education 3. Freedom of religion ii. It is illogical to take away rights that prevent man from doing his duty iii. If it prevents the worship of God, we must resist We have rights because we have to do our duty that are given to us by the natural so our rights are natural 4. Marriage and Society a. Marriage is important to upholding the common good; the authority should uphold it (It isn’t just romance) b. Fertility i. Populations being targeted through contraception and abortion ii. Dropping birth rates are a threat to society; aging workforce and not enough births to replace the existing members iii. Problems of disconnecting sex with procreation and turning it into a recreational activity c. Fidelity i. Sexual relationships imply by nature a 25+ year commitment to children ii. Lack of accountability/responsibility in marriage iii. Increase in divorce rates by about 50% iv. Government is required to support single-family homes d. Sacrament/permanence i. Permanence is good for society ii. Marriage is the most basic unit of society iii. It is good to have a commitment in good and bad times iv. If we cannot remain committed to the bonds of marriage, how can anything be binding? 5. Marriage - Natural vs Sacramental a. It's a part of the natural law b. Marriage is upheld throughout cultures as seen in the Tao c. St. thomas- sexual union implies a 25+ year commitment between husband and wife by nature i. Humans require a long time to reach maturity (2 person job) DUTY TO POSTERITY d. Marriage as a sacrament i. Gen 2- “it is not good for man to be alone” 1. Marriage is created by god 2. They form a covenant/ unbreakable promise 3. Union of men/women reflects the love of god for humanity e. Matthew 19 i. Jesus forbids divorce ii. Marriage is meant to be permanent iii. He perfects the law of moses f. Eph 5 i. Marriage is a reflection of the love of jesus for his church ii. Both husband and wife are called to holiness through sacrifice in different ways 1. Men must sacrifice/love their wives as christ loved the church 2. Women must respect/serve Supernaturally created by god reflects christ's love and is a means of grace for the couple ESSAYS: choose 2 out of the A, B, and C; choose either D or E *ESSAY A: Moral Theology vs Science on Human Nature While modern science may seem like a good thing to rely on, moral theology is much more equipped to describe human nature. First, human nature is part of the human experience, which includes openness to truth and beauty, moral goodness, freedom and conscience, and more. Our human souls point us towards higher things, which are not physical, but spiritual. Now, science is the study of the physical world/matter/material things, which is very useful for telling us what things are, but cannot tell us how to act or why things are. On the other hand, morality tells us what science cannot. The CCC (Catechism of the Catholic Church) tells us we have a longing for God, and that human nature is a rational nature. So, we act on conscience, or reasoning and judgement, which allows us to participate in the natural law. Our rational or spiritual soul is immaterial, which sets us apart from all other creation. This means that we have dominion over all animals. However, the most important part of our human nature is reason, which leads us to goodness. In conclusion, science can describe the physical world, but moral theology is necessary to look into the spiritual world and human nature. We are not scientific phenomenons, we cant be explained fully by science. Moral conscience is something that science can detect but not invent. The fact that we are moral beings proves that there is something else going on beyond sciences capacity of understanding ESSAY B Humans have access to the natural law through reason, because it is part of our immaterial rational nature. As seen in the illustrations of the tao, most civilizations share a common set of moral customs. However, not all share these. The natural law gives man the principles of morality, however it lacks application. We apply the natural law through moral reasoning, which starts with a major premise, then goes to a minor premise, then we get a conclusion from them. For example, we move from the major premise of “it is wrong to steal” to “taking this candy without paying is stealing”, then we get our conclusion, which would be “i should not take this candy without paying because that is stealing”. We go through this process by applying already known principles of the natural law to specific situations to get a judgement. However, man has a sinful nature and can easily err in the process of moral reasoning, which may result in bad decisions. So, moral reasoning is not the only thing we need to live good moral lives. The CCC says that on top of the natural law, we require grace and revelation. It is with this help of God's power through scripture and supernatural help that we can fix our mistakes and reach salvation. When God helps us, he does not change the natural law, but builds on top of it. All of the precepts remain true and God does not replace anything, but fills holes where we may go wrong. Christianity helps to correct these with their teachings, spreading grace and revelation. In Genesis, the church teaches that we all have human dignity and because we are made in the image and likeness of God, we have an innate dignity as well. This shows that we are destined towards moral goods and are to fight against evils. For example, MLK said that christians stopped the ancient evils of the gladiatorial games. Also, the many evils of today, like polygamy and human sacrifice do not conform to the teachings of the gospel and are to be rebuked. By upholding the inherent dignity of man and displaying the moral power we possess, the church corrects errors that arise from our conscience. Together with gods powers, they provide a very solid framework for how we are to live our lives for the moral good. *ESSAY C The natural law preserves human rights by protecting the human goods in a society. These include honesty, good will, peace, life, and more. The natural law is essential for protecting these goods, and the goods are key for a society to thrive. By doing this, the natural law upholds the good of society and posterity. The natural law also has the binding force of law so it is applicable to all of mankind that they must follow it. Due to the natural law, man has duties like the duty to provide and protect children, the duty to worship god, and many more like obeying just authority, doing good, etc. In order to uphold the common good, every person must do his their duty. We also have rights that correspond to our duties. We have the right to free religion, education, private property and more. Man must have these rights because it is illogical to remove these rights because doing so would prevent us from doing our duties. More specifically, if it prevents the worship of god, we must resist. *ESSAY E Matrimony is upheld throughout cultures as seen in the Tao. St. Thomas says that a sexual union implies at least a twenty-five year commitment between a husband and wife by nature. This is because of our duty to posterity. Humans require a long time to reach maturity, which is a two-person job. Marriage as a sacrament is supernatural. Genesis 2 states, “It is not good for man to be alone, I will make a helper fit for him.” This passage shows that marriage is created by God, and in it they form a covenant or unbreakable union of man and women that reflects the love of God for humanity. Next, in Matthew 19, Jesus forbids divorce, meaning that marriage is meant to be permanent, perfecting the Law of Moses. Finally, Ephesians 5 says that marriage is a reflection of the love between Christ and His Church. Both husband and wife are called to holiness through sacrifice in different ways. So, men must sacrifice, and women must respect and serve. Matrimony is a natural union for the creation and protection of children, however once that is complete, there is no natural basis that claims that the couple must remain together. But, because marriage is supernaturally created by god, and it reflects christs love for the church, the marriage is a means of grace for the couple, so they are still bound together by the supernatural sacrament of marriage. A. Why can't science be used as a means for understanding humans as moral creatures? a. Can't explain us as moral creatures beyond our composition. It cannot tell us anything about why we are the way we are or how we should live life. The fact that we are moral creatures who have the capacity to understand conclusions beyond science proves that there is something beyond that science alone cannot explain. C. Human rights are natural because they allow us to do our duties given to us by the natural law. If we were stripped of these rights, we wouldn't be able to perform our duties, most importantly honor god. Because some laws and governments restrict these rights, it is our duty as christians to resist for the common good of society. If we are stripped of these rights, we will not be able to do our duties, thus allowing the common good to not be upheld. E. Matrimony lasts for a lifetime because it is both natural and supernatural. The natural aspect gives us the duty to protect and produce children (thomas)... and after this natural union of posterity is over, it would be logical to say the relationship is too. However, the act of matrimony is a sacrament that is created by God and reflects Christ's love for the church. So, the marriage continues on after this natural union ends because it is a supernatural eternal covenant that reflects god's love for humanity and the church