Introduction to Christian Morality | Ethics and Morality | Good and Evil
Summary
TLDRThis video delves into Christian morality, emphasizing that every person is made in God's image and possesses an immortal soul. It discusses the impact of original sin and how baptism mitigates its effects. Morality is defined as the science of what humans ought to be, guided by God's revelation and natural laws. The video distinguishes between ethics and morality, highlighting that ethics is the study of moral principles, while morality is the practice of those principles. It also touches on the importance of love, the role of divine revelation and reason in moral theology, and the challenges of living a moral life.
Takeaways
- 😇 The core of Christian morality is recognizing the dignity of every person as made in the image of God, endowed with an immortal soul and free will.
- 🌟 Humans have the ability to discern right from wrong through intelligence and reason, which are gifts from God, and are thus morally responsible for their actions.
- 🍂 Original sin affects human nature, causing a tendency towards evil, but baptism offers a path to overcome its effects, though not completely.
- 🐾 Unlike animals, humans are morally accountable for their behavior, as morality is a human construct tied to human nature and societal context.
- 📜 Morality is rooted in the natural and eternal laws of God, and our moral lives are guided by both reason and divine revelation.
- 🔍 Morality, as defined by Franz Bakl, is the theological study of norms for free human conduct in light of God's revelation, emphasizing freedom and divine guidance.
- 📚 According to Anton Sertal, morality is a science that examines what humans ought to be, based on their nature and the aim to fulfill their potential as intended by God.
- 👫 Christian faith views individuals as children of God with inherent dignity and an eternal destiny, which shapes the concept of right and wrong actions.
- 🤔 Ethics and morality are closely related but distinct; ethics is the study of moral principles, while morality is the practice of those principles in daily life.
- 🚦 Basic ethical principles include respect for persons, truthfulness, autonomy, and justice, which guide the moral evaluation of actions.
- 🌐 Moral theology is divided into general morals, which address the presuppositions of moral acts, and special morals, which focus on specific responsibilities towards God and the created world.
Q & A
What is the most basic principle of the Christian moral life?
-The most basic principle of the Christian moral life is the awareness that every person bears the dignity of being made in the image of God, possessing an immortal soul and the gifts of intelligence and reason.
How does original sin affect human nature according to the script?
-Original sin affects human nature by darkening our minds, weakening our wills, and inclining us towards sin, even though baptism delivers us from its original state.
What is the role of free will in Christian morality?
-Free will allows humans to seek and love what is true, good, and beautiful, and it is a fundamental aspect of morality as it enables us to make choices about our lives and actions.
Why are animals not considered moral agents?
-Animals are not considered moral agents because they are not responsible for their actions or behavior; morality is a concept that applies only within the context of humanity.
What is the definition of morality according to Franz Bakl?
-Morality, according to Franz Bakl, is the part of theology that searches for the norms of free human conduct in the light of God's revelation.
What are the three elements of morality as described by Anton and Sertal Ages?
-The three elements of morality as described by Anton and Sertal Ages are: morality as a science, morality concerned with what humans ought to be, and morality in the light of what humanity is.
How does the Christian faith define men and women?
-The Christian faith defines men and women as children of God, with basic dignity, an eternal destiny, created by God, redeemed by Christ, indwelt by the Spirit, and destined for eternity with God.
What is the difference between ethics and morality as discussed in the script?
-Ethics is the systematic study of the rightness and wrongness of human actions, while morality refers to the actual principles of right and wrong behavior or the rightness and wrongness of human actions.
What are some basic ethical principles mentioned in the script?
-Some basic ethical principles mentioned in the script include respect for persons, truthfulness, confidentiality, autonomy, informed consent, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice.
How does the script differentiate between physical evils and moral evils?
-Physical evils are those caused by natural disasters or things outside of human control, while moral evils are brought on by the free, deliberate, and unjustified actions of human beings.
What are the two presuppositions in moral theology according to the script?
-The two presuppositions in moral theology are that man possesses freedom of will and that man is accountable to an ultimate value or authority.
Outlines
🌟 Christian Morality and Human Dignity
The paragraph discusses the foundational principles of Christian morality, emphasizing that every person is made in the image of God, possessing an immortal soul and free will. It acknowledges the impact of original sin on human nature, which inclines individuals toward sin but also highlights the role of baptism in delivering from its effects. The concept of morality is introduced as being uniquely human, with animals not bearing responsibility for their actions. The video script also touches on the idea that morality is rooted in the natural and eternal laws of God, and that human beings are reward-oriented, seeking to be good for the promise of salvation. The paragraph concludes with a definition of morality from the perspective of theology, suggesting that it involves understanding the norms of free human conduct in light of God's revelation.
📚 Ethics and Morality: Definitions and Distinctions
This paragraph delves into the relationship between ethics and morality, explaining that while the terms are often used interchangeably, they have distinct meanings. Ethics is described as the systematic study of the rightness and wrongness of human actions, focusing on the theories behind moral principles. Morality, on the other hand, pertains to the principles themselves and the practice of ethics. The paragraph outlines basic ethical principles such as respect for persons, truthfulness, autonomy, and justice, and discusses how these principles are violated in actions like killing. It also explores the origins of the words 'morality' and 'ethics,' linking them to concepts of custom and character. The paragraph emphasizes that morality is intrinsically linked to the human person and their societal responsibilities, acknowledging cultural variations in moral approaches and the inherent goodness or badness of actions.
🛡 The Nature of Evil and Moral Theology
The third paragraph explores the concept of evil, identifying it as anything that hinders human growth and development, such as death, suffering, and discrimination. It distinguishes between 'pre-moral evils,' which are objective evils like natural disasters, and 'moral evils,' which result from human actions. The paragraph discusses the importance of morality in relation to human identity and development, asserting that a shared moral code is essential for societal functioning. It also clarifies that legality and morality are not synonymous, with examples provided to illustrate the distinction. The paragraph introduces two presuppositions in moral theology: the existence of free will and the accountability of humans to an ultimate value or authority, which are foundational for moral duties and the concept of guilt.
🌐 Moral Theology: Foundations and Challenges
The final paragraph addresses the foundations of moral theology, which are divine revelation and human reason. It outlines the two divisions of moral theology: general morals, which deal with the presuppositions of moral acts and their qualities, and special morals, which focus on specific human actions and responsibilities. The paragraph also discusses the challenges faced in Christian moral living, encouraging individuals to become moral agents within their communities. It concludes with a reminder of the teachings of Jesus on love, emphasizing the importance of both faith in God and love for one's neighbor as essential for living a good life, and a closing statement on the objectivity of right and wrong.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Christian Morality
💡Original Sin
💡Free Will
💡Morality
💡Ethics
💡Respect for Persons
💡Good and Evil
💡Divine Revelation
💡Human Dignity
💡Concupiscence
💡Moral Theology
Highlights
The most basic principle of the Christian moral life is the awareness that every person bears the dignity of being made in the image of God.
God has given us an immortal soul and the gifts of intelligence and reason to understand His creation.
Original sin impacts our minds, weakens our wills, and inclines us to sin, but baptism delivers us from its effects.
Morality is founded on the natural and eternal laws of God, derived from our experiences and our belief in salvation.
Humans have responsibility and morality, unlike animals, because of their capacity for reason and free will.
Morality is guided by God's revelation, which unveils Himself in human history and invites people to share in His life.
Morality is concerned with free human conduct and what we do with our freedom, according to Franz Bakl.
Anton Sertal defines morality as the science of what humans ought to be by reason of what they are.
Christian faith views men and women as children of God with basic dignity and an eternal destiny.
Ethics and morality can be used interchangeably, but ethics is the systematic study of the rightness and wrongness of human actions.
Ethics provides systems of moral principles and reasons why these principles are valid, guiding the moral agent.
Morality refers to the principles of right and wrong behavior, or the goodness and badness of human acts.
Ethics as a moral philosophy provides principles on the morality of human acts and a theoretical knowledge of right and wrong.
Morality as a moral theology is the practice of ethics, actualizing theory into real action.
Personal morality is inextricably linked to our responsibilities as members of society and the human community.
Morality has to do with who and what we are as human beings, and our legitimate development as persons.
Authority does not create morality; things are forbidden because they are wrong, not wrong because they are forbidden.
Immoral and illegal are not the same; legality does not necessarily equate to morality.
Moral theology is based on divine revelation and reason or human intelligence.
The challenge to Christian moral living is to become a moral agent within one's own community, guided by love and faith.
Wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it, and right is right even if no one else is doing it.
Transcripts
[Music]
in this video we will be talking about
christian morality we begin by saying
the most basic principle of the
christian moral life is the awareness
that every person bears the dignity of
being made in the image of god
he has given us an immortal soul and
through the gifts of intelligence and
reason
enables us to understand the order of
things established in his creation
[Music]
god has also given us a free will to
seek and love what is true
good and beautiful
sadly because of the fall we also suffer
the impact of original sin
which darkens our minds weakens our
wills and inclines us to sin
baptism delivers us from original sin
but not from its effects especially the
inclination to sin
or known as concupiscence
within us then is both a powerful surge
toward the good because we are made in
the image of god
and the darker impulses toward evil
because of the effects of original sin
let me bring you to the context of
morality
animals are not responsible for their
actions or the way they behave
this is not so with man
there is responsibility or morality only
in the context of humanity
there is no morality outside the context
of humanity
we say there is morality because there
is man
morality is founded on the natural and
eternal laws of god
from the basis of our experiences we
want to be good because of our belief in
salvation
man is indeed a reward-oriented creature
and so we are lucky that god
in his wisdom knows how to reward us
properly not only later in heaven but
already here on earth
our moral lives can't be fully lived
understood
and explained through our reasoning
alone
[Music]
let us see the definition of morality
first according to franz bakl
a german theologian morality is the part
of theology that searches for the norms
of free human conduct in the light of
god's revelation
again morality is that part of theology
that searches for the
first norms of free human conduct then
second
in the light of god's revelation let us
see the two elements according to bachel
first morality is concerned with free
human conduct
it means morality presupposes freedom
and freedom means we can make choices
about our lives or actions
and lastly morality concerns with what
we do with our freedom
the second element is morality is guided
by god's revelation
it means man has more than reason or
human intelligence to guide his actions
we will note that revelation means god
unveiled himself in human history
by inviting people to share his very
life
[Music]
god's self-disclosure is known as
salvation history and this is recorded
in the old testament
the chronicle of yahweh is dealing with
the jews and is fulfilled in the new
testament
when god's own son jesus christ came as
god's final word
his total self-communication
let us have a look on the definition of
morality according to anton and sertal
ages a french theologian
morality is the science of what human
ought to be by reason of what he is
it is concerned with what humans ought
to be in the light of what humanity is
let us see the three elements according
to sertal ages
first morality is a science it means
it is an open-ended body of study it
builds up it develops
it is good to note that the more a
person understands himself
the more refined his behavior will be
the second element is morality is
concerned with what humans ought to be
it focuses on how things should be and
how people should act
the third element is in the light of
what humanity is
morality asks people to be the persons
they are meant to be
[Music]
christian faith defines men and women as
children of god
with basic dignity having an eternal
destiny and is created by god
redeemed by christ indwelt by the spirit
destined to eternity or god
what is right is to act as a child of
god what is wrong is to forget one's
basic dignity
[Music]
and so in anything a christian asks what
is the human thing to do
before we go further let us talk first
about ethics and morality
the terms ethics and morality can be
used interchangeably
however there is a fine line that
divides the two
ethics is the systematic study of the
rightness and the wrongness of human
actions
it is also known as the science of
morals
morality is the rightness and wrongness
of the human action
we call this one as the practice of
ethics
morality refers to principles of right
and wrong behavior
or rightness and wrongness of human
actions
[Music]
in determining the morality of human
actions the moral agent is guided by the
broader rules
or principles of ethics ethics attempts
to provide systems of moral principles
and the reasons why these principles are
valid
[Music]
hence ethics is more concerned with the
theories that can be used to explain why
a particular moral principle is valid or
not
right or wrong it is in this reason that
ethicists have come up with some of the
basic ethical principles that may help
determine the rightness or wrongness of
a human action
some of these basic ethical principles
are
respect for persons truthfulness and
confidentiality
autonomy and informed consent
beneficence
non-maleficence justice
in ethics killing is wrong because it
violates the basic ethical principles of
respect for persons or non-maleficence
in morality we do not kill because it is
wrong
morality comes from the latin word mose
or mores which means custom
ethics is derived from the greek word
ethicos or ethos
the english translation of which is
custom or character
customary behavior ethics is a
philosophical science which deals with
the morality of the human acts
morality of human acts refers to the
goodness or the badness
the rightness or the wrongness of human
acts
[Music]
ethics as a moral philosophy provides
principles on the morality of human acts
provides a theoretical knowledge of the
morality of human acts
provides basis of right or wrong and
good or bad actions
it does not necessarily follow that man
does what he knows ethics does not
actually guarantee that man will be
moral
one can be moral when one applies ethics
or theory
morality as a moral theology means the
practice or practice of the ethics or
theory
properly called applied ethics
actualizes the theory into a real action
the doing of ethics what does moral mean
again moral is from a latin word mores
meaning customs or habitual ways of
doing things
customary ways of doing things can of
course be either right or wrong
good or evil when we say that something
is moral we generally mean that it is
good
in morality the fundamental value is
always the human person
and the person in relationship with
society
we belong to society and the human
community by the very nature of our
birth
thus personal morality can never be
divorced from our responsibilities as
members of that society
since customs practices habitual ways of
doing things vary from culture to
culture
it can be expected that there will be
varying approaches to morality
the major issue in these varying
approaches to morality
is that people have different views of
what is good or evil
speaking of good or evil let us have a
few discussions about the matter
[Music]
every human person has an innate
tendency to seek his or her fulfillment
and perfection
[Music]
the mere fact of being alive and being
human means that one has purpose
one has goals one seeks meaning in life
also it means that one has needs and
desires pursuant to keeping oneself
alive
and seeking one's own fulfillment this
fulfillment or perfection
we call the good hence we can state
another fundamental truth
anything contributing to the full
actualization of human potential
and the proper development of the human
person is good or moral
[Music]
those who believe in god see and
understand god as the final end and
purpose of human life the supreme good
for the believer human development and
human perfection are undertaken in
accordance with god's will
the guiding principle of which is love
god is love
just as anything that contributes to the
proper growth and development of the
human person is good
so anything that frustrates or acts
against this proper growth and
development is considered to be evil
what are some of the things that
frustrate human life and development
in which everyone would therefore
consider evil
here is a partial list death suffering
pain
disability deprivation of freedom
discrimination that deprives one of
opportunity to improve one's self
deprivation of worth and self-esteem
we call these pre-moral evils that is
evils in the objective sense before any
moral slant has been added
human beings may be deprived of what
they need for their growth and
development as persons in different ways
one way that premoral evil may be caused
is by natural disasters such as
earthquakes
floods epidemics accidents and in
general
things which are outside of human
control
we call such evils physical evils but as
we know quite well
most of the evil in the world does not
occur in this way
most evil in the world is brought on by
the free deliberate and unjustified
actions of human beings
we call such evils moral evils
and so moral evils occur when we
voluntarily
and deliberately become involved in the
spread of premoral evil
some important considerations
first morality has to do with who and
what we are as human beings
and with our legitimate development as
persons
[Music]
one does not have to be a religious
person or express belief in god to be
bound by morality
no society can function properly for the
good of its members
unless there is some form of agreed upon
moral code that binds everyone
right is right and wrong is wrong apart
altogether from religion
second authority does not create
morality
[Music]
things are not wrong because they are
forbidden they are forbidden because
they are wrong
and lastly immoral and illegal are not
the same thing
what is legal may not be moral like
abortion and prostitution
doing bodily harm to oneself may not be
illegal but it is almost
certainly immoral driving through a red
light may be illegal but unless there is
a danger of premoral evil to the public
or to oneself it is not immoral
two presuppositions in moral theology
[Music]
first man possesses freedom of will
men experience themselves not merely as
instruments in the hands of higher
forces
but as creative agents
and are able to choose among
alternatives
men are capable of self-determination
second man is accountable to an ultimate
value or authority
this ultimate accountability is what
gives a moral demand or moral duty its
character
only on this condition is it possible to
speak of moral duties which bind a
person in conscience
and which he cannot refuse to obey
without becoming guilty
[Music]
from the commitment to this ultimate
value human life receives its ultimate
meaning
[Music]
the existence of god and man's
accountability to an ultimate value
are not two separate presuppositions
how about the two divisions of moral
theology
first we have general morals this treats
the general presuppositions of the moral
act
and its qualities that it may contribute
to humans final goal
it answers to the question why the
action has to be done
in short it refers to the ethics of
being
second we have special morals it treats
the human action
it answers to the question what action
has to be done
this is the ethics of doing the two
subdivisions of special morals are
first man's responsibility in the
religious realm towards god
and second man's responsibility towards
the created world
his neighbor and the creation around him
what are the basis of moral theology
there are two first divine revelation
our christian
faith that finds foundation in the old
testament and fulfilled in the new
testament and of course we have the
sacred tradition church teachings
the second is reason or human
intelligence
what is the challenge then to our
christian moral living
i leave it to you as i challenge you on
how to become a moral agent within your
own community
let us just remember the teachings of
jesus about love
remember the cross the vertical
direction points to god
and the horizontal is pointing to others
faith in god alone is not enough in
order to live a good life
we must also love our neighbor
finally let me end by saying wrong is
wrong even if everyone is doing it
and that right is right even though no
one else is doing it
may god bless you all
you
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