Transcript law as a guide to freedom

LAW AS A GUIDE TO
FREEDOM
LAW AND MORALITY:
SOME DEFINITIONS
CHAPTER OVERVIEW:
• GOOD LAW POINTS OUT THE
BOUNDARIES OF FREEDOM.
• KNOWING AND RESPECTING THE LAW IS
ESSENTIAL TO LIVING A MORAL LIFE.
• GOD GAVE HUMAN BEINGS THE FREEDOM
TO THINK AND CHOOSE.
• FREEDOM MAKS US RESPONSIBLE FOR
OUR CHOICES AND HELPS US GROW IN
TRUTH AND GOODNESS
CHAPTER OVERVIEW, CONT.
• TO THE DEGREE THAT OUR CHOICES
AND ACTIONS ARE VOLUNTARY, WE
ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM.
• WE SHOULD ACCEPT
RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR MISTAKES
AND SINFUL BEHAVIOR, AND
COMMIT OURSELVES TO REPAIRING
HARM DONE AND RESOLVING NOT
TO REPEAT THEM.
CHAPTER OVERVIEW, CONT.
• GOOD LAW PROTECTS US FROM
MANY ACTIONS THAT WOULD HURT
OURSELVES OR OTHERS.
• ROOTED IN THE COMMON GOOD,
LAW GUIDES OUR THOUGHTS AND
ACTIONS AND PROVIDES THE
FOUNDATION FOR MORAL
BEHAVIOR.
WHAT IS FREEDOM?
• THE CHOICE TO DO GOOD, TO LOVE, TO RESPECT
THE WELFARE OF OTHERS
• MAKES US RESPONSIBLE, SELF-DETERMINING,
SELF-CREATING
• OBSTACLES TO FREEDOM: IGNORANCE DURESS,
FEAR, HABIT, INORDINATE ATTACHMENT
• FREEDOM VS LICENSE:
– LICENSE = CHOICE TO DO WHAEVER ONE
WANTS, WITHOUT LIMITS—AN
EXCESSIVE, ABSOLUTE ABUSE OF FREEDOM
EMOTIONS
• EMOTIONS ARE MORALLY NEUTRAL:
TO DEGREE EMOTIONS ENGAGE
REASON AND WILL, WE FIND MORAL
GOOD OR EVIL IN THEM
– IF LEAD US TO DO GOOD—MORAL
– IF LEAD US TO DO EVIL—IMMORAL
DEFINITION OF LAW
• “AN ORDINANCE OF REASON FOR
THE COMMON GOOD,
PROMULGATED BY THE ONE WHO IS
IN CHARGE OF THE COMMUNITY”
• REASONABLE
• FOR THE COMMON GOOD
• MADE BY COMPETENT AUTHORITY
• PROMULGATED (ANNOUNCED SO AS
TO BE KNOWN AND FOLLOWED)
TYPES OF LAW
• ETERNAL LAW—GOD’S PROVIDENCE
– NATURAL LAW
• CIVIL LAW
• DIVINE LAW—HIGHEST NORM OF LIFE
– REVEALED LAW
• OLD LAW—OF MOSES
• NEW LAW—OF JESUS
• CHURCH (CANON) LAW
NATURAL LAW
• “THE LIGHT OF UNDERSTANDING
PLACED IN US AT CREATION”
• “WHAT HUMAN REASON CAN
DISCOVER ABOUT HUMAN
NATURE/MORAL DUTY,
INDEPENDENT OF REVELATION”
• WHAT TO DO: GOOD
• WHAT TO AVOID: EVIL
NATURAL LAW, CONT.
• CORRESPONDS TO THREE BASIC
HUMAN DRIVES/NEEDS:
– PRESERVING LIFE
– DEVELOPING AS INDIVIDUALS AND
COMMUNITIES
– SHARING LIFE WITH OTHERS
NATURAL LAW, CONT.
• EXPRESSED THROUGH NORMS THAT
ARE POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE,
GENERAL OR SPECIFIC
• FOUNDATION OF ALL CIVIL LAWS
AND MORAL RULES: UNIVERSAL,
PERMANENT, UNCHANGING
THROUGH HISTORY
• MAY BE DIFFICULT TO DISCERN DUE
TO SIN, WEAKENED INTELLECT
CIVIL LAW
• “A PARTICULAR APPLCATION OF
THE NATURAL LAW FOR MEMBERS
OF A GIVEN SOCIETY”
• APPLIED DIFFERENTLY ACCORDING
TO CUSTOM AND CIRCUMSTANCES
• NOT ALL CIVIL LAW IS GOOD LAW-CIVIL LAW THAT VIOLATES HUMAN
LIFE/DIGNITY IS MORALLY EVIL
DIVINE LAW
• THE HIGHEST NORM OF HUMAN LIFE
• FOUR PURPOSES:
– TO DIRECT OUR JOURNEY TO GOD
– TO HELP US DISCERN GOOD AMONG
CONFLICTING IDEAS OF RIGHT/WRONG
– TO INSPIRE OUR MOTIVATION
– TO DEFINE WHAT IS SINFUL-DESTRUCTIVE OF OUR RELATIONSHIP
WITH GOD, OTHERS
REVEALED LAW:
THE OLD LAW
• THE LAW OF MOSES--THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS--THE DECALOGUE
• PROHIBITS WHAT IS CONTRARY TO
LOVE OF GOD AND NEIGHBOR
• PRESCRIBES WHAT THE DEMANDS
OF LOVE REQUIRE
• PREPARES FOR THE GOSPEL--THE
NEW COVENANT IN JESUS--THE LAW
OF LOVE
REVEALED LAW:
THE NEW LAW
• THE PERFECTION OF DIVINE LAW
• A LAW OF LOVE, GRACE AND
FREEDOM--KNOWN THROUGH
CHRIST AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
• PRESENTS THE CORE ATTITUDES
THAT MAKE FAITHFULNESS TO THE
DIVINE LAW POSSIBLE: PURITY,
PRAYER, FORGIVENESS, SINCERITY
CHURCH LAW
• MINIMAL OBLIGATIONS FOR
CATHOLICS TO OBSERVE-OBLIGATIONS TO GOD, NEIGHBOR
• SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS OF DIVINE
LAW
• OFFICIALLY KNOWN AS CANON LAW
(REVISED 1983)
CHURCH LAW, CONT.
• 1. YOU SHALL ATTEND MASS ON
SUNDAYS AND HOLY DAYS OF
OBLIGATION.
• 2. YOU SHALL CONFESS YOUR SINS
AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR.
• 3. YOU SHALL RECEIVE HOLY
COMMUNION AT LEAST ONCE PER
YEAR DURING THE EASTER SEASON.
CHURCH LAW, CONT.
• 4. YOU SHALL KEEP HOLY THE
HOLY DAYS OF OBLIGATION.
• 5. YOU SHALL OBSERVE THE
PRESCRIBED DAYS OF FASTING AND
ABSTINENCE.
• 6. YOU SHALL PROVIDE FOR THE
MATERIAL NEEDS OF THE CHURCH
ACCORDING TO YOUR ABILITIES.
LAW AND MORALITY
• LAW WORKS FROM WITHOUT—
COMPELLING US TO DO GOOD AND
AVOID EVIL UNDER PAIN OF
PUNISHMENT
• MORALITY WORKS FROM
WITHIN—FROM THE DICTATES OF
OUR CONSCIENCE