Chapter 2 Notes

Making Moral Decisions

Search Out the Facts:

 Catholic morality is based on ______________, on the way things
are, on how God ________ them and ______________ them to be.
 The foundation of all knowledge we acquire comes from
answering ____________________ beginning with ______, ________,
__________, ________, ______, and ______.
 These ______________ revealing questions unearth the 3 major
aspects of every moral action:
 __________ ____________ (what)
 ________________ (why)
 ____________________ (who, where, when, and how)

Moral Object:
 Moral Object:
 The moral content of an action that suggests whether the
action is directed toward the ________ ________.
 A ________ question helps reveal to us whether our action is
________ or ______.
 An objective ________ of morality, like the 10 Commandments,
“express the rational order of good and evil, attested by
conscience.” (CCC 1751)
 Some actions are __________________ always ________. These
actions can never be _______________.
 ______________- what we do- make up the ______________ of the
moral object. They are the _____________ __________________ in
judging if something is __________ or _________________.

Intention:
 Intention:
 The ______ or ________________ of a course of action.
 Why you did something is an essential element for judging the
_______________ of an action.
 Because intention resides in the will of the person
(______________) acting, it is often referred to as the
___________________ _____________________ in morality.
 Means:
 A ______________, course of action, or ______________________
by which something can be accomplished.
 My ________ intentions do not make an act good if the means I
use are ________.
Circumstances:
 Circumstances:
 The ___________________ or __________ attending an event
and having some bearing on it.
 The answers to questions that begin with ______, __________,
________, and ______ help reveal the circumstances of a moral act.
 Circumstances can ______________ or ______________ the moral
goodness or evil of an act.
 Circumstances can also diminish or increase a person’s
_____________________ or __________________________ for a
particular action.

Alternatives and Consequences:

 Rarely is there just ______ possible way out of a moral dilemma.
 ___________________:
 Until alternatives are considered, moral decisions should
not be made.
 ____________________:
 While consequences or outcomes are important to
consider, they are neither the ________ or _______________
factor in the morality of actions. The __________ __________
is the decisive factor.

Others:
 _______________________:
 We have the duty of observing the constitutions and
decrees conveyed by the legitimate authority of the
Church.
 _____________:
 Christian moral living is sustained by prayer.
 Prayer is ____________________ with God, which includes
both ______________ and ________________.