Christian Moral Living

 “So for one who

knows the right
thing to do and
does not do it, it
is a sin.”
James 4:17

Mr. Pablo Cuadra

Religion Class
Qu estio n?
 Why do you think
people commit
actions that they
know are sinful or
wrong?

 Ex: Speeding
Asp ects o f Mo rali ty
 A. The ability to know .
right from wrong.
The ability to know
good from evil.
 B. The ability to
distinguish what is
appropriate from
what is inappropriate.
 C. The commitment
to do what is right.
Qu estio ns?
 What is one action
you consider wrong
or evil?

 What is one action

you consider right or
just?
Ch rist ian Mo ral L ivi ng
 Christian morality is
based on the teachings
of Jesus and his Church
through:
 The teachings of the
Magisterium (Pope,
bishops).
 The essence of Jesus’
teaching is love.
Ch rist ian Mo ral L ivi ng
 Jesus summarized the
way we are to live when
he taught:

“You Shall love the the

Lord, Your God, with all
your soul, and your
neighbor as yourself.”

Matthew 22: 37-39

Qu estio n?
 Why is loving our
neighbor as
important as loving
God?
Ch rist ian Mo ral L ivi ng
 Jesus’ teachings about love
have two dimensions:
1. Vertical = pointing to God
2. Horizontal = pointing to
others

 Faith in God alone is not

enough in order to live a good
life. We must also love our
neighbor.
Qu estio n?
 Why do you think
people who consider
themselves
Christians commit
actions that are not
Christ like?
Did Yo u Kn ow?
 The book, The Day
America Told The Truth
reports:

91% of Americans lie on

a regular basis both at
home and at work.

Most Americans admit

goofing off on the job on
the average of seven
hours per week,
according to this book.
Did Yo u Kn ow?
 Most workers admit
calling in sick
regularly even if they
feel well.

 25% of Americans
say they would be
willing to leave their
families if offered $10
million to do so.
Did Yo u Kn ow?
 23% of Americans
would be willing to
act as prostitutes for
a week for that same
amount.
Did Yo u Kn ow?
 7% of Americans
would agree to
murder strangers if
offered $10 million
dollars.
Qu estio n?
 Do you think money
has the power to
blind people’s good
judgment?
Ca tholic F aith
 A. The Catholic Faith
teaches that “wrong
is wrong, even if
everyone is doing it.”

 B. And that “right is

right, even though no
one else is doing it.”
Ca tholic F aith
 God is going to judge
us:

on our COURAGE

to choose what is
good in ALL
circumstances.
Qu estio ns?
 What makes
something wrong?

 What makes
something right?
Th e So urces o f
Mo ralit y
 Because we have
free will and reason,

we are responsible
for our acts

and our failures to

act. (sin of omission)
Th e So urces o f
Mo ralit y
 We can judge whether
our actions are good or
bad by reflecting on
three traditional sources
of morality:
 A. The object
 B. The intentions
 C. The circumstances
Th e So urces o f
Mo ralit y
 A. The object
Chosen (What I
choose to do).
 B. The intention
(Why I choose to do
something).
 C. The
circumstances (The
what, where, when,
how of my actions).
What is th e Object
Ch osen?
 In morality the Object
chosen is what we
choose to do, the act
itself.

 The act can have good

matter, bad matter, or
just be neutral.

 An example of a good
act could be tutoring a
classmate in math.
What is th e Object
Ch osen?
 Bad matter
automatically makes
an act evil.
 Ex: Gossiping about
a classmate is
consider bad matter.
 Spreading half truths
about someone is
always wrong.
Qu estio ns?
 What is one thing
you would consider
bad in itself?

 What is one thing

you would consider
good in itself?
Th e Intentio n

What is the intention?

 A. The motive
 B. The purpose
 C. The end for which
we choose to do
something.
Th e Intentio n
 Our intentions
answer why we acted
in a certain way.
 Intentions can be
good, bad, or mixed.
 Intentions determine
whether our acts are
morally right or
wrong.
Intentions
 An example of a good
intention:
 You tutor a friend because
you want him or her to do well
on the upcoming test.
 In this example, what you
choose to do, the Object, and
why you choose to do it are
both good.
 The act is good.
Intentions
 Our intentions may also
be mixed.
 Example: You can give
money to a charity for
two reasons:
 First, you wish to help
the poor.
 Second, you want to be
praised for your
generosity.
Intentions
 A good intention can
never turn something
that is bad (the object)
into something good.

 Ex: Robbing a bank in

order to help the poor.
Intentions
 Good intentions can
never justify
choosing something
that is by its nature
wrong.
 Example: cheating
to get higher grades
so you can get into a
good college.
Intentions
 Wanting to go to a
good College is a
worthy motive;
however, cheating is
a bad action.
 A good intention
cannot make
something that is bad
into something good.
 The opposite is true.
Intentions
 A bad intention can turn
something that is good
into something bad.
 For instance:
complementing
someone just to get a
letter of
recommendation.
 In this case, one is
insincere and deceitful
using a person to get
something you want or
need.
Qu estio n?
 How would you feel if
you discovered your
friends are nice to
you just to get
something out of
you?
Cir cums ta nces
 Circumstances are
the how, who, when,
and where of an act.
 It includes the act’s
consequences.
 Circumstances can
lessen or increase
our responsibility for
an act.
Cir cums ta nces
 Ignorance, fear,
psychological, and
social factors can
lessen and in certain
cases cancel out our
responsibility for our
actions.
Su mma ry
 For an act to be morally
good and acceptable,
the object, the intention,
and the circumstances
must all be good.
 A person also has to
have full knowledge of
his or her actions.
 And free consent of the
will (permission to act in
a certain way).

The end