MORALITY

➢ The quality of goodness or

badness of human acts.
➢ Even if we know what’s right or
wrong, we still do wrong things
because we benefit from
something.
➢ What are the things that affects
our actions? - God’s nature – objective
reference point of moral
Loyalty – tapat values.
Honesty – pagsasabi ng totoo - It is the standard of all
decisions and actions are
MORALITY IS OBJECTIVE measured.
- God’s command –
➢ To not become biased.
foundation of moral duties.
➢ The rightness and wrongness of
- If God does not exist, no
human acts as they conform or
action should be considered
do not conform to the standards.
morally right or wrong.
➢ As we follow the moral aspect,
we should not follow what other
people say based on their
emotions.
➢ Everyone’s judgement should be
based on facts and ideas in
objective morality.

The Imperatives [Importance] of

- Without the existence of a
Morality God or Supreme Being,
➢ The existence of God Morality would make no
- Can we do good without sense.
believing in God? YES - There is no reason for a man
- Can we do good without to deny himself evil but
God? NO. pleasurable acts if there is no
- If God does not exist, final judge to dispense justice.
objective moral values do not
exist.
➢ Existence of Human Freedom
- Morality would be
meaningless if men were not
free
 - Freedom always involves an
option whether to do or not to
➢ Morality helps us to judge the
do.
difference between right and
- If you’re doing something
wrong.
wrong and no one sees you,
➢ Once we know the difference
do you consider yourself
between the two, we can do
having freedom?
what is right and avoid what is
- Christian Freedom means to
wrong. [basic concept of
do what is good.
morality]
- Identifying ourselves as a
➢ We still do wrong for earthly
person. God created us in His
pleasure.
image and likeness (means all
➢ We are human beings.
of us are good).
➢ We are able to think about our
- The most important is the
behavior in order to decide what
wellbeing of everyone.
to say and what to do in any
- We exist to do what is good.
given situation.
- Responsibility is an
➢ Animals vs Humans
indispensable factor of
- Instinct – animals cannot be
morality;
responsible
- Civil Law around the world is
- Freewill and Intellect – animals
based on responsibility which
want to survive; we are
in return is based on freedom
capable to act based on our
intellect as a person.
- Animals act to survive.
➢ Existence of an Afterlife
Humans act according to our
- The soul is immortal or that the
pleasures and enjoy life.
soul will outlive the body is a
➢ When we encounter moral
postulate in morality
situations, we can either act in a
- If there is no life beyond the
way that we know is right, or we
grave, there will be no point in
can do the opposite and act in a
discussing justice
way that we know to be wrong.
- Presupposed retribution –
➢ An immoral person knows the
good acts deserve reward;
difference between right and
bad acts deserve punishment
wrong and chooses to do what is
- Man is believed to have one
wrong.
life. After he dies, he either
➢ A moral person knows the
goes to heaven, hell or
difference between right and
purgatory based on his deed
wrong and chooses to do what is
- Concept of purgatory –
right. [following laws]
concept of the mercy of God.
➢ An amoral person has no regard
[Apologizing to God before
for any standards of right or
dying]
wrong, and just does what
- Mary (Mother of Mercy)
he/she likes.
 ➢ Being amoral = immoral. No grey
area. Doing good should not be
compromised. It’s either one
does right or wrong, no in
between.
MORAL BEHAVIOR CAN DEPEND ON…
➢ The Consequences - what will
happen if they do it/don’t do it.
[[Humas are curious, but should
think of the consequences if it is
good or not]
- People should not only act
without thinking.
➢ Their Emotions – how they will feel
about their decision afterwards.
Mgaing maingat tayo.
➢ The situation – the background,
what led up to it.
- Check the situation before
STEPS IN MORAL DECISION-MAKING
you act.
➢ Laws and Rules - if it is against the
law or the rule.
- Even if we go in different
places, we have the moral
responsibility to follow the
rules/laws. Freedom comes
with Responsibility.
➢ Authority – if someone orders
them, or forces them to do it.
➢ Common Practice – whether or
not everyone is doing it.
➢ Their Conscience – something
that tells them its right or wrong.
VALUES
➢ A value is something that we
think is very important and
worthwhile.
➢ Integrity – how we act based on
any given situation.
➢ Do any of these values apply to
you?
- To be popular
- To have lots of money
- To have lots of friends.
- To be respected
- To get good exam results.
- To have a nice car
- To be good at sports
- To be happy and content.
- To have strong faith.
➢ Our values affect the way we
think, what we say, and how we
behave. [in any moral situation]
➢ Our values are not acquired by
accident, we get our values from
other people.
➢ Can you think of any examples
where these values come from?
➢ Facts – knowing the situation. Do
not conclude at once.
➢ Options – used in
deciding/decision making
➢ Advice – seek advice. Look for
someone who can give you the
best advice. Always seek for the
best people for advice. Their
advice should not compromise
the truth -> The decision may be
toxic in the end.
➢ Values - Always go back to the
values that we know.
 ➢ Prayer
➢ Decision
WHERE DOES OUR MORALITY COME
FROM?
➢ Home and Family
- The home and family play an
important part in influencing
our moral outlook
- Our parents were the first
people to teach us the
difference between right and
wrong.
- First value taught by parents –
the value of love
- As children, we learned that it
is good to share our toys, to
always tell the truth and not
hit other children.
➢ Friends and Peers
- As we grow older, we begin
to be influenced by others
outside the home.
- Going to school, making
friends and mixing with other
children our own age meant
we encountered different
types of values.
- Therefore, it can be said that
our friends and peers also
play an important role in
influencing our moral outlook.
- We change our moral outlook
on friends because of our
friend’s different culture or
also “peer pressure”.
- We need peers to help us get
on track again (if nalihis ng
landas)
- Even if they are good or evil, it
is up for you to decide.
➢ Religion and Church
- People’s moral outlook is
strongly influenced by the
religion in which they have
been brought up.
- Religion gives us the way of
life -> objective morality
- Many young people go to
schools with a religious ethos
where they are educated in
their faith.
- Therefore, the values they
have received at home are
reinforced by the teachings
and practices of their religion.
- Family – foundation of moral
aspect.
- The schools mold their moral
aspect
- Goodness always depends on
people.
➢ Society and the State
- The State passes the laws of
the country.
- Society also plays an
important role in influencing
our moral outlook as it can
decide what is accepted as
good or bad.
- Usually when the majority of
society behave in a certain
way then that behavior can
be become acceptable.
- During elections, take part in
the community especially
people who plan to chose
bad people to change their
decision.
- Politics – fanatic; dapat
walang color color
- During elections, learn how to
express and not be in the
silent majority.
➢ Emotions
 - We can be influenced by our
emotions to behave in certain
ways.
- This can have a positive
impact on us in situations
where we are moved by
sympathy or compassion to
help somebody in need.
- Having too much positive
impact can affect our moral
behavior; it can disappoint
other people.
- However, emotions can also
provide us with negative
outcomes when we are
driven by anger or hatred
when responding to certain
situations,
- When you feel negative
emotions at night, sleep first
and after resting well, it is the
right time to decide.
HENCE…
➢ Moral issues are not always simply
a matter of stating what is right
and what is wrong.
➢ Morality – creating relationships
with other people. It is also
changing the behavior of your
friends or other people. Helping in
moral decision-making.
➢ Morality is about human beings
and their relationships.
➢ We must remember that many
factors can influence the way
people behave.
SOURCES OF MORAL THEOLOGY
1. Scripture
2. Magisterium
3. Experience
4. Natural law
SCRIPTURE
➢ The Bible took more than a
thousand years to take shape.
➢ The Bible does not have one
theology; it has theologies. It
does not have one ethical
perspective; it has a variety if
ethical perspective.
➢ On one hand, the Bible makes
claims for special revelation –
special knowledge given to
persons of faith (10
commandments given to Moses;
revelations given to Abraham.
Commands from God
proclaimed by the prophets; God
speaking to Zachariah, Mary,
Joseph; Paul’s conversion
experience).
➢ The Bible is important because it
is the only source when God
revealed Himself.
➢ This gives us something we need
to follow.
➢ Jesus establishes the moral
aspect of forgiveness, of
prioritizing the last, etc.
MAGISTERIUM
➢ The magisterium is the Church’s
institutionalized teaching
authority on matters of faith and
moral.
 ➢ Magisterium is also used to refer
the hierarchy and their exercise
of official teaching authority in
the church.
➢ The head of the magisterium is
the Pope.
➢ They interpret the scripture to
relate it to the current situation of
the people at present.
EXPERIENCE
➢ Doctrinal development is growth
in the Church insight into Christ;
we grow in understanding what it
means to imitate Christ in our life
as a Church.
➢ Since the time of the early
Church, slavery had been
accepted as a legitimate
practice.
➢ Only in the 19th century that the
world begun to stop the practice
of slavery.
➢ The Death Penalty in the
Philippines is anti-poor,
discriminative, inhumane, and
shows the poor justice system of
the country.
➢ The doctrinal aspect changes
due to experience.
➢ The most important in morality is
also the experience of the
people.
NATURAL LAW
➢ Natural law approach to ethics
has the fundamental belief that
God created an ordered
universe with a specific purpose.
➢ God created human beings with
enough intelligence so that they
can use their reason to observe
the natural world and make
reliable judgements about God’s
purpose and how human
behavior may cooperate with
God’s plan.
➢ Not only about everything
physical, but also the intelligence
of a person [using intelligence
properly].
➢ Using freewill and intelligence to
cooperate with God’s plan.
➢ In morality, it is not only about the
people, it is also the way we
relate with the environment.
SIN AND CONSCIENCE
BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE OF SIN
➢ Two important biblical metaphors
in the Old Testament that
enables us to understand sin in its
proper context: Covenant and
Heart.
➢ Sin – disobedience to the
commandment of God [God
established laws to follow].
COVENANT
➢ Covenant expresses our personal
relationship with God.
➢ God’s offer of love awaits our
acceptance.
➢ Sin understood within the context
of a covenant relationship
between us and God.
➢ Sin in the Bible is not merely
breaking the law. Sin is breaking
or weakening the bond of love
we have with God.
 ➢ The role of God is to protect his
people, while the people return
obedience to Him [creates a
personal relationship with him].
➢ “I will be your God and you will
be my people.”
➢ We have an agreement and
therefore if we disobey/ sin
against God, we do not only
break the law, we also break our
relationship with Him and his
people.
HEART
➢ Divine love is either or embraced
by the heart.
➢ It is where vital decisions are
made; it is the center of feeling
and reason, intention, and
consciousness, decision and
action.
➢ The moral vision of the bible sees
good and evil not just in deeds
but in the heart.
➢ All decisions come from the
heart.
➢ We also break the heart of God
and the heat of His people when
we commit sin.
KINDS OF SIN
ORIGINAL SIN
➢ Exists prior to our free personal
acts.
➢ Deprivation of Original Holiness
and Justice [Original Sin]
➢ It is the human condition of living
in a world where we are
influenced by more evil.
➢ Our whole being and our
environment are infected by this
condition of evil.
➢ Two Consequences: Death &
Concupiscence.
➢ The doctrine of original sin tells us
that we are not completely
broken by sin.
➢ We got original sin from Adam
and Eve when they disobeyed
God.
➢ We were deprived of our true
nature as a person [perfection].
➢ Jesus and Mary have no original
sin.
➢ Baptism removes original sin.
➢ After being baptized, if you did
not do any kind of sin, your body
will be preserved.
➢ We are not completely broken by
sin, and this with the help of
Baptism.
MORTAL SIN AND VENIAL SIN
➢ The term mortal and venial sins
became into use as a result of
efforts to be precise about the
distinctions in the degree of sin.
MORTAL SIN
➢ Mortal sin is a conscious decision
to act in a way that leads to a
turning away from relating to
God, to others, and the world in a
positive and life giving away.
➢ Mortal sin involves the gravity of
the objective harm that the
action causes and how deeply
invested is the person in the
action.
➢ Intrinsically evil – harming
relationship with God and people
[ex. murder, rape, suicide,
stealing, adultery, abortion,
abuse to consecrated objects].
 VENIAL SIN ➢ By allowing ourselves to be
shaped and inspired.
➢ Venial sin is called analogously.
➢ By being open to dialogue with
➢ It wounds our relationship with
others.
God, others and the world but
not radically break the
relationship.
➢ It is action inconsistently with our
basic commitment but it does not
spring from our deepest level of
our knowledge and freedom.
➢ Always connected to the
character of the devil.
➢ Mortal Sin – undergo the
Sacrament of Confession
➢ Venial Sin – receiving of the Body
of Christ in Holy Communion.

CONSCIENCE

➢ Always summoning him to love

good and avoid evil, the voice of
conscience when necessary and
speaks to his heart: do this, shun
that.
➢ Conscience is the most secret
core and sanctuary of a man,
➢ Sanctuary is a holy, sacred and
safe place.
➢ It is the voice of God when the
action is always towards the
good.
➢ If it is a voice that tells us to sin, it
is the voice of the devil.
➢ The voice of God reaches our
heart.
➢ If we continuously commit sin, our
heart is wrapped in sin and not
hear the voice of God.
➢ Conscience → Heart
➢ Our conscience is our guide
➢ Forming conscience is a process
of conversion and lifelong task.
➢ Through prayer and reflection.