CHRISTIAN LIVING

Freedom- in general means, having the ability to act or change without constraint. Something is "free" if it can
change easily and is not constrained in its present state.
Freedom in Philosophy and Religion- it is associated with having free will and being without undue or unjust
constraints, or enslavement, and is an idea closely related to the concept of liberty.
MAN’S FREEDOM… A Christian Freedom

• 1730 God created man a rational being, conferring on him the dignity of a person who can initiate and
control his own actions. "God willed that man should be 'left in the hand of his own counsel,' so that he
might of his own accord seek his Creator and freely attain his full and blessed perfection by cleaving to
him.“
• Man is rational and therefore like God; he is created with free will and is master over his acts.do things
that will not, in theory, or practice, be prevented by other forces.
For the sake of simplicity, we will divide freedom up into two main types, namely:
“Inner Freedom”, and “External Freedom.”
1. Inner Freedom
– refers to the freedom to become all we can possibly be. It means freedom from such things as isolation,
suffering, and death; in short, freedom from all that prevents us from being fully alive. It can be defined as the
freedom that promotes the fulfillment of human needs, and from whatever hinders it. It is not achieved once
and for always.
-It is a process of growth that leads to an ever-increasing degree of freedom until a person has reached the
ultimate goal of his/her life.
“Internal Freedom”

• The most and basic type of freedom is embodied by the chap in jail
• Is the greatest personal intimacy and secretiveness, indeed it is the hidden core of our being and
unknowable by others.
• Some people call this moral freedom but this kind of freedom is not in itself moral.
“Self-Freedom”

• In the sense of learning on how to escape the ever-present danger of enslavement by our own passion
and ignorance
• Practice of self-control, restraint and balance to achieve and admired master slave relationship of soul
and over the body
• To find myself
2. External Freedom
– refers to the freedom of action, to do all we can possibly do, or freedom to do whatever we want to do. It is
not the freedom that to be all we can possibly be. This is the freedom that most people think of when they hear
the word “freedom.” External freedom, in a Christian context, is a means to an end.

External Freedom

• This refers to the normal and common freedoms expected in daily life in most countries throughout
history.
• Sometimes called freedom from
 • It implies immunity from undue interference by authority especially by government
Political freedom

• Sometimes called freedom to

• Has to do with establishing certain rights of action and limits the government power that helps to
guarantee the practice of those right
• The right to speak freely to associate with people of your choice to own property to worship
Collective Freedom

• Sometimes called freedom for

• Based on an ideology of collective unity that prescribes distinct social and moral values and objectives
for all
• Example often under this ideal of freedom the state is allowed to control the production of all basic
citizen needs does giving them freedom from want
Spiritual freedom
In its purest form this type of freedom comes from striving for a complete identification with God to arrive at a
condition of soul that transcends the confusion and the harmony of the self and the material world
For this type is trick control if not denial of the allurement of the body lead to complete freedom of the spirit
Responsibilities
-A duty or obligation to satisfactorily perform or complete a task (assigned by someone or created by one's
own promises or circumstances) the one must fulfil and which has a consequent penalty for failure
Responsibility context
Legal
•what can be established in a court on the basic of evidence
•Subject to additional legal criteria
Moral
•what the person actually did (truth, discovery)
•subject to further moral criteria.
Responsibility and justice
Goods
•the traditional concern of distributive justice
•wealth income liberty rights happiness
Bads
•the traditional concern of theories of punishment (retributive justice)
•poverty deprivation constraint ill-treatment misery

An asymmetry in desert:
•deserving a good need to until responsibility (mugging victim deserves compensation; patient deserves
medical care ;everyone deserves respect; even a criminal deserves a fair trial)
•deserving a bad does seem to require responsibility (as in punishment)
Growing in freedom entails a lifetime commitment to follow Christ. In our particular situations, we can
begin through the following ways:
1. Become more keenly aware of how we freely choose and act to identify the inner obstacles to our authentic
human freedom - we can take the first step to overcome obstacles by becoming more aware of our occasions
of sin, as well as our biases, fears, and moral weaknesses.
2. Act in a way that considers the welfare of others- this means that we always bear in mind how our actions
affect our families, close friends, and even society in general. Outreach activities and leadership opportunities
help us grow in our concern for others.
3. Identify and reflect in our personal values- clarifying our priorities based on the examples given by Christ, so
that we cannot be easily get pressured into doing things we are unsure of our personal values and convictions.
In this way, we can hopefully grow stronger to choose what is good.
4. Nurture our prayer life- now a days, we are facing a very deep and strong challenge and disposition in life
most especially we are in the midst of this Pandemic. Despite of our heavy situation, we must nurture our
relationship with Jesus Christ and His Body, the Church through sincere personal prayer and participation in
liturgical worship [on-line Mass/Worship]. In genuine prayer, we recognize how the Triune God works within us
to strengthen us and draw us toward goodness.
THREATS TO FREEDOM
To simply understand this chapter, we will divide the threats to freedom into two types- the Inner or Interior and
External orExterior.
External/Exterior Threats to Freedom
these threats to freedom are forces in society which directly or indirectly endanger our quest for inner freedom.
This arise from environment; these are forces or realities in our community that influence us to act in a
self-centered way. Some external obstacles involve:
1. Oppression 6. Poverty
2. Injustice 7. Peer pressure
3. Prejudice 8. The media
4. Violence 9. Lack of parental supervision
5. Human rights violations 10. Exploitation

As Christ’s disciples, we are called to strive to free ourselves from these external threats by discerning and
choosing what is truly good amidst all temptations to a self-centered behavior. To a certain degree, the bishops
go on to point out to us the following:
Jesus does not simply call us to heaven as individuals. (Christian never goes
to heaven alone).
• Jesus calls us as a people to the kingdom of God.
• We are bound by the love of Christ to work toward the perfection of society in preparation for the kingdom.
• Our call from God comes in and through the society in which we live.
• We are committed to work toward the perfection of society so that all people may find the means to become
all they can possibly be.
• We are invited to get involve in reaching out and helping those whose freedom is being abused.
• Ask God for the grace to overcome our weakness through prayer, the
celebration of the sacraments, and good companions.

Internal/Interior Threats to Freedom

These are threats, as the term implies which come from within ourselves. These are obstacles to true freedom
that come from within us. These threats are even more menacing than those that come from external forces.
These interior realities become obstacles to freedom when they hinder us from doing what is good. Examples
of these are:

1. Vices 6. Ignorance
2. Fears 7. Passion
3. Doubts 8. habits
4. Disordered desires
5. Prejudices

Within each of these is an element for which we are not responsible because we do not have total control of all
our thoughts, emotions and life experiences. At the same time, there is an element for which we are
responsible. It is, of course, the responsible aspects of these hindrances to freedom that are the concern of
moral theology.

Let us give emphasis on the three threats to inner/internal freedom namely: ignorance, passions, and habits.
IGNORANCE
Ignorance is lack of knowledge about a thing in a being capable of knowing.
Fundamentally speaking and with regard to a given object ignorance is the outcome of the limitations of our
intellect or of the obscurity of the matter itself.

Ignorance is a threat to freedom because in ignorance we can hurt ourselves as well as others. Ignorance
blurs an individual’s vision and makes him/her react in an impulsive or instinctive manner rather than in
a rational and responsible way.

PASSIONS
these are emotions or inner forces that affect us both spiritually and physically in moving us to act in a certain
way. The term "passions" belongs to the Christian patrimony.
Feelings or passions are emotions or movements of the sensitive appetite that incline us to act or not to act in
regard to something felt or imagined to be good or evil.
(CCC 1763)
PASSIONS
These passions, such as joy, love, fear and sorrow, are in themselves good, and they form an important
dimension in our lives.
Uncontrolled passions, on the other hand, enslave man/woman. They raw him/her irresistibly and
uncontrollably to the object of that passion, which among others, can be power, wealth, or pleasure. But
is important to see that while under their influence we are restricted in our freedom. This restricting power on
our freedom is where the passions are potential sources of immorality.
HABITS
are a form of second nature to us. These are things that we do spontaneously, effortlessly, without thinking. It is
easy to see why habits are invaluable in our lives.
Habits are very significant in our moral life as well. Habits themselves are neither moral or immoral.
Habit, in psychology, any regularly repeated behavior that requires little or no thought and is learned rather
than innate.
A habit—which can be part of any activity, ranging from eating and sleeping to thinking and reacting—is
developed through reinforcement and repetition.

VIRTUES
Virtues- "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,
whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
(CCC 1803), (Phil 4:8).
- A virtue is a habitual and firm disposition to do the good. It allows the person not only to perform good acts,
but to give the best of himself. The virtuous person tends toward the good with all his sensory and spiritual
powers; he pursues the good and chooses it in concrete actions. (CCC
1733, 1768)
-The goal of a virtuous life is to become like God.
This means that we can develop the virtue of going out our way to help
Others

VICES
Vices- as bad habits, form us to do spontaneously that which in the beginning called for a deliberate act of the
will.
Vices are negative habits that deaden and dull the conscience, incline a person to evil, and habitually prepare
him for sin. (CCC 1865-1867)
Human vices are found in connection with the capital sins of pride, avarice, envy, anger, lust, gluttony, and
sloth (or acedia, spiritual boredom).
Vices can be classified according to the virtues they oppose, or also be linked to the capital sins which
Christian experience has distinguished, following St. John Cassian and St. Gregory the Great.
They are called "capital" because they engender other sins, other vices. (CCC 1866; Job, 31,45).

LAW
Law is a binding rule of conduct which serves to give shape and direction to our freedom. It is considered as good or just

law if it protects and promotes the true freedom of an individual and the community.

According to St. Thomas Aquinas, “law is an ordinance of reason, promulgated by a competent authority for the sake of
the common good”. His definition gives us the four important characteristics of just law.

Just law is an ordinance of reason- a just law should be reasonable, it must be studied carefully and seriously. It should
not be made out of the inclination and caprice of a particular person or group.

A just law is properly promulgated. Laws must be promoted or put into effect by official proclamation. It must be clearly
communicated to the people.

A just law must be ordered by the competent authority. It means that only a person who has the knowledge and legitimate
authority has the power to the author and implement laws in each community.

A just law is for the sake of the common good. The law promotes and respect the dignity and true freedom of a person. It
must nurture the social well-being and authentic development of the community and lastly, it should promote lasting peace
within the society (CCC 1907-1909).

KINDS OF LAW

Natural Law- is the universal moral law grounded on our human nature and knowledge through human reason (Veritatis
Splendor 79). It is universally true for all persons regardless of race, religion, or culture and has remained unchanging
throughout the centuries. It flows from our human nature because God himself is the author of the law.it is not written in a
book or in a code of law but it is accepted by all people.

Examples are:

Maintain your health and wellbeing.

Leave or give to everyone what is his or hers.

Do not do unto others what you do not want others to do unto you. (The Golden Rule) Natural law has three essential
characteristics:

Natural law is universal (Universality)- which means that it applies to all human beings. Its primary principles are self-
evident such that it is for all individuals with fully developed reason to have an invincible ignorance of them. (CCC1956).

Natural law is one and the same for all (Unity and Invariability) – all classes of people possess equal moral dignity as
persons; hence, they possess equal basic rights.

Natural law is immutable (Immutability) – this means that there cannot be any change in whatever is fundamentally good
or evil.
2. Divine Law- They are moral laws revealed to us by God Himself. We encounter this law in the two important events of

our salvation history:

A.The Old Testament.

“The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.. admirable than gold, than a hoard of purest gold, sweeter also

than honey or drippings from the comb” Psalm 19:8,11).

B. The New Testament

“One of them, (a scholar of the law) tested Jesus by asking: “Teacher which commandment in the law is the greatest?”He
said to him, “ You shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the
greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and
the prophets depends on these commandments.”

3. Church Laws

Church laws are expressions of the divine law in the concrete circumstances of Christian living. The Church has handed
to us the teachings of Christ and the apostolic traditions for us to follow so we can have a better faith relationship with

God and with others. And followers of Christ, the Church calls us to participate in the following precepts of the

Church:

• Attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of obligation.

• Confess your sins at least once a year.
• receive the sacrament at least during the
• Easter Season.
• Observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church.
• Provide for the needs of the Church.

4. Civil Laws

Civil laws are human-made decrees that are binding to all citizens of a nation. They are made by elected officers in

order to protect the rights of every members of society.