Basic

Concept
Of
Christian
 Formation in Morality is at the
forefront of the development of
Formation the faith of a Christian.
in
To live a moral life entails that
Morality Christians conform to the life and
teachings of Jesus.
This chapter will provide a foundational
framework for Christians to clearly
understand morality and enable one’s
Christian faith more aunthentically.
MORALITY

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 In other words, people act
based on standards or
DEFINITIO norms of conduct.

N OF  Each human action is inseparably

MORALIT connected to a quality and
standard of human life, which is
Y MORALITY.

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 Morality is
encompassing
DEFINITIO concept that serves
as the underlying
N OF force for every
MORALIT action of individual,
Y even of a society,

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 Teenagers
decide whether
to engage in
pre-marital sex
or not.

For some, when things get worse such us

getting pregnant, they have to decide
whether to keep the child or opt for an
abortion.
 A student
chooses
to cheat
Since he/she spent most of his/her time
surfing the net and playing online games
instead of reading and reviewing his/her
notes.
These are just few
among the
countless moral
problems and
issues confronting
an individual.
Understanding
morality, as to its
definition,
presents itself
into two forms:
DESCRIPTIVE
and
NORMATIVE. 9
This refers to an
existing code of
conduct put
forward by a
certain society,
contrary to the
Under
descriptive
morality, the
standard of
conduct which is
 This adapts the concept of
universalism, such as the
existence of a code of conduct
that governs all rational persons,
under plausible specified
conditions. Thus, normative
Morality
morality refers to a universal
guide to govern behaviors of all
rational persons, who are
vulnerable but still should be
moral agents.
 For example, the dignity and
worth of a human life is a
universal concept freely
embraced by all individuals
regardless of their profile
Morality
(religion, ethnicity, gender and
others). All cultures put a high
regard for life and attach
respect and honor to it.
Human
intelligence can
be a powerful
guide in
working out
moral
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However,
Christians have
more than reason
to guide them and
this is the person
and life of Jesus
Christ our Lord,
the perfect norm of
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 People vary widely on what
they think is a proper definition
of humanity. For a person who
is pre-occupied on
himslef/herself and does not
 On the other hand, a true
Christian decides on action that
is proper for a child of God as
seen in the life and teaching of
“What does a human
being ought to do?”
Misconceptions
about Morality
1. Morality is a matter of
opinion
Everyone is entitled to
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1. Morality is a matter of
opinion
There are no
ultimate guidelines on 21
 2. All opinions
about morality are
equal and correct
is entitled to
his/her own
opinion, it is also
upheld that one’s
moral belief is
 3. Morality is
outside the world
of the “Practical
People”
importance since they
do not contribute to
one’s material
progress; hence,
morality produces
For instance, a woman
resorts to abortion
because the child is
considered as a
hindrance to her other
plans and live her life
according to her
preference.
Practicality must be
geared towards what
is GOOD, not only
for oneself, but also
for others.
 4. Morality develops
guilt and moral
obligation which make a
person’s life unhappy.
Guidelines or the norms
of morality put a
boundary and pressure
on an individual. When
he/she fails to measure
However, such saction or
disciplinary action
should not be seen as a
punishment but part of
5. Morality is
centered only
on the act itself
setting aside
The action is
judged according
to how it appears
regardless of the