A VIEW TO ACHIEVING SOMETHING ... GOOD

I recently read the following quote from Aristotle's POLITICS:

"Men do all their acts 

with a view to achieving something 

which is, in their view, good." 

It reminded me of what I have said 

after one of the many times I did something incredibly foolish: 

"It seemed like a good idea at the time."

LAW DEFINES BELIEF; BELIEF REVEALS RELATIONSHIP

"Breaking the law" is a breach of relationship. One who does not acknowledge the law of another is in enmity with the other. Enemies do not usually recognize one another's laws except if they have made some agreement with one another in order to limit the potential of conflict. Such agreement recognizes the need for law to guide living with one another. "Breaking the law" is what happens when one resists acknowledging the priority of the other.

Given that God is prior to all others, God, as the Creator of all things, is the ultimate Lawmaker/Lawgiver. All Creation is bound to keep God's law because of God's priority. Any Creature who does not acknowledge the Creator is in enmity with God; unbelief does not exempt one from the consequences of breaking the law.

Belief may be considered to be the revelation of relationship; one who does not believe in God reveals oneself as an enemy of God. Ignorance of God's law is no excuse, for belief is prior to knowledge. One of the functions of law is to help define belief. Law may be considered to be the language of belief.

A plurality of beliefs becomes problematic for any community to function. Persons who desire to live with one another must abide by some common basic belief; laws follow from this. Law codifies what persons in community commonly believe. When relationship between those persons is good, there is no call to codify the laws governing that relationship. Laws follow from a breach in relationship or concern for the potential of a breach (as in the case of God's command to Adam not to eat of the Tree of Good and Evil).

WHAT IS LAW?

In class we continued our discussion of THE TEN COMMANDMENTS by considering what "law" is. Recalling how Scripture introduces the Ten Commandments by referring to "the LORD your God," I emphasized that law implies obligation, a concept which may offend someone's sense of "freedom." I asked whether one's resistence to the law (any law, but especially the law of God) may be related to one's unwillingness to be obedient. Recognizing the authority of one's Creator over His Creation is vital to any understanding of one's responsibility in regard to the law. Any law is ultimately derived from and grounded in this relation of Creation to the Creator.

Read CCC 1950-1986 to learn what the Church teaches concerning THE MORAL LAW (in class we only read 1950-1953). Consider what it means to abide by the law; what is the most important thing? Think about what Jesus said about those Pharisees whom he called "hypocrites." Think also about the connection between law and relationship.

Class began with the question "What is law?" 

It ended with the question "Who is judge?" 

Between those two questions came much discussion. 

The following is what appeared on the board (with some ammendment):

What is law? [students handed in their written responses]

Read Romans 2:12-14 - used to judge

[written] set of rules & regulations - many kinds

--> used for references

guide - the way we live

[implies boundaries, like the banks of a river;

law defines society 

(outlaw = one living beyond the borders defined by law)]

In taking action, a person makes a judgement to do so: 

judgment --> action

A person' action is judged by others; 

Christians believe God ultimately judges everyone: 

action --> judgment

The Ten Commandments present the law as given by God to the COMMUNITY of believers who acknowledge Him as "our LORD." Christians understand God through Jesus CHRIST, who is revealed in the CANON of Scripture. This class, as a COMMUNITY, is in agreement to accept the CANON of Scripture as taught in particular by the Catechism of the Catholic Church, in order to come to an understanding of Christian Ethics which purport to follow the way of CHRIST. Such agreement reminds us of the Covenant of Law made between God and Israel - law faciliates right relationship with one another.

Reading Scripture

I read aloud from the Gospel of Luke in class the other day and had students write down their thoughts. Read it yourself (in particular, Luke chapter 4:1-30; 13:18-20, 22-30; 21:1-4; 22:39-47; and 24:13-50), preferably aloud, then write down whatever comes to mind. No right or wrong way to do this - just articulate in writing what you may be thinking in the context of having read the Gospel of Luke.

In class I emphasized the importance of reading scripture to Christian Ethics. Christ, Canon, and Community provide the framework for Christian understanding. Reading Scripture applies to the Canon portion of this framework; we understand Scripture to be the Word of God, which makes it applicable to Christ as well; reading the Scripture together lets us share a common experience, which makes it applicable as well to community.

I encouraged the class to make scripture reading a regular part of daily life. Doing this will let Scripture be significantly formative for how we imagine life to be. Such an imagination is essential for practicing Christian Ethics.

God's alliance with us

A student commented that "covenant" meant God forming an alliance with people. This is a good way to think of it - God allies himself with those in covenant with Him. That alliance is dependent on God being a trustworthy ally and on actually trusting God. The trouble comes when we don't trust God to be "in command" of the alliance and reject His commandments. To whom then are we allied? Whose commandments do we obey? If not God, whom do we follow? I cannot act apart from my relationship with others; who are these others? Are they allies or enemies of God?

If one claims there is no God, then how are alliances made? Who can we trust? Who is in command? Someone must initiate an alliance - such initiation is always made by someone other than oneself for one is born into a community of already existing alliances. As one matures, that person accepts or rejects such alliances. The Church purports to be a trustworthy community in which one may find full fellowship of like-minded allies of God.

To whom have you allied yourself and why? You need not answer me, just yourself (and, from my point of view, God). Christianity claims that following Christ is the way of being allied with God who was pleased to accept the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross as the completion of God's OLD covenant (DO WHAT THE LAW COMMANDS OR DIE). In the resurrected Christ Jesus we find ourselves in a NEW covenant that is summed up in the commandment to completely love and live: Love the LORD God with all one's heart, soul, mind and strength. Love one's neighbor as oneself.

Christian ethics is the manner of considering how to live out alliance with God - that is, being in covenant with God in Christ Jesus.

Why bother being a Christian?

"Love is all you need" ... if the love is of God. The Epistle of John tells us that God first loved us, "while we were yet sinners." Being sinners, we stand in need of salvation. It is the grace made possible through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross that permits even the possibility of salvation. Separating Christ from God is not an option, for Christ is God and God is love.

Turning toward God is a continuum
from total sinful ignorance
to facing the fact of one's sin
to repenting of said sin
to responding to the call to follow Christ

by loving God in Christ whle living a life of love toward others.

Christ is involved in the beginning of that process,
is present during the process,
and will be there when the process is complete.

Caution against "dualistic" thinking

Jesus did act "in the flesh" but not "according to the flesh."
Rather, he acted "according to the Spirit."

I emphasize this to caution against dualistic thinking that dissassociates body and spirit in a way that completely discounts bodily actions. Humans are free to act otherwise than according what bodily functions (flesh) demand. The body is not bad, but one's life encompasses more than just one's body; thus life decisions must consider more than just one's body as well. Of course, one's decisions must be wise in carelfully considering the wellness of one's body, or else one's life will not be very well sustained.

What sets Christian ethics apart from any other ethical system?

Every ethical system discourages persons from doing to others what would not be desirable to have others do to them. Only Christianity can call us to actually do good unto others because what Christians do is done not merely under their own power but in the power of the resurrected Christ.

God participates with us so that we CAN do what He has called us to do. Christian Ethics is no mere system of "Do this, don't do that." It is the call of the Gospel proclaiming that, because of what Christ did, we can do that which pleases God. He came in the likeness of man so that we can become transformed into the likeness of God.

Things I do are evidence that I am willing to be someone who does those things. If I am not willing to be a robber, than I must not rob. If I am not a robber, robbing must have no part in anything I do. If I am a Christian, I do what Christ calls Christians to do - Love God with all my heart, mind, soul and strength, love others as myself, love as God in Christ Jesus loved me. If I do not love like this, I cannot call myself a Christian until I confess and repent of such contrary behavior.

It is impossible, however, to do this completely on my own and that is why I must rely on the grace of God to completely do it for me. Having had this already done for me in Christ, I can call on God to empower me to go on and do whatever is consistent with the Christian gospel. I am powerless otherwise; do what I may, I cannot be strong enough to overcome my sinful weakness, and thus cannot BE more than a sinner without the Spirit of Christ DOING through me what God requires me to DO.

"Hardness of heart"

Our willingness to do God's will is prior to our understanding of what God's will is. Often a person's negative reaction to Church doctrine stems from his or her unwillingness to submit themselves to God's will, what Scripture calls "hardness of heart."

I challenge you to examine yourself to discern your own willingness to yield to God so that your own understanding would not be obscured by such a hard heart.

A comment that caught my attention (in a discussion of Margaret Sanger's self-description about her unfitness) was "I love me too much to try to love another human being." I would say that it was precisely because she did NOT love herself that she felt unfit to love another.

Remember the Great Commandment: "Love the LORD your God with all you heart, with all your mind and with all your strength." This is what enables one to love oneself; not loving God devolves into loathing oneself. Loving God enables us to go on to "love one's neighbor as oneself."

I am amazed how the story of Margaret Sanger does not disgust those who advocate the "pro-choice" position. It is a false idea about freedom that beguiles people to adopt such wrong-headed agendas.

Have any of you ever heard of "the American Baby Code" that allegedly was drafted by Margaret Sanger and published in 1934 in AMERICAN WEEKLY magazine? The following appeared in a blog at http://awashingtondccatholic.blogspot.com/2008/12/american-baby-code.html
Article 1.
The purpose of the American Baby Code shall be to provide for a better distribution of babies. To assist couples who wish to prevent overproduction of offspring and thus to reduce the burden of charity and taxation for public relief and to protect society against the propagation and increase of the unfit.
Article 2.
Birth control clinics shall be permitted to function as services of government health departments or under the support of charity, or as non-profit, self-sustaining agencies subject to inspection and control by public authorities.
Article 3.
A marriage license shall in itself give husband and wife only the right to a common household and not the right to parenthood.
Article 4.
No woman shall have the legal right to bear a child, no man shall have the right to become a father, without a permit for parenthood.
Article 5.
Permits for parenthood shall be issued by government authorities to married couples upon application, providing the parents are financially able to support the expected child, have the qualifications needed for proper rearing of the child, have no transmissible diseases, and on the woman’s part no indication that maternity is likely to result in death or permanent injury to health.
Article 6.
No permit for parenthood shall be valid for more than one birth.
Article 7.
Every county shall be assisted administratively by the states in the effort to maintain a direct ratio between county birth rate and its index of child welfare. When the county records show an unfavorable variation from this ratio the county shall be taxed by the State…. The revenues thus obtained shall be expended by the State within the given county in giving financial support to birth control…..
Article 8.
Feeble-minded persons, habitual congenital criminals, those afflicted with inheritable diseases, and others found biologically unfit should be sterilized or in cases of doubt should be isolated as to prevent the perpetuation of their afflictions by breeding.

Dealing with responsibility

You highlight an important point: dealing with responsibility. The responsibility with which every human must deal is how one is to respond to what God commands. Please understand that a person's rights must be measured by what is right, not by what one wants. The Church insists that we calibrate our measure of what is right by the eternal Word of God, not the passing fancy of contemporary culture.

Those with faith do care and are careful to live in obedience with the commandments of God. Please consider whether what you believe is consistent with what the Church teaches.

More the merely "religious"

I understand your concern about taking a "religious" class. This course is theological rather than merely religious; in other words, it approaches issues academically from a theological perspective. That is, it continually takes God into consideration when discussing any issue. Being a course in "Christian ethics," the issues under investigation concern ethics as understood from a Christian point of view. It is my responsibility to present what we study in that way; it is your responsibility to try to understand what is presented and participate with the understanding that Christian theology provides the boundaries for our discussion.

Thinking theologically is not hard; what is hard is to be systematic about it. The Roman Catholic Church has been very careful in developing its systematic theology (the Catechism of the Catholic Church is evidence of this development); this is certainly not the case with all Christians. I hope that by taking this class you will learn how to better systemtize how you think theologically. All I ask is that you read what I ask you to read and be willing to participate in the class by attending to class discussion, contributing as you are able and asking questions as they come to mind, either in person or by e-mail.

I hope you will always find me available to approach with your questions and concerns.

Opinion or Doctrine

Please don't take offense if I point out how your OPINION differs from Church DOCTRINE. I expect you to frame your comments in like manner - show me how what we say compares to what the Church teaches. If you believe that your opinion is consistent with Christianity, but inconsistent with Church doctrine, than it is your responsibility to better define what YOU mean by Christianity (and it is my responsibility to point out any inconsistency).

Christianity is first and foremost concerned with being in right relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Church doctrine defines what it means to be in such a right relationship. This doctrine is not merely opinions of individuals within the Christian community. In the case of the Catholic church, this doctrine can be found in the Catechism so that the opinion of individuals can be compared to what is written there.

I am not just spouting my "opinion" because I am very careful to cite a reference for what I say so that you can compare my "opinion" to another source. I do this for clarification so that we can understand how we agree or disagree.

The norm in the case of this THEOLOGY class is not some personal opinion, but what the Church teaches concerning Christian Ethics. Class discussion revolves around that norm. I encourage students to consider any opinion in terms of the Christian norm, not the norm of non-Christian culture.

I understand my bias and continually consider whether my bias is consistent with Christianity; this is how I make informed decisions. My goal is to teach you how faith and right relationship are defined in the Christian context of Catholic doctrine. What you may consider "narrow" I consider "defined." Please consider the need for definition in communication; words have to mean something.

What motivates people to "do" theology?

Having a hard time believing in God is what motivates people to "do" theology. Working out one's belief is really a good thing. Let me assure you that God is working with you. In the Letter of Paul to the Philippians 2:13 we read that "God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and work." I encourage you to read the whole of that epistle where you will find much to help you in working out your struggle of faith.

What does it mean to "have good morals"? For "everyone" to have "good morals," there must be a common understanding about what that means. Such commonality is essential to community. This is where the Canon of Scripture comes in - reading scripture together helps us share something common in our imagination; it will help each of us in how our conscience is formed, which in turn will influence our moral life. Working toward agreement will be hard at times, but such work is the mark of maturity and will be very beneficial for right relationships to develop.

I do hope you make Scripture reading part of your daily life. Read the Bible yourself, then integrate that into your relationship with others through questions and discussion; find people whom you trust to be wise regarding their understanding of Scripture - this is a major reason why "going to church" is so important. The Catholic Church presents herself as a trustworthy environment for working out what your believe with others.

In any case, don't do this alone. Having been given the Word of God in Sacred Scripture, we are called to be Christian disciples in community as the Body of Christ (and in turn benefit from the wisdom of Sacred Tradition). Alone you really cannot completely conceive what the call of Christianity entails. At some point, you need to humble yourself and learn from the conceptions of others, and especially from that One Other, Jesus Christ whose Holy Spirit guides us into all truth of knowing Father God.

THE ETHICS OF SELF & OTHER

SELF
I think …
I believe ….

OTHER
Christians believe …
The Church teaches …
According to Scripture …
In the Catechism we find …

During class discussion, one student said,
"Religion is how to live with other people."

I reconsidered her definition of religion in the following way:
How to love God / how to love others;
i.e.
· Love the LORD God

with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul, all your strength;

· Love others as yourself.

The human being is most immature in infancy
– aware only of self and not any other.
An immature experience of pleasure or pain
is wholly associated with oneself.

However,
others define self.
As one matures,
one becomes aware of otherness
through interactive experience.
This social interaction with another
begins to form one’s conception of oneself.

Society is formed by many others
living in groups with one another.
God is the ultimate Other
of whom those in society may or may not be aware.
In Christian ethics,
awareness of the presence of God
is a constant consideration in all social interaction
no matter whether or not the one with whom a Christian interacts
claims to be agnostic or atheistic.

Any human ethic must consider the other.
Indeed, ethics is the way one deals with another.
It is oxymoronic to speak of "self-centered ethics."
In Christian ethics, consideration of others is paramount.

"If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

Adapted from 6th Chapter of Theological Foundations:

Concepts & Methods for Understanding Christian Faith.
Mueller, John J. / ISBN 978-0-88489-920-4

If we are living a moral life,
then there will be an abundance of evidence
to answer questions regarding our conviction.
The evidence presented would need to include
events or actions witnessed by others,
not simply your privately held beliefs.

If I say “I love you,”
then I must mean it and prove it in action;
if I say “I trust you,” then I must mean it and prove it in action;
if I say, “I will be there when you need me – I am your friend,”
then I must mean it and actually do it.
It is a matter of religious integrity,
of actions matching beliefs and intentions.
We are not talking about disposable commitments;
we are talking about our cherished beliefs and hopes.
For this, Christians rely on the grace of God to sustain us.

Theology reflects on these daily experiences
of trust and mistrust, fidelity and infidelity, truth and lies.
The discipline in theology is called “Christian morality,”

or sometimes “Christian ethics.”
It is Christian because

it flows from a religious belief

in God’s encounter with us, a love relationship;
consequences result

where “my actions speak louder than my words.”
Whether an action is moral or ethical

is in the response to two interrelated questions:
(1) Is it truly human, or not?
And (2) Does it express love of God and neighbor, or not?

A course in Christian Ethics

addresses these various areas of our decisions
and the formation of our conscience toward what is good.
It takes on the question of our freedom and limitations,
the twin wisdom sources of tradition and authority,
and how to think morally.
An important condition for moral decisions

is the changing situations and circumstances of life.
The challenge of living a moral life requires Christians to

reflect on, examine, and clarify their motives;
consult others;
and pray to God for guidance

to respond as loving followers of Jesus.