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Becky Parker
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I was discussing a question with a person yesterday and I need some help. He said that the morality of an act is based on whether or not that act is "in harmony with being a human being". That did not sound right to me. I'm looking for something from the Catechism, or anything, that will help me with this discussion. This person is very liberal, and knows his stuff so he's hard to argue with. Any help?
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Becky
Wife to Wes, Mom to 6 wonderful kids on Earth and 4 in Heaven!
Academy Of The Good Shepherd
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dinasiano
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Becky,
Did he give examples of what he means? That seems pretty broad. Artificial birth control is not "in harmony with being a human being". Is he saying that artificial bc is immoral? If so, I'll agree with him on that specific example! 
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stellamaris
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Becky, your instincts are correct. This friend has left out a crucial concept. First of all, consider his statement that a moral act is "in harmony with being a human being." Now, we know that one of the fundamental elements of being human is to have FREE WILL. So, he is saying that an act could be moral if it is in harmony with the human possibility of exercising free will. However, in the exercise of free will, one can always choose to do that which is objectively evil (and which pretty much anyone would agree is immoral). For example, it is "in harmony" with human free will to choose to kill another human; does this mean it is a moral act? Of course, not! Furthermore, under your friend's definition, a dog could perform a moral act just by acting like a dog, but who would ever say that digging a hole for your bone is a moral act???
What your friend overlooks is the idea of PURPOSE. Man is created by God with a purpose, an end. If your friend can't admit to this, then, really, he can't even say there is such a thing as "moral" in the real sense. If there is no purpose for human existence, then it makes no difference at all how you behave...may as well just steal everyone's money and have a wild time...it won't matter--neither good nor evil will ultimately or eternally come from it if there is no purpose for our existence. So, if he won't agree on this point, you probably can't have a discussion with him that makes any sense. However, if he admits that human beings have a definite purpose, then he is essentially acknowledging some kind of Creator God and that our acts must be ordered to a given end...they must be "in harmony" with our purpose as a human being. To restate, "moral" acts are those acts which are congruent (or "in harmony") with our PURPOSE as human beings. If a person acts in a way that is in keeping with his/her purpose as it was intended by God from the beginning, then, yes, that person is acting in accordance with the will of God and is acting morally. If a person, exercising free will, subverts his purpose by an act opposed to God's intended will for him, he acts immorally. Essentially, "moral" comes to mean in conformity to the Will of God.
I sure hope this makes some sense, as I am frantically posting it in between life and interruptions and I don't know what I am saying!   
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Caroline
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MicheleQ
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Becky Parker wrote:
| I was discussing a question with a person yesterday and I need some help. He said that the morality of an act is based on whether or not that act is "in harmony with being a human being". That did not sound right to me. I'm looking for something from the Catechism, or anything, that will help me with this discussion. This person is very liberal, and knows his stuff so he's hard to argue with. Any help? |
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Start at Article 4 in the Catechism :
Quote:
1750 The morality of human acts depends on:
- the object chosen;
- the end in view or the intention;
- the circumstances of the action.
The object, the intention, and the circumstances make up the "sources," or constitutive elements, of the morality of human acts.
1751 The object chosen is a good toward which the will deliberately directs itself. It is the matter of a human act. The object chosen morally specifies the act of the will, insofar as reason recognizes and judges it to be or not to be in conformity with the true good. Objective norms of morality express the rational order of good and evil, attested to by conscience.
1752 In contrast to the object, the intention resides in the acting subject. Because it lies at the voluntary source of an action and determines it by its end, intention is an element essential to the moral evaluation of an action. The end is the first goal of the intention and indicates the purpose pursued in the action. The intention is a movement of the will toward the end: it is concerned with the goal of the activity. It aims at the good anticipated from the action undertaken. Intention is not limited to directing individual actions, but can guide several actions toward one and the same purpose; it can orient one's whole life toward its ultimate end. For example, a service done with the end of helping one's neighbor can at the same time be inspired by the love of God as the ultimate end of all our actions. One and the same action can also be inspired by several intentions, such as performing a service in order to obtain a favor or to boast about it.
1753 A good intention (for example, that of helping one's neighbor) does not make behavior that is intrinsically disordered, such as lying and calumny, good or just. The end does not justify the means. Thus the condemnation of an innocent person cannot be justified as a legitimate means of saving the nation. On the other hand, an added bad intention (such as vainglory) makes an act evil that, in and of itself, can be good (such as almsgiving). |
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Michele Quigley
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stellamaris
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Thank you for posting this entire quote, Michele. The whole idea of intention is crucial...
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Caroline
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cathhomeschool
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| Posted: Feb 15 2011 at 5:40pm | IP Logged
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So glad you ladies responded! Becky, I saw your post this morning and knew the statement was wrong but couldn't have formulated a thorough, intelligent response.
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Janette (4 boys - 22, 21, 15, 14)
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Becky Parker
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| Posted: Feb 16 2011 at 4:53am | IP Logged
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cathhomeschool wrote:
| Becky, I saw your post this morning and knew the statement was wrong but couldn't have formulated a thorough, intelligent response. |
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Me neither! I'm so thankful for all your help with this ladies!
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Becky
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ekbell
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I would say that the person's definition of morality is more dangerously incomplete then wrong. To use this definition a person must be sure
a)that they know what they mean by 'being a human being' and
b)what they mean by being *in harmony* with being a human being.
If we know ourselves to be beings made in the image of God, whom God created to share in His own blessed life (see question one of the Compendium, then it is true that no immoral act is "in harmony with being a human being" as all immoral acts lead us away from God and what He desires for us.
[At this point we have the question "What leads us closer or further from what God wants for us?" something which either requires trusting in Revelation or a long and honest look at the philosophy behind the concept of Natural Law.]
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