Saturday, February 04, 2006
Morality & Sexuality
Human Sexuality: An All-Embracing Gift, by Gerald D. Coleman, SS
Chp. 1—Principles and Presuppositions
—sex, sexuality is a gift from God, an integral part of life.
Why did Jesus exclude it from his life? Jesus was already in full relationship with his Father and the Holy Spirit in and through love.
—He already attained completion
2 bad extremes: (1) Pansexualism—the divinization of sex. Maximizing sexual pleasure,
sex as an absolute.
(2) Sex as demonic and evil.
—Our sexuality is not something we have; it is who we are.
*—love and sex are distinct, but in emotionally healthy people they merge together into one—Abraham Maslow
The Moral Life of Jesus—we are to imitate Jesus.
—Jesus always displayed compassion, understanding, & forgiveness, while at the same time holding to strict moral principles.
—Our goal is divine friendship.
—God can be experienced both in intimacy and loneliness.
Chastity
Basic Moral Principles:
Aquinas—there are (1) sins against nature (contra naturam) and (2) sins according to nature (peccata secundum naturam).
(1) Sins according to nature: the sin is “contrary to right reason”—fornication, rape, incest, adultery, sacrilege.
(2) Sins against nature: not just against reason, but also inconsistent with the venereal act—masturbation, bestiality, homosexual activity, contraception.
—Some acts are intrinsically evil—always wrong no matter what.
An act has 2 features: (1) common features that make it part of a class of acts.
(2) particular features, which distinguish it from all other acts in its class.
A moral evaluation of an act must take into account 3 factors:
(1) purpose—the reason the agent is acting.
(2) circumstances—the situation in which he acts.
(3) object—material out of which the act(ion) is fashioned.
—For the act to be morally good, all 3 parts must be good.
—The moral law is not just what God has revealed to us (e.g. 10 Commandments).
—The moral law is in our hearts, and can be understood through reason. (St. Paul: Gentiles who do not know the Law, but still follow it are a law unto themselves)
Synderesis vs. Conscientia
Synderesis—from the Greek “anamnesis”. An original memory of the good planted in us. We know that our being naturally resonates with some things and clashes with others.
—synderesis is the ontological level of conscience, the (Aquinas): inner repugnance to evil and attraction to good.
Conscientia—the act of conscience that applies the basic knowledge of synderesis to a particular situation.
—conscientia is the judgment and decision level of conscience.
3 elements of conscience:
(1) recognizing (recognoscere)
(2) bearing witness (testificari)
(3) judging (iudicare)
**even the erroneous conscience binds. A person should follow his conscience (e.g. a person who truly believes that fornication is good does not sin by fornicating)
—Is a person who rightly follows his flawed conscience free of error? No. While he is free of sin in that he followed conscientia, there is an error in that he somehow used conscientia to stifle the protest of synderesis.
Changes in Moral Theology after Thomas Aquinas:
Aquinas—achieved a good balance between objectivity and subjectivity.
—in the centuries to follow, this balance would be upset.
Nominalism—William of Occam: we cannot come to understand what good and bad are through a close examination of the nature of things. No inherent moral order to God’s creation.
—God is absolutely free. God could have made things absolutely different.
—morality comes from the free decision of God’s will. Things are only right or wrong because God arbitrarily made them that way.
—our task in moral terms is obey the commands of God.
—morality does not issue from within morality, but is painted on from the outside.
Parvity of Matter
The Old Manuals (pre-Vatican II)—sin is the free transgression of the divine law.
3 elements for every sin: (1) transgression of a law
(2) knowledge of the transgression
(3) free consent to the act
2 different aspects to each sin:
(1) objective sin—the act itself.
(2) subjective sin—the act as it appears in the consciousness of the individual.
Material Sin—an objectively evil act without the full subjective consent.
Formal Sin—when knowledge of the transgression and free consent are present.
Manualists—the determination of the sinfulness of an action is made on the basis of divine revelation interpreted by the Magisterium of the Church and a rational analysis of the act.
Mortal Sins—matter so evil that no situation exists in which the gravity of the evil can be lessened; intrinsically evil.
Venial Sins—matter that is always light as long as there are no added circumstances that might change the species of the act.
**Some sins of the same act can be serious or minor depending on the seriousness of the matter. (e.g. stealing from a rich man could be minor while stealing from a pauper would be serious)
Some modern teachings:
Proportionalism—Fr. Joseph Fuchs, Fr. Richard McCormick, Fr. Charles Curran: The “Catholic” version of consequentialism (utilitarianism).
—a moral judgment CANNOT be made based on the act itself. The judgment must be based also on intention and circumstances.
Pre-moral Evil—things like murder, abortion, etc., but they cannot become evil acts unless taken up as evil intentions, and if the consequences are worse if they are done than if they are not done.
—for proportionalists, the ends DO justify the means.
—There are no moral absolutes in and of themselves in the concrete, e.g. do not kill, do not steal. Absolutes can only be spoken of on the level of the abstact, e.g. act lovingly, act justly.
*Proportionalism vs. Aquinas—whereas for Aquinas, all 3 parts, purpose, circumstance, and object, must be good in order for the act to be good, with proportionalists, a bad object itself cannot make an act bad; only bad circumstances and purpose.
Biblical Perspectives
God’s Word and Calling—God creates us and calls us back to Himself. We are most free when we seek God’s peace.
God’s Call to Repentance and Salvation—We have sinned, and we are saved by repenting and trusting in God’s grace. Ex: God calls Noah to fidelity and trust. Those who refuse are warring against themselves.
God’s Call: Election and Promise—history is history of God and his people. God calls Abraham, and makes promises with those who follow God.
God’s Calling: Liberation and Covenant—God makes a covenant with Moses, a covenant morality, as He leads them to liberation from Egypt.
The People’s Repentance and God’s Calling of Charismatic Leaders—When people forget God, become unfaithful, they are in distress and embattled with their enemies. When they repent, God intervenes by sending charismatic leaders. This is the theme in Judges and 1 & 2 Samuel. Liberation happens through conversion and God’s mercy, which is undeserved.
God Elects and Rejects Kings—a major OT theme is the value and ambiguity of authority. In Genesis 3:16, we see the abuse of power (male domineering over female) as they symbol & reality of the fall away from God. When people do not adore God, they yield to lust for power.
—Monarchy is a source of curse. Kings sin, and people sin by wanting a king as a symbol of national power.
—God is with the kings when they listen to the prophets and are faithful.
God Calls Prophets and They Respond—Summit of the OT is the history of the prophets. Prophets given a profound experience of God, never separated from the sorrows, needs, hopes, and anguish of the people of the times. They point out that those who do not show mercy towards the downtrodden are really hidden atheists, for they do not know God. Prophets receive no honor in this life; are at the service of God, and often must suffer.
The Servant of Yahweh—Second Isaiah teaches of the “servant of Yahweh”, the One who God will call and send to be the faithful Servant of God. This is the messianic hope.
The Covenant and the Law—By His saving covenant, God grants Israel the gift of the Law. The Law is not externally added to the covenant, but flows forth from it. The Law is not a burden, but a gracious gift from God.
Christ is the New Covenant—When Christ chose to be baptized, he revealed his will to bear the sin-burden of all in saving solidarity. In & with Christ, we fulfill his law. Jesus knows the Father and reveals Him to us. We are justified by grace and faith.
Sexuality in the context of Biblical teaching:
Old Testament
—For the Israelites, God is Other. God is different from his creation. Vs. the fertility religions surrounding the Hebrews, who saw creation as the result of sexual union between male and female gods.
Fertility religions—creation is procreation, sex is divine.
Israelites—creation is by the Word of God, is spiritual. Becoming a child of God is not just physical, but spiritual. Fertility is demythologized.
—Sexuality is within the realm of creatures. It is not divine, but a normal human activity.
—likewise, sexuality is not demonic either. It is human and good.
Gen 1-3—men and women are a psychophysical unity. No dualism. The soul (nephesh) is our life-principle.
2 creation stories:
Priestly Account—Gen 1:1-2:4a. written c. 500 BC. God created man in His own image. God’s spiritual, not physical, image. Man and woman are created simultaneously. Neither is superior. God’s creation is complete when man and woman are brought together in a sexual relationship.
—Sexuality is an intended part of creation. God commands the man and woman to multiply.
**Important: the desire to procreate is not a punishment for sin; it is an original intended part of God’s creation.
Jahwist Account—Gen 2:4b-3:24. written c. 950 BC.
—The man is created. He is lonely. God creates animals as companions. Man is still lonely.
—God creates woman as companion. Man and woman are only complete in relation with each other.
Original Sin—humans try to put themselves before God, be like God. Result: shame. Weakness exposed before just authority.
Marriage—an analogy for the relationship between Yahweh and his people.
Song of Songs—praises human love as a gift of God. Tells us that God is love.
—Reproductive power is significant. Relationships should cooperate, not go against, this power. Hence, sex w/in marriage for procreation.
New Testament
Jesus appeals often to God’s will as originally intended in creation.
—religion and morality are united.
—we are to understand the law in terms of the will of God, not God in terms of the law. —Jesus goes behind the law of Moses and appeals to God’s original intention.
—in the story of the woman caught in adultery, Jesus points out that her sin is no worse than the Pharisees subtle sins of pride and hypocrisy.
—the decisive trait in moral determination is not the act but the will.
St. Paul—we can see God’s will by observing “nature.” Urges the right use of sexuality.
—Sexual expression must involve the whole person and not just the sexual organs.
—Sex in marriage is “Sacramental”: a channel through which the material is used to bring spiritual results.
Chp. 1—Principles and Presuppositions
—sex, sexuality is a gift from God, an integral part of life.
Why did Jesus exclude it from his life? Jesus was already in full relationship with his Father and the Holy Spirit in and through love.
—He already attained completion
2 bad extremes: (1) Pansexualism—the divinization of sex. Maximizing sexual pleasure,
sex as an absolute.
(2) Sex as demonic and evil.
—Our sexuality is not something we have; it is who we are.
*—love and sex are distinct, but in emotionally healthy people they merge together into one—Abraham Maslow
The Moral Life of Jesus—we are to imitate Jesus.
—Jesus always displayed compassion, understanding, & forgiveness, while at the same time holding to strict moral principles.
—Our goal is divine friendship.
—God can be experienced both in intimacy and loneliness.
Chastity
Basic Moral Principles:
Aquinas—there are (1) sins against nature (contra naturam) and (2) sins according to nature (peccata secundum naturam).
(1) Sins according to nature: the sin is “contrary to right reason”—fornication, rape, incest, adultery, sacrilege.
(2) Sins against nature: not just against reason, but also inconsistent with the venereal act—masturbation, bestiality, homosexual activity, contraception.
—Some acts are intrinsically evil—always wrong no matter what.
An act has 2 features: (1) common features that make it part of a class of acts.
(2) particular features, which distinguish it from all other acts in its class.
A moral evaluation of an act must take into account 3 factors:
(1) purpose—the reason the agent is acting.
(2) circumstances—the situation in which he acts.
(3) object—material out of which the act(ion) is fashioned.
—For the act to be morally good, all 3 parts must be good.
—The moral law is not just what God has revealed to us (e.g. 10 Commandments).
—The moral law is in our hearts, and can be understood through reason. (St. Paul: Gentiles who do not know the Law, but still follow it are a law unto themselves)
Synderesis vs. Conscientia
Synderesis—from the Greek “anamnesis”. An original memory of the good planted in us. We know that our being naturally resonates with some things and clashes with others.
—synderesis is the ontological level of conscience, the (Aquinas): inner repugnance to evil and attraction to good.
Conscientia—the act of conscience that applies the basic knowledge of synderesis to a particular situation.
—conscientia is the judgment and decision level of conscience.
3 elements of conscience:
(1) recognizing (recognoscere)
(2) bearing witness (testificari)
(3) judging (iudicare)
**even the erroneous conscience binds. A person should follow his conscience (e.g. a person who truly believes that fornication is good does not sin by fornicating)
—Is a person who rightly follows his flawed conscience free of error? No. While he is free of sin in that he followed conscientia, there is an error in that he somehow used conscientia to stifle the protest of synderesis.
Changes in Moral Theology after Thomas Aquinas:
Aquinas—achieved a good balance between objectivity and subjectivity.
—in the centuries to follow, this balance would be upset.
Nominalism—William of Occam: we cannot come to understand what good and bad are through a close examination of the nature of things. No inherent moral order to God’s creation.
—God is absolutely free. God could have made things absolutely different.
—morality comes from the free decision of God’s will. Things are only right or wrong because God arbitrarily made them that way.
—our task in moral terms is obey the commands of God.
—morality does not issue from within morality, but is painted on from the outside.
Parvity of Matter
The Old Manuals (pre-Vatican II)—sin is the free transgression of the divine law.
3 elements for every sin: (1) transgression of a law
(2) knowledge of the transgression
(3) free consent to the act
2 different aspects to each sin:
(1) objective sin—the act itself.
(2) subjective sin—the act as it appears in the consciousness of the individual.
Material Sin—an objectively evil act without the full subjective consent.
Formal Sin—when knowledge of the transgression and free consent are present.
Manualists—the determination of the sinfulness of an action is made on the basis of divine revelation interpreted by the Magisterium of the Church and a rational analysis of the act.
Mortal Sins—matter so evil that no situation exists in which the gravity of the evil can be lessened; intrinsically evil.
Venial Sins—matter that is always light as long as there are no added circumstances that might change the species of the act.
**Some sins of the same act can be serious or minor depending on the seriousness of the matter. (e.g. stealing from a rich man could be minor while stealing from a pauper would be serious)
Some modern teachings:
Proportionalism—Fr. Joseph Fuchs, Fr. Richard McCormick, Fr. Charles Curran: The “Catholic” version of consequentialism (utilitarianism).
—a moral judgment CANNOT be made based on the act itself. The judgment must be based also on intention and circumstances.
Pre-moral Evil—things like murder, abortion, etc., but they cannot become evil acts unless taken up as evil intentions, and if the consequences are worse if they are done than if they are not done.
—for proportionalists, the ends DO justify the means.
—There are no moral absolutes in and of themselves in the concrete, e.g. do not kill, do not steal. Absolutes can only be spoken of on the level of the abstact, e.g. act lovingly, act justly.
*Proportionalism vs. Aquinas—whereas for Aquinas, all 3 parts, purpose, circumstance, and object, must be good in order for the act to be good, with proportionalists, a bad object itself cannot make an act bad; only bad circumstances and purpose.
Biblical Perspectives
God’s Word and Calling—God creates us and calls us back to Himself. We are most free when we seek God’s peace.
God’s Call to Repentance and Salvation—We have sinned, and we are saved by repenting and trusting in God’s grace. Ex: God calls Noah to fidelity and trust. Those who refuse are warring against themselves.
God’s Call: Election and Promise—history is history of God and his people. God calls Abraham, and makes promises with those who follow God.
God’s Calling: Liberation and Covenant—God makes a covenant with Moses, a covenant morality, as He leads them to liberation from Egypt.
The People’s Repentance and God’s Calling of Charismatic Leaders—When people forget God, become unfaithful, they are in distress and embattled with their enemies. When they repent, God intervenes by sending charismatic leaders. This is the theme in Judges and 1 & 2 Samuel. Liberation happens through conversion and God’s mercy, which is undeserved.
God Elects and Rejects Kings—a major OT theme is the value and ambiguity of authority. In Genesis 3:16, we see the abuse of power (male domineering over female) as they symbol & reality of the fall away from God. When people do not adore God, they yield to lust for power.
—Monarchy is a source of curse. Kings sin, and people sin by wanting a king as a symbol of national power.
—God is with the kings when they listen to the prophets and are faithful.
God Calls Prophets and They Respond—Summit of the OT is the history of the prophets. Prophets given a profound experience of God, never separated from the sorrows, needs, hopes, and anguish of the people of the times. They point out that those who do not show mercy towards the downtrodden are really hidden atheists, for they do not know God. Prophets receive no honor in this life; are at the service of God, and often must suffer.
The Servant of Yahweh—Second Isaiah teaches of the “servant of Yahweh”, the One who God will call and send to be the faithful Servant of God. This is the messianic hope.
The Covenant and the Law—By His saving covenant, God grants Israel the gift of the Law. The Law is not externally added to the covenant, but flows forth from it. The Law is not a burden, but a gracious gift from God.
Christ is the New Covenant—When Christ chose to be baptized, he revealed his will to bear the sin-burden of all in saving solidarity. In & with Christ, we fulfill his law. Jesus knows the Father and reveals Him to us. We are justified by grace and faith.
Sexuality in the context of Biblical teaching:
Old Testament
—For the Israelites, God is Other. God is different from his creation. Vs. the fertility religions surrounding the Hebrews, who saw creation as the result of sexual union between male and female gods.
Fertility religions—creation is procreation, sex is divine.
Israelites—creation is by the Word of God, is spiritual. Becoming a child of God is not just physical, but spiritual. Fertility is demythologized.
—Sexuality is within the realm of creatures. It is not divine, but a normal human activity.
—likewise, sexuality is not demonic either. It is human and good.
Gen 1-3—men and women are a psychophysical unity. No dualism. The soul (nephesh) is our life-principle.
2 creation stories:
Priestly Account—Gen 1:1-2:4a. written c. 500 BC. God created man in His own image. God’s spiritual, not physical, image. Man and woman are created simultaneously. Neither is superior. God’s creation is complete when man and woman are brought together in a sexual relationship.
—Sexuality is an intended part of creation. God commands the man and woman to multiply.
**Important: the desire to procreate is not a punishment for sin; it is an original intended part of God’s creation.
Jahwist Account—Gen 2:4b-3:24. written c. 950 BC.
—The man is created. He is lonely. God creates animals as companions. Man is still lonely.
—God creates woman as companion. Man and woman are only complete in relation with each other.
Original Sin—humans try to put themselves before God, be like God. Result: shame. Weakness exposed before just authority.
Marriage—an analogy for the relationship between Yahweh and his people.
Song of Songs—praises human love as a gift of God. Tells us that God is love.
—Reproductive power is significant. Relationships should cooperate, not go against, this power. Hence, sex w/in marriage for procreation.
New Testament
Jesus appeals often to God’s will as originally intended in creation.
—religion and morality are united.
—we are to understand the law in terms of the will of God, not God in terms of the law. —Jesus goes behind the law of Moses and appeals to God’s original intention.
—in the story of the woman caught in adultery, Jesus points out that her sin is no worse than the Pharisees subtle sins of pride and hypocrisy.
—the decisive trait in moral determination is not the act but the will.
St. Paul—we can see God’s will by observing “nature.” Urges the right use of sexuality.
—Sexual expression must involve the whole person and not just the sexual organs.
—Sex in marriage is “Sacramental”: a channel through which the material is used to bring spiritual results.
# posted by SeanPatrick @ 10:48 AM 
