Moral Teachings of the Catholic Church Essay Example for Free

Moral Teachings of the Catholic church service EssayIntroductionCatholics believes that acting mor onlyy means acting in accordance with the aeonian fair plays of God, which atomic number 18 written into the tender-hearted being hearts so deeply that even those who know nonhing of God can follow the path of morality. concord to Cynthia Stewart, disposition law, as this interior marking is c all in alled, comes to compassionates through their capacity to reason, which sparks the conscience to respond to the eternal law. This means that people of other religions or the non phantasmal all have the capacity to act as morally as catholic christians, it is believes that they will struggle more overstepce they will non have the benefit of the sacraments that opens them to compassion to resist drop the ball. Augustine of Hippo (354-430) regarded sin as a word, deed or desire contrary to the eternal law. The church building classified sin into 2 parts, they ar mortal and pocket-size sin. Catholic moral theology divides sin into two parts, primarily on the basis of degree and effectWhat is mortal sin?According to http//www.catholicdoors.com/faq/qu06.htm Mortal sin is a radical possibility of human freedom, as is love itself. It results in the loss of charity and the private of sanctifying grace, that is, of the state of grace. If it is not ransomed by repentance of Gods forgiveness, it causes exclusion to make choices for ever, with no turning back. However, although we can judge that an act is in itself a severe offense, we moldiness entrust shrewdness of psyches to the justice and mercy of God. For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must be metMortal sin is a sin whose object is a serious national and which is also pull with full intension aw atomic number 18ness and deliberate consent. A serious matter is specified by the Ten Commandments Corresponding to the result to the rich young man Do not kill Do not commit adultery Do not steal Do not bear false witness Do not defraud Honor your father and your motherWhat is venial sin?According to chrome//newtabhttp//christianityin belief.com/catholic/morals.html trivial (Pardonable) sin Positively, this sin does not directly destroy the relationship with God. Rather, it weakens that relationship. Unremitted venial sins can affect the duration spent in Purgatory. and then the church encourages vindication of these types of sins as well without being strictly necessary. Confession of every sidereal day faults (venial sins) is neverthe little strongly recommended by the church.Example of venial sin is, selfishness, jealously and anger.Venial sin involves the disobedience of the law of God in slight (venial) matters. If we gossip and destroy a persons reputation it would be a mortal sin. However, normally gossip is nigh trivial matters and only venially sinful. Additionally, something that is otherwise a mortal sin (e.g. slander) may be in a particular case only a venia l sin. The person may have acted without reflection or down the stairs force of habit. Thus, not fully intending the action their guilt before God is reduced. It is al instructions substantially to remember, especially those who be trying to be faithful but sometimes fall, that for mortal sin it must not only be,1) Serious matter, but2) The person must know it is serious and then3) Freely commit it as was verbalize previously.These two categories of sin are explicitly to be found in Sacred Scripture. In the ageing Covenant there were sins that merited the death penalty and sins that could be expiated by an offering. This Law was a teacher that prepared the way for the faith (Gal. 324). In the New Covenant these materialcategories are replaced by spiritual ones, natural death by eternal death. There are thus daily faults for which we must daily ask forgiveness (Mt. 612), for even the just man falls seven times a day (Prov. 2416), and mortal faults that separate the sinner from God (1 Cor. 69-10) for all eternity.IndulgenceThe punishment of sin is also divided into two parts by catholic theology they are, eternal and profane. Normally, the eternal punishment for sin can be remitted through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. However, the church maintains that there is still a temporal punishment to be borne, as all sin is an affront to God. This then leads to the idea of Purgatory as a place where unremitted sin can be aloof in the afterlife. Temporal punishment can be reduced or removed/ forgiven due to the concept of merit.MeritDoing more then is required by God can earn an individual merit. The most important merit is Christ himself, this is adequate enough to eliminate temporal penalty for all sin. The Merits of Christ and the saints condition a treasury of merit. The Catholic Church maintains that it has the authority to dispense merit because of Christs promise to peter in Matthew 1619. Therefore an Indulgence is simply a way of using this extra meri t to reduce or remove the temporal penalty of sin. Indulgences may only be given to those who have no unconfessed mortal sins. According to whether the temporal penalty of sin is partially or fully removed, the Indulgence is called Partial or Plenary respectively.AbortionAbortion is referred to as any death of a baby in the womb and its expulsion form the mothers be according to directlys issues and Christian beliefs. Since the first century the church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not change and stiff unchangeable.Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the mortal law. It is important to distinguish between direct and corroboratory abortionIndirect abortion occurs when treatment given to save the life of the Mother has the secondary effect of causing an abortion. In certain cases, this is considered permissible. The seriousness of the matter is highlighted by the fact that t hose who participate in or carry out direct abortions face the penalty of automatic excommunication from the church. The catholic theology teachings that human life begins from the moment of conception and as our entire human the unborn child should be see as a child of God as should therefore be protected. Hence the deliberate abortion of a child is a serious in all circumstances for it the killing of an innocent individual. The views of the religious leader of the Catholic Church have always been against as is proven by the following statements. Human life is sacred all men must recognize that fact Pope Paul VI (Humanae Vitae)Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of the conception abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes (Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes 51)The bible also gives perspectives on abortion in the following verses Genesis 127 God created human beings in his own remember in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them. God bl essed them and said to them be reapingful and increase. Luke 126 Jesus said, isnt five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one sparrow is forgotten by God. Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Isaiah 4915-16 so the lord answers, can a woman forget her own baby and not love the child she bore? Even if a mother should forget her child, I will never forget you I have written your name in the palms of my hand.ContraceptivesContraception is any actions which, either in anticipation of the conjugal act or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to force procreation impossible according to Humanae vitae 14. This includes sterilization, condoms and other barrier methods, spermicidal, coitus interruptus (withdrawal method), the pill, and all other such methods.The Catholic Church has strongly condemned all artificial methods of Contraceptives. Infact the church regards contraception as mortally s inful. The official position is stated in the papal encyclical Humanae Vitae , issued by Pope Paul VI in 1968. though the Catholic Church rejects contraception, it does encourage a responsible attitude amongst couples in their spacing of births. It permits what is known as Natural family planning (NFP), which is a method whereby sex act is avoided on those days when a woman is at the most fertile phase of her menstrual cycle. NFP can be taught by a specialist practician and success rates of well over 90% are claimed when the method is correctly followed.The bibles perspective on contraceptiveGenesis 388-10 then Judah said Ers brother Onan , go and sleep with your brothers widow, fulfill your obligations to her as her husbands brother, so that your brother may have posterity. But knew the children would not belong to him. So he had intercourse with her, he left his semen spill on the ground so there would be not descendants of his brother, what he did displeased the lord and he ki lled him also.HomosexualityHomosexuality refers to elations between men or between woman who experience an exclusive or preponderant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex according to chrome//newtabhttp//www.catholic.com/tracts/homosexuality.The Catholic view is that all Homosexual acts are morally and intrinsically wrong and thus the church requires people with Homosexual leanings to remain celibate. It also encourages proper respect as human beings for all Homosexual people, being opposed to any form of discrimination and persecution of Homosexuals. The church distinguishes between Homosexual acts and Homosexual leanings the latter may not be necessarily sinful. In 1986, the church issued its Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons, explaining this distinction Although the particular inclination of the homosexual person is not a sin, it is a more or less strong tendency ordered toward an intrinsic moral evil thus the inc lination itself must be seen as an objective disorder. In 2005, the church issued its pedagogy Concerning the Criteria for the Discernment of Vocations with regard to Persons with Homosexual Tendencies in view of their Admission to the Seminary and to Holy Orders. The policy states that those men with deeply rooted homosexual tendencies cannot be ordained under any circumstances.The rejection of homosexual behavior that is found in the Old Testament is well known. In Genesis19, two angels in disguise visit the city of Sodom and are offered hospitality and shelter by lot. During the night, the men of Sodom demand that lot hand over his guests for homosexual intercourse. Lot refuses, and the angels blind the men of Sodom. Lot and his household trajectory and the town is destroyed by fire because the outcry against its people has become great before the lord. (Genesis 1913). The incident is not the only time the Old Testament deals with homosexuality. An explicit condemnation is foun d in the book of Leviticus you shall not lie with a male as with awoman, both of them have committed an abomination they shall be put to death, their blood is upon them ( Lev. 18222013)SummaryTo act morally is to follow Gods eternal law which is written deeply in the hearts of every human being despite race or religion. Even thought the ability to act morally is in us as human being we often fall victims to sin. Sin refers to an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law, the church divides sin into two categories, Mortal sin, which is an unpardonable sin entailing a total loss of grace. Examples of mortal sin are adultery, abortion, murder. Venial sin the other types of sin are referred to as a relatively slight sin that does not entail damnation of soul. Example of venial sin is selfishness, anger, jealousy.Issues that impact us today are Abortion which is refers to as the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy or a miscarriage. The Catholic Church has co nsistently condemned the act of abortion. Catholics views human life as sacred and maintains that it should be protected by every means necessary as was stated by Pope Paul VI (Humanae Vitae). Biblical prove can also be found in Psalm 1273 Truly children are a gift from the lord the fruit of the womb is a reward. Contraceptive can be defined as the deliberate use of artificial methods or other techniques to prevent pregnancy as a consequence of sexual intercourse. The Catholic Church has strongly condemned all artificial methods of contraceptives as regards it as mortally sinful. Biblical proof to support this view can be found in Jeremiah 15 I chose you before I gave you life, and before you were born I selected you to be a prophet to the nations. Homosexuality is the manifestation of sexual desire towards a member of ones own sex. The Catholic Church encourages proper respect as human beings even homosexuals although Catholics view are that all homosexual acts are intrinsically an d morally wrong and encourages people with homosexual feelings to remain celibate. The bible conforms this in Leviticus 1822 thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind it is abomination Catholic theology also divides punishment for sins such asthose listed above in to two parts they are eternal punishment which is sins that can be remitted through the sacrament of reconciliation. And temporal punishment which refers to punishment that can be reduce, removed or forgiven due to the concept of merit. Merit is referred to as doing more then is required by God.