Chapter 7 Christian Ethics

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1 68 Chapter 7 Christian Ethics Subhavadee Numkanisorn History and Founders In a Christian worldview, ethics does not merely look at right or wrong actions, but at the sort of person we are called to become. This outlook is based on the Biblical teaching that considers humans as created by God in his image and called to live free and responsible lives, but sin and ignorance have led man to misuse this freedom. In short, Christian ethics has more in common with Virtue ethics than any other ethical theory. Historically in the first one thousand years of Christianity, there was no discipline of Christian ethics. Moral teaching was primarily in pastoral, apologetical, homiletical, and catechetical form. Some of the prominent figures that shaped up Christian doctrine are the followings: 1. Augustine of Hippo ( AD) Augustine was the first to systematize Christian ethics. He used to live a worldly life when he was a young man. Later he converted and turned to be the great and philosophical saint of the Catholic Church. He was greatly influenced by Greek philosophy and tried to Christianize some of Plato's teachings. He emphasized seven cardinal virtues, i.e., of which the four had been borrowed from Plato, and other three from St. Paul s teaching. They were temperance, courage, justice, wisdom, faith, hope and charity. His philosophy remained famous in the church until the time of the Middle Ages. 2. Scholasticism (School Men) This group founded schools and universities of higher learning. They were theologians who placed faith supported by reason to philosophize the teaching of Christianity. Some of the prominent of this group were Anselm, Abelard, Thomas Aquinas (the father of Roman Catholic theology). They were very much attracted to the teachings of Aristotle. 3. Mysticism Mysticism had a significant role to play on this after the Middle Ages. The Mystics rejected the rituals and monastic religious practices in Roman Catholicism and embraced the practice of deep prayer and contemplation to attain the union with God. Some of the more

2 69 influential Mystics were Julian of Norwich, John of the Cross, Meister Eckhart, and Thomas à Kempis who authored The Imitation of Christ. 4. Reformation This era brought Christian ethics back to New Testament teachings that had been repudiated by Monasticism, Ecclesiasticism, and Roman Catholicism. The Reformation period did not place much emphasis on holiness but on justification by faith. 5. Holiness The 17th, 18th and 19th centuries seemed to be the return to an emphasis on holiness. The prominent figures whose ethical views placed their emphasis on holiness were the Wesley brothers, John Knox and the Puritans. From the historical evolution we see how Christian doctrines have been developed through times. From the time of St. Augustine till the contemporary period, the emphasis has shifted, but the heart of the doctrine remains the teaching of Jesus. Key Teachings Core ethical teachings of Christianity constitute the followings: 1. The Ten Commandments 2. New Testament ethics 2.1 The Beatitudes 2.2 Jesus commandment of love The Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments contained in the Old Testament is a critical source of ethical guidance for Christians. The commandments that are listed in the following contain the whole teaching of Christianity: 1. You shall have no other gods before me. 2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. 3. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 4. Honour your father and your mother. 5. You shall not kill. 6. You shall not commit adultery. 7. You shall not steal. 8. You shall not bear false witness. 9. You shall not covet your neighbour s wife.

3 You shall not covet your neighbour s house or field or anything that is your neighbour s. The Ten Commandments are a summary of Christian ethics. It reflects love of God and love of one s neighbor are equally important. Ordinary and practiced Christians apply the Ten Commandments as their personal guide in living ethical lives. New Testament Ethics The Beatitudes Besides the Ten Commandments, Christians also consider the Beatitudes as their guiding principles for their behavior. The Beatitudes in the New Testament is considered to be the first teaching of Christ to the public. Each Beatitude begins with Happy are which means the blessedness to anyone who practices it. It is the first taste of heaven and complete in itself. As a whole, they highlight the simple and necessary virtues human beings should possess such as humility, charity, and brotherly love so that they can live together in peace and harmony like living in heaven. The followings are the Beatitudes offered by Jesus Christ to anyone who practices any of them will attain a new life: 1. Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor; the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them! 2. Happy are those who mourn; God will comfort them! 3. Happy are those who are humble; they will receive what God has promised! 4. Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires; God will satisfy them fully! 5. Happy are those who are merciful to others; God will be merciful to them! 6. Happy are the pure in heart; they will see God! 7. Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires; the Kingdom of heaven belong to them! 8. Happy are you when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of evil lies against you because you are my followers. Be happy and glad, for a great reward is kept for you in heaven. This is how the prophets who lived before you were persecuted! (Mt ) The Beatitudes provide a map of life for the Christians who wish to experience the first taste of heaven here on earth. Through the Beatitudes, Jesus Christ points to the whole human race that The Kingdom of God is here and now if they want to bring it down they need to transform their inner beings in such way.

4 71 Jesus Commandment of Love Combining the Ten Commandments with Beatitudes, Christian ethics seems to give us a vivid and complete picture of Christian teaching and practice. The Ten Commandments in the Old Testament laid the foundation for the chosen people to maintain their normal relationship with God while the Beatitudes provide a first taste of heaven here on earth. No matter who you are, if you practice them you can experience inner peace. Time and again in the Gospels we can see how Jesus showed clearly that the only law in all the commandments can be narrowed down to two. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the most important commandment. The second most important is: Love your neighbor as you love yourself. The whole Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets depend on these two commandments. (Mt ) When it comes into the terms of neighbor, Jesus pointed out clearly who the neighbor is. According to Jesus, no condition is to be set when comes service to humanity one must help a person regardless of what the person is; even if he is a national enemy. The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk ), illustrates the universality of the neighbor in the love ethic of Jesus. The neighbor is any person in need, whether a foreigner or your personal enemy. In Jesus ministry, the commandment to love your neighbor is taken to a new level, a level of universality. Love therefore is considered not just as the fulfillment of the law but also a complete gesture of love that one can show to His loving God. In short, Christians are expected to place considerable value on the ethical teachings of the tradition in living their day-to-day lives. Their general ethical guidance is based on the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes. The life and ministry of Jesus provides them a model for life action of Christians. The core teaching of Christianity is reflected in the Christian ethos of caring for the needy and the vulnerable. Values and Dignity of Human Life The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human life is the foundation of a moral vision for society. This belief is the foundation of all the principles that guide Christian living in the society. In our society today, human life is under various threats which take legal form (abortion, the use of the death penalty, and euthanasia), scientific form (such as cloning, embryonic stem cell research) and political form (such as war and violence). Amidst all the threats that humanity is facing, Catholic teaching calls on us to work for peace and reconciliation. The Catholic Church also calls for all nations to protect the right to life by finding increasingly effective ways to prevent conflicts and resolve them by peaceful means. Christianity holds that every person is precious, that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human life.

5 72 Some Scriptural quotations that support the above Values: Genesis 1:26-31 God created man and woman in his image. Deuteronomy10:17-19 God loves the orphan, the widow, and the stranger. Luke10:25-37 The good Samaritan recognized the dignity in the other and cared for his life. John4:1-42 Jesus broke with societal and religious customs to honor the dignity of the Samaritan woman. Romans12:9-18 Love one another, contribute to the needs of others, live peaceably with all. 1Corinthians3:16 You are holy, for you are God s temple and God dwells in you. James2:1-8 Honor the poor. 1John3:1-2 See what love the Father has for us, that we should be called Children of God. Therefore, all human beings are ends in themselves, not means to be manipulated for the gain of another man. They all deserve to be treated with honor and respect for the reason that they too are created in God s image and His likeness. In other word, human beings are reflections of God. They possess an intrinsic value of being children of God. That is why Christians must treat all human beings equally and with love and respect. For that is what human beings are: we are created in the image of God (Gen 1:27). Meaningful Living Because we are born in God s image, we possess the power of justice, forgiveness, humility, hope, mercy and compassion. As a reflection of all of creation man is said to be created in God s image. In other words, although all of the creatures are created for the purpose of glorifying God, human beings are the most significant because we are created in His image. The Christian search for a meaningful life therefore come to the conclusion that if he wants to live a meaningful life Christians must start from this above recognition. Any attempt to stray from this would be to follow a path that is inconsistent with God s reasons for creating us in the first place. To stray from this path will end in a disaster.

6 73 To conclude, a Christian finds his meaning only in realizing that he belongs to God and has a duty to praise and glorify Him. His meaningfulness is therefore not measured quantitatively by the number of his deeds, wealth or even the number of people whom he shares the gospel with. But on the qualitative knowing that his relationship with God is good and right. It is therefore wonderful to know that a meaningful Christian life can be obtained through this. It also means that anyone whether young or old, poor or rich, sick or healthy, famous or unknown, well-educated or illiterate, can access such a blessed life that gains God s favor. Moral Principles Morality for Christianity is the application of God s laws and Jesus teachings to our behavior either in private or public life. In seeking to live a moral life, a Christian applies the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes for guiding his or her personal behavior as decreed by God and taught by the Church. Taking Gospels as our source of inspiration we see how Jesus engaged himself in discussions regarding the laws of God and personal morality with the lawyers of his people, the Sadducees and the Pharisees. They were constantly challenging his interpretation of the laws. In one situation a Pharisee, an expert in laws, asked Jesus, as he addressed him as Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? (Mt 22:36) And Jesus replied with this answer: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the most important commandment. The second most important commandment is: Love your neighbor as you love yourself. The whole Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets depend on these two commandments. (Mt 22:37-40) The above quoted reflects vividly the rules of Christian living morally as taught by Jesus. Simply put, just love God completely and love everyone else as much as one loves oneself. So the moral life for any Christian is to live in the love of God and one s neighbor. To lead an immoral life is not living with such love for God and others. A life lived in accord with these two laws would be a perfect demonstration of morality in Christian sense. In short, the Christian is responsible to apply the ethical principles that he has learned to his conduct. The principles of Christian ethics have reference to the Christian's responsibility to God, to himself, to his neighbor, to his church, and to the state. Application of Christian Ethics to Practical Ethics Abortion, Euthanasia, and Suicide Abortion, Euthanasia, and Suicide, have generated intense controversy in today s world because of new attitudes developing in Western societies. These changing attitudes even enter into the churches and confuse the weak mind of the practicing Christian due to the fact that these practices are legalized by laws in some countries. However, the major church

7 74 bodies have always condemned abortion, euthanasia, and suicide as violations of the Sixth Commandment: Thou shalt not kill. Abortion Abortion is the termination of pregnancy before the fetus is viable. In the medical sense, this term and the term miscarriage both refer to the termination of pregnancy before the fetus is capable of survival outside the uterus. Abortion raises some important moral questions: - What is man? - Does all life have intrinsically valuable/sacred? - Is it a bounden duty of Christian to preserve innocent life? - At what stage does life begin? According to the teaching of the Catholic Church, life begins at conception and at this stage the genetic material of both parents mix to form a biologically distinct entity. Such a view is clear and gives an answer to the question when life begins. If we search answer in the Bible we will see that there are several biblical quotations that suggest life begins before birth. For example Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. (Jer.1:5) For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother s womb... (Ps 139:13) For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. (Lk 1:44) Christians believe that human life is sacred it is more special than other kinds of life. Other animals do not have souls, and are not made in the image of God, although they deserve to be treated with kindness and respect. In addition, Christians also believe that when considering issues on life and death such as abortion, euthanasia, and suicide, their belief in the sanctity of life should influence their decisions. The Sanctity of Life The teaching on the sanctity of life holds that all life is sacred, worthy of respect and reverence, and intrinsically worthwhile. People therefore have a duty to preserve the holiness of life.

8 75 Consider the definition of sanctity given by Thomas Wood, in the Dictionary of Christian Ethics, he defines the sanctity of life ethics as follows: The Christian s belief in the sanctity of life is derived from his doctrine of God as Creator. God has made man in his image with power to reason and the capacity to choose. Each individual is precious to him and made for eternal destiny. Thus the Christian attitude toward human life can only be one of reverence enjoined by the whole of the Decalogue (not only by the Sixth Commandment) and confirmed by the incarnation which is extended to every individual from the moment of his conception to extreme old age. Thus, the sanctity of human life is a necessary biblical doctrine. It has its foundation on the teaching that the creation of humans is carried out in the image of God (Gen 1:26-27) which provides the basis for Genesis 9:6 Whosoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for God made man in His own image. The stance on sanctity of life calls all believers to stand for pro-life. The appeal to the biblical basis of their ideas: God as the Giver and Creator of life indicates to us that life belongs to God not ours. So people have no right to destroy what God has given. The incarnation of God made man, Jesus Christ, validates the sanctity of human life since He too became human. The following biblical quotations reaffirm this: The Word became a human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us. We saw his glory, the glory which he received as the Father s only Son. (Jn 1:14) And if God is the Creator of life it is up to Him to say when it should start and end. A person does not have the freedom to decide to end his own or anyone else s life. He said Naked I came from my mother s womb, and naked shall I return there; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. (Job 1:21) Throughout the Bible there is also the commandment not to take life, and the biblical authors saw this as part of the covenant with God to his people; You shall not murder. (Ex 20:13) Taking life is therefore considered as universally evil and so the unborn life needs to be protected. Euthanasia and Suicide Euthanasia comes from the Greek eu meaning well and easy, and thanatos meaning death. Euthanasia, also known as assisted suicide is understood as an action or an omission by intention causes death, to end the suffering or pain of that person. Euthanasia has been legal in many developed countries such as Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Switzerland, and the states of Oregon (USA) and Washington (USA). Suicide is a Latin term that comes from sui meaning self and cide meaning killing, murder. The definition of the word is: the act or an instance of killing oneself intentionally.

9 76 Controversy continues over euthanasia and suicide based on issues of the sanctity of life and the idea that life is God-given. The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council solemnly reaffirmed in high regard the dignity of the human person, and in a special way his or her right to life and The Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (1980) set forth the Church s teaching on euthanasia and suicide as follows: Human life is the basis of all goods, and is the necessary source and condition of every human activity and of all society. And it is this latter consideration that gives rise to the following consequences: No one can make an attempt on the life of an innocent person without opposing God's love for that person, without violating a fundamental right, and therefore without committing a crime of the utmost gravity. Everyone has the duty to lead his or her life in accordance with God's plan. That life is entrusted to the individual as good that must bear fruit already here on earth, but that finds its full perfection only in eternal life. Intentionally causing one's own death, or suicide, is therefore equally as wrong as murder; such an action on the part of a person is to be considered as a rejection of God's sovereignty and loving plan. Furthermore, suicide is also often a refusal of love for self, the denial of a natural instinct to live, a flight from the duties of justice and charity owed to one's neighbor, to various communities or to the whole of society--although, as is generally recognized, at times there are psychological factors present that can diminish responsibility or even completely remove it. However, the Church cautions us that we must clearly make a distinction between suicide and the sacrifice of one's life for a higher cause, such as God's glory, the salvation of souls or the service of one's brethren. A person may offer his or her own life or put it in danger for the sake of others (cf. Jn. 15:14). Therefore, Christians condemn euthanasia and suicide. The arguments are usually based on the belief that life is given by God, and that human beings are made in God's image. Christians believe the intrinsic dignity and value of human lives are identical. They are not measured by what one has but on what one is. Each one is born in God s own image. God is the author of man s life. Man has the duty to trust in God s provident plan no matter if he lives in suffering or in want. This means the suffering or pain one undergoes cannot diminish the meaning and value of life that one has always possessed and should not be a reason for ending one s life.

10 77 Moreover the Church believes that each person should enter the dying process with all its mysteries with trust in God and in solidarity with their fellow human beings; they should die with the dignity of letting themselves be loved by God s care. The Roman Catholic Church especially does not accept that human beings have a right to die. While human beings are given freewill, their freedom can not extend to the ending of their own lives. Euthanasia and suicide therefore are both a rejection of God s absolute sovereignty over life and death. These practices are against the teaching of the Church and are condemned as killing. In conclusion Christian Ethics is a study on what the person should become. Its base is on Biblical teachings especially on the teaching of Jesus that has its center on love of God and love of one s neighbor. It regards life as something holy; something to be treated with high respect. No one can take another one s life even with that person s consent. Human life belongs to God and He is the only One who has right over one s life. Human life finds its meaning only in loving Him and one s neighbors. Questions for further reflection 1. Explain the importance of the question At what stage does life begin? 2. What is meant by the idea of the sanctity of life and what Bible teachings would you use to explain the sanctity of life? 3. Is the sanctity of life a convincing argument against abortion, euthanasia, and suicide? Explain your reasons. Recommendations for further reading Labo, George V. (1982). Christian living according to Vatican II: moral theology today. Bangalore: St. Peter s Pont. Seminary. Peschke, Karl H. (1987). Christian ethics: moral theology in the light of Vatican II. Bangalore: St. Paul Press Training School. United Bible Societies. (1979). Good News Bible. India: The Society of St. Paul. Wood, Thomas. (1967). Life, sacredness of, Dictionary of Christian Ethics, John Macquarrie (Ed.), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Westminster Press euthanasia_en.html

Easter 6: Thursday Students Pro-Life Mass

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