Morality Human Dignity

INTRODUCTION TO

MORALITYMORALITY

CHRISTIANMORALITYMORALITY

THE STARTING POINT OF MORALITYTHE STARTING POINT OF MORALITY

1.To acknowledge that we are creatures and not God

God is our origin. We are to serve God, and our goal is to go back to God.


2. To know our place in creation: that we are stewards of creation and not its masters

Because God has imbued us with inculpable dignity, we have the obligation to act with responsibility.


3. To acknowledge that God is the author over all His Creation

THE DIGNITY OF THETHE DIGNITY OF THE

HUMAN BEINGHUMAN BEING

Human Being is the Human Being is the masterpiece in God’s creation. masterpiece in God’s creation. Being such, the individual Being such, the individual person must respect his or her person must respect his or her life and that of others.life and that of others.

To have dignity means:

to have worth and value.to have worth and value.

One who has the dignity:

is excellentis excellenthonorable, and honorable, and worthy of respectworthy of respect

Our human dignity is:

INHERENTINHERENT

It means that human dignity is naturally associated with a person or thing, as an essential characteristic.


INVIOLABLEINVIOLABLE

It means that human dignity cannot and must not be violated [ all kinds of violations ]or disturbed.


INALIENABLEINALIENABLE

It means that human dignity cannot be transferred or taken away.

Our human dignity, therefore, is part of us. It is to be treated as something

SACREDSACRED, and no one has the right to degrade it.

But how did we acquire this inherent, inviolable and inalienable human dignity?

The inherent, inviolable, and inalienable dignity of the human person is rooted in his creation in the image and

likeness of God.

This likeness does not refer to a physical resemblance, for who can describe the physical features of God. Rather, the likeness refers to qualities which we believe God has, based on His works we see around us.

These qualities include:

The ability to thinkThe ability to thinkThe ability to loveThe ability to loveThe ability to chooseThe ability to chooseThe ability to relate The ability to relate with otherswith others

IMPORTANT TEACHINGS ABOUTIMPORTANT TEACHINGS ABOUTMORALITYMORALITY

• Because we are made in the divine image and likeness of God, we are spiritual beings with incomparable dignity, worth, and value. We are not just somethings,

but someones.


• Because we are made in the divine image and likeness of God, we are persons capable of thinking, choosing, loving and relating with God and others.


• Because we are made from God’s love, we can enter into a love relationship with God, and can respond to Him in love and in faith.To love and respond

to God is part of our dignity as human beings.


• Because we are made in the divine image and likeness of God, by free will, we are capable of directing ourselves towards what is true and what is good.


• Because we are made in the divine image and likeness of God, by reason, we recognize the voice of God which urges us to do what is good and to avoid what is evil.


• Because we are made in the divine image and likeness of God, we are given stewardship over all of creation, we have the responsibility to develop a sense of morality, and to live a moral life.

THE HUMAN PERSONTHE HUMAN PERSON


• What is the difference between a person and an animal?


• What is a person?What is a person?– ScientistScientist

• A biological beingA biological being

– PhilosopherPhilosopher• A being that can A being that can

thinkthink


– Drug pusher• Drug pusherDrug pusher– A source of income

• Pleasure seeker Pleasure seeker – An object for pleasure

• ChristianChristian– _________________


Christian view of a Christian view of a person:person:

1. A person is made in the image of God- “God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created then.” (Gen. 1:27)


– It is the BEST creation of God.

– A person is basically GOOD.


Made by God in the image of God:Made by God in the image of God:- - Because a person is made in the image Because a person is made in the image of of God, then each person has:God, then each person has:

““ 人类人类 dinity”dinity”

““humanos dinity”humanos dinity” 인간 dinity

HUMAN DIGNITYHUMAN DIGNITY““KAHALAGAHAN”KAHALAGAHAN”

HUMAN DIGNITYHUMAN DIGNITY

1. Means that everybody is somebody.

2. Dignity does not depend on social status or achievement. It depends simply on being human.

3. We must promote the well-being of others.

What’s wrong with this?What’s wrong with this?

• ““Sapagka’t kami ay tao lamang.”Sapagka’t kami ay tao lamang.”

• Minamaliit natin ang ating pagkatao, subali’t Minamaliit natin ang ating pagkatao, subali’t ang tao ay ginawa na kalarawan ang Diyos.ang tao ay ginawa na kalarawan ang Diyos.



• Tell something positive about the persons

shown:

- What the person is good at

- What you like about the person



• Tell something positive about the persons

shown:

- What the person is good at

- What you like about the person

Christian view of a personChristian view of a person1. A person is created in

the image of God, and therefore has dignity.

2. A person has freedom.- the power to

choose- You are not a

machine which is automatic

- You are not an animal which relies on instinct

Human FreedomHuman Freedom

• Wrong understanding: “I can do anything I “I can do anything I want.”want.”

• Correct understanding: “ I “ I can choose to do can choose to do what is good.”what is good.”

PAVLOV’S Dog Experiment

• He was a Russian physiologist, psychologist, and physician.

• is often used to describe someone who merely reacts to a situation rather than use critical thinking.

PAVLOV’S Dog Experiment

Stimulus Automatic

reaction

What is your personality based on?

- Genes- Psychology- Environment

- Automatic

Reaction

Christian view of a person

• Genetics– Marunong siya kasi marunong ang ina niya– He’s lazy. Kasi buong pamilya tamad.

• Psychic– He made me angry, so I hit him– Pinainit niya ang ulo ko, kaya inupakan ko.


• Environmental– Bumagsak ako kasi mahirap talaga dito sa

school na ito.– Umuulan sarap matulog, hindi muna ako

papasok.


• Persons have freedom to choose

– Your Present is a product of your Past.Your Present is a product of your Past.

– But your Future Action is your Choice.But your Future Action is your Choice.


How did Henry become so rich and so successful?

• Through plain hard work, a minimum of 12 hours a day, even these days, despite being 83 and having legs weakened by too much walking (visiting his malls).

• And also, he says, “being honest and fair to other people.” And yes, innovation.

People have freedom to choose

- Genes- Psychology- Environment

Your ActionYour Action

FREEDOM

TO

CHOOSE

Examples• GeneticsGenetics

– Kahit na walang nakatapos sa pamilya namin,

kaya kong maka-graduate ng college.

- Kahit tamad ang mga kapatid ko, kaya kong maging masipag.

Examples

• PsychicPsychic– He made me angry, but I can control myself.– Pinainit niya ang ulo ko, pero

pinagpasensiyahan ko siya.

• EnvironmentalEnvironmental– Bumagsak ako dahil hindi ako nag-aral ng

husto.– Malamig, sarap matulog, ngunit papasok pa

rin ako.

Christian view of a personChristian view of a person

1. A person is made in the image of God, and therefore has dignity.

2. A person has freedom

3. Every person is relational. Ang bawa’t tao ay may ka-ugnay. No person is an island.


After physical survival, the most important need of the person is to have GOOD RELATIONSHIPS:

- In the family

- Among friends

- With God


What do you think is the What do you think is the secret to having good secret to having good

relationships?relationships?

Ang pananaw sa tao ng Ang pananaw sa tao ng KristiyanoKristiyano

1.1. A person is made A person is made in the image of in the image of GodGod

2.2. A person has A person has freedom.freedom.

Ang pananaw sa tao ng Ang pananaw sa tao ng KristiyanoKristiyano

1.1. Every person is Every person is relational, may relational, may kaugnay. No kaugnay. No person is an person is an island.island.

2.2. All persons are All persons are part of Creation, part of Creation, so we have to take so we have to take care of the care of the environment.environment.

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Morality Human Dignity