First Semester SY 2005-2006

THEOLOGY 131
CHRISTIAN VOCATION AND MARRIAGE
A. N. Dacanay, S.J.
Chapter 1 CHRISTIAN ANTHRO!OLOGY
"." INTROD#CTION
".1 The$%$&y
- intellectual, cognitive
- should be intelligible even to non-Christians and should present a belief that is
understandable
".' Chr()t(an Anthr$p$%$&y (n Genera%
- not only an understanding of hat man is but also hat man ought to be
- not only descriptive but also prescriptive
".'.1 Man an* the G$$*
- man is related to the good on three levels
a. knowledge (conscience 2)
- e have the capacity to !no the good
b. will (conscience 3)
- e can ill, desire, do the good
- it is possible to !no the good and not ill it "e#ercise of freedom$
- it is possible not to !no the good "ignorance$
c. orientation (conscience 1)
- man is attracted, oriented, dran toards the good
- not a part of our freedom% e ere simply constructed this ay% &default
program'
- e#perience validates our orientation toards the good here it is in the
doing of the good hich brings us fulfillment and satisfaction
- basis of morality( something is right or rong ultimately because it ill
either help or harm the human person% it is in doing the good that e
become most fully ourselves
- )an is attracted toards the good and it is in the doing of the good that he
reali*es his highest potential+ )an is this ay because this is ho ,od
designed us-in .is on image and li!eness not that e are already good
but that e can do good and reali*e values
".'.' O+C$nne%% $n C$n)c(ence
- the e#perience of conscience tells us something fundamental about the human
person
".'.'.1 C$n)c(ence a) a H#MAN CHARACTERISTIC
- not decided on% part of the human condition every human has it
a. dynamism attraction towards the good
- hen e do the good, e find inner peace% e find ourselves
satisfied, fulfilled, happy
- developing good( perception of good develops through time
children have a simpler sense of the good and the bad, then it
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becomes more comple# as e gro older "crude understanding to
something deeper$
- there is an attraction toards the good though the good evolves
b. moral phototropism
- mongo seed gros toard the light in order to gro and survive
- e tend to gro toards the good for survival "moral, physical, etc$
becoming better human persons by fulfilling man0s need to do the good%
man is attracted toards the good because it is in the doing of the good that
man becomes fully himself+
c. capacity for self-direction thus responsibility
- e are not simply products of blind processes
- there are also many things e have to accept in terms of hat0s given
- &1 am accountable for my actions and ill accept the responsibilities and
conse2uences that come ith it' presupposes that e are free the
reason e are responsible is because e are free
- 1n moments of grace here e can see hat0s rong, e can move out
C.34,56
- 1n the really important things, you have a choice+ You can do something
about it+
- 5#ample ( 10m not smart but 1 can choose to be hard-or!ing+
- 7e are ultimately responsible for the !ind of person e turn out to be and
e can only blame others so much
- 7e are accountable+ 8o be human is to be accountable+
d. category of values
- moral norms are meant to protect a value
- 7hen people debate over something "the good to be done or evil to be
avoided$, it doesn0t mean there are no values or disvalues+ 1t means it0s
important enough that people debate about it, and it proves its e#istence+
- 9uestion( 1s there an attraction toards evil:
3nser( Yes, but attraction to the good is logically prior+ 3ttraction
toards evil is superimposed+
,ood ; part of original design of man
5vil ; corruption of the original design
3nd even after this evil is done, you feel sorry for it later on+
- 8he fact that e do good doesn0t mean e0re neutral about it+ 7e follo it
because it gives us inner peace, integrity, completeness+ <oing otherise
ma!es us feel rotten+ 1t is our vocation to do the good+
".'.'.' C$n)c(ence a) a !ROCESS
- process of collecting facts and figures in our ma!ing of a correct =udgment
- process of continuing reflection, discernment and analysis of the good to be
done
a. good is not always clear
- >ur instincts are not alays the best guide in the good e ant to do or
evil e ant to avoid because the good to be done is not alays clear in all
circumstances+
(. c$,pet(n& -a%.e)
- 5#ample ( ?et father sacrifice himself for you >@ ris! sacrificing
both:
((. a,/(&.$.) c.%t.re
- 5#ample ( a culture that tolerates slavery "hat about e2uality::$
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a culture that tolerates a counter-hierarchy of value
(((. (nc$,p%ete 0n$1%e*&e
- 5#ample ( 7hen people discovered CFC, they thought it as the
anser to starvation, not !noing "yet$ they ere destroying more
than they ere helping+
(-. chan&(n& c(rc.,)tance)
- 5#ample ( usury ; charging e#cessive interest but used to mean
any interest
; imposed because of change of role of money
in society
( panshop story
- but not every issue is a conscience issue
- 5#ample ( help old lady cross the road or snatch bag:
( study or rape: %p
b. !onscience 2 is fragile
(. chan&(n&
- good is not etched on ood% hat is good today may not be good
tomorro
- e have a fragile hold on the truth because it changes or evolves% at
one point, e cannot !no everything
- hat is demanded of us may change because of concrete circumstances
- 5#ample ( Should you save someone droning if you can0t sim: Aut
if you !no ho to sim, you have an obligation to save the person+
- evolving understanding of the good
- 5#ample ( the social position of omen
- people often disagree on the values to be pursued people have to
discuss
((. 2a%%(/%e 3p$))(/(%(ty $2 err$r4
- process can be defective or lead to rong =udgment
- changing norms
- 5#ample ( 1n2uisition
( monarchy as a divinely illed form of government
c. "#$% we have a &'%()*%+,+-+". to challenge the norms and to /uestion
it
- a person has to be convinced of the good to be done
(. c$n)tant re2%ect($n an* 5.e)t($n(n&
- e need people to 2uestion norms "iconoclasts, ,handi, Besus, etc$ to
ma!e us reflect about the usual things e do
- freedom of expression( only you allo an idea to prosper
( mar!et of ideas should not be
protected% let the best idea survive
- gadflies
- censors abominable
((. )(ncere 3)./6ect(-e4 an* c$rrect 3$/6ect(-e4
- a sincere conscience alays see!s to be correct "correct ; truth$
- ell-formed "ell-educated$ and ell-informed "has necessary data$
".'.'.3 C$n)c(ence a) an EVENT
- the point at hich a person ma!es a decision hether to commit to doing the
good
- e are not =ust contemplatives of the good but are doers of the good
a. concrete 0udgment of a specific individual
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- =udgment of conscience is concrete
- ma!ing a concrete =udgment of conscience for a specific situation
- 5#ample ( stealing or not( matter of principle, not conscience
( 2uestion is not if it as stealing or not but hether it is
even stealing
- specific individual( he ma!es a =udgment only for himself, not for everyone
b. supreme but tentative
- supreme( nothing above it% highest norm for a person
- 8homas 32uinas ould rather be e#communicated than go against his
conscience
- conscience of individual is supremely binding that they can0t do anything
else
- tentative( it0s possible for us to change our minds tomorro, if let0s say,
there is more information or a different situation% changes ith ne
circumstances
- not universal% people disagree on the good to be done
- not a legislator of moral norms but an &applicator'
c. infallible
- infallible( cannot be rong% freedom from error
- there are sincere and ell-formed people ho have made mista!es
- not freedom from factual error but freedom from sub=ectiveDmoral error
- act according to a ell-formed, sincere conscience and you can0t be
accused of committing sin
- free from moral error hy: Supremely binding: 1nfallible: 7e are
ultimately responsible for the people e become+ 1n matter of great
decision, you can0t =ust pin yourself on another person "not simply
folloing leader$+ You have to ma!e your on decision+ basis of human
dignity( e are able to say this is me and 1 am responsible+
d. difference and relationship between !onscience 2 and 3
- Conscience C( committing yourself to a particular course of action%
Conscience 2( no commitment
- Conscience C( doing good% Conscience /( ants good to be done
".3 Chr()t(an Anthr$p$%$&y
- man has a vocation referring to the fact that the direction to hich e move is part of
hat a human person is dran toards the good ,od "absolute good$ dras us toard
.imself
- humans are aaiting completion there is a certain co-naturality that completes us
reali*ing of virtues and values completes us
a. man is not an accident
b. man is an intentional act of 1od
- if you don0t believe in ,od, there is still a transcendental being
- Scripture e#plains not the ho but the hy of creation
c. capacity for self-transcendence
- St+ Eaul, St+ 1gnatius, St+ Francis of 3ssisi( people ho have practiced this capacity/
- 1n the things that really matter, you have a freedom to choose to go beyond hat man is+
Aut self-transcendence cannot be e2ual for all people+
- aaiting completion% in potency anyone can be a potential something
- in the process of becoming Fhomo viatorG( man on a =ourney becoming more ourselves
d. man has a goal2direction
e. to which he moves and where he finds completion and satisfaction
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- to be created in ,od0s image and li!eness tells us a lot about hat e should be
- it is in doing good that e become most fully ourselves
1." SACRED SCRI!T#RE
Aigger Eicture( 7hat does Scripture have to say about Christian 3nthropology:
7hat does Scripture say about the good to be done:
"agreement beteen Scripture and conscience$
1.1 O%* Te)ta,ent
- not understand vocation as in a religious vocation
- e are tal!ing about here ,od is calling us, hat ,od intended us to become
- ,od put a default program in us that ill ma!e us satisfied only in doing good
a. life
- religion deals ith the fact that ,od created the orld "not ho .e did$
- biblical e#pression ; ,od created us in .is on image and li!eness special imprint of
,od on man
- e ere created by an absolutely loving ,od e have the capacity to love, understand
and the freedom to ma!e decisions ",od0s imprints$
- it is in living out ,od0s ideals "going bac! to ,od$ here e reali*e ourselves
b. co-creatorship
- e are co-creators in the most remote sense compared to ,od
- hat e do is a !ind of reflection of hat ,od did
- e#pressed in the naming of animals
- name is signal of entering ne life "li!e in religious vocations$
- name describes person "primitive$
- name made the person, name made you ho you are "more primitive$
- 5#ample ( Buan 8amad became la*y because he as named 8amad+
c. covenant life with .ahweh
- covenant beteen Yaheh and 1srael, led by )oses
- too many 1sraelites !illDlimit them became slaves "5#odus$
- &You ill be my people and 1 ill be your ,od'
- terms of covenant in 8en Commandments
/-C( relationship ith ,od
H-/0( relationship ith man
- Yaheh entered a covenant not ith individuals but ith 1srael as a community
- man becomes most fully himself not in isolation but together ith other people in a
community orship ,od as a community% e cannot find .im all by ourselves
- greatest fear of man is being alone
- )t 5 "tal!s about commandments$
there is a certain development in the understanding of the good
ta!ing things literally is inade2uate
e are only punished for sins e0ve committed, not our forefathers
good to be done and evil to be avoided is also developed
1.' Ne1 Te)ta,ent 3c%ar(2(cat($n $2 the O%* Te)ta,ent4
1.'.1 Mt '17 8$.t $2 E&ypt I ca%%e* ,y )$n9
- usually heard after Christmas about ise men
- this is to fulfill hat the prophet had said
- )t 2(/5 I son ; Besus Christ I freedom from present-day events
- .os //(/ I son ; 1srael "people$ I liberation from 5gypt
a. flight unlikely
- biblical scholars say flight is unli!ely I not a historical event
- not ritten by any other biblical itness
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- unli!ely because it too! H0 years for .oly Family to go to 5gypt
b. if so3 what4s the point5
- preparatory move to enable him to 2uote .os //(/
c. to /uote #os 1161
- clima#( to fulfill hat the prophet said( &7hen 1srael as a child 1 loved him, out
of 5gypt 1 called my son+'
- he had to bring .oly Family to 5gypt
d. literary techni/ue of 7atthew
- applies te#ts that used to refer to >ld 1srael that no apply to Besus
- 5#ample ( )t /C( C5, 2J( K-/0
e. 7atthew4s point
- Besus is the 4e 1srael
- For the longest time, the 1sraelites sa themselves as the chosen people of ,od
and that only they can be saved+ "hat Bes still believe$
- )atthe0s point is that chosen people is not =ust 1srael% salvation is not only for
them
1.'.' Mt 1':; 8<$r 1h$e-er *$e) the 1(%% $2 ,y hea-en%y <ather () ,y /r$ther, )()ter,
an* ,$ther.9
- being 1sraelites before meant it as =ust an accident that you0re an 1sraelite% you are
an 1sraelite descendant
- but the community of ,od is not formed this ay-it is not by accident of birth but
by the free and independent decision of an individual
- 5#ample ( listening to and living out the 7ord of ,od
- it is by living the good that e !no that e become members of the body of Christ
1.'.3 E00%e)(a = Ch.rch
- community of those ho are called% community of believers
- those bapti*ed and live out the 7ord of ,od
1.3 L(2e $2 the Chr()t(an T$*ay
1.3.1 >apt(),
- through baptism, e become a member of the body of Christ, the Church
- does not only pertain to the ritual of baptism but its implications
- it implies that e commit to living a Christian life
- &it is not longer 1 ho live but Christ ho lives in me'
- Sacraments are signs+ .umans are symbol-ma!ers+
1.3.' A) Chr()t(an)?
- baptism is not disconnected ith our daily lives
- in fact, it helps us reali*e hat e ill do for the rest of our lives
- as part of the Church, the good to be done is then hat Christ ould ant me to do
- Besus is our model, our basis of morality
- Scripture and values of Christ to be normative in our daily lives
- Aaptism is not only an act of the person+ 1t is also an act of Christ+ 1n baptism, e
become part of his possession-he also ta!es care of us and loves us+ 8he sooner e
get bapti*ed, the sooner e become part of .is love+
- 3rgument about Aaptism hile a Child(
bapti*e later so he could ma!e a responsible decision% parents don0t ant to
ma!e any undue influence on child
parents have to fight to influence !ids, or if not, they ill be influenced by
other forces li!e media
1.3.3 Se,(na% I*ea) t$ /e De-e%$pe* (n L.,en Gent(., an* <a,(%(ar() C$n)$rt($
a.1 vocation (from 1od)
- an act of ,od
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First Semester SY 2005-2006
- ,od calls or invites us to share in a very specific !ind of life
- e#perience of being dran to ,od
- e must have been intendedDdesigned by ,od to be contented in the doing of the
good
- calls us to a vocation of love or holiness
a.2 vocations (from man)
- response of man to ,od0s invitation
- response is to do good and avoid evil
- not =ust man doing individual good acts but really the choice of the ay of life he
lives and has chosen choice of a strategic plan% part of a bigger plan that
includes and e#cludes certain things
- specific( choice by an individual person
- not ob=ective but rather self-determined( find out through discernment loo!ing
at all of myself-my strengths and ea!nesses and everything about me-
loo!ing at the community 1 belong to, here does ,od call me: 7here ill 1 be
happy, here ill 1 gro, here ill 1 be of most help to those around me and
myself:
- this !ind of vocation is an interplay beteen the native dispositions of a person
"s!ill, aptitude, etc$
- these decisions are ones a person ma!es on the basis of a person0s analysis of
himself
- if it ere ob=ective "no participation in choice% pre-destined$, it0s li!e saying 1 am
not responsible for hat 1 am doing
- self-determined( e are ultimately responsible for the person e become and
decisions e ma!e
b. specific vocations
- must not be &isolated' or &special'
- e must not thin! of a certain vocation as special or better% there is no special
and ordinary
- there is no &better' vocation in becoming a good Christian
- do not thin! of them as isolated from each other li!e separate services to ,od
e must thin! of them as complementary services to ,od
- many parts and functions but only one body
- or! together to ma!e body function more effectively
'." MAGISTERI#M
- teaching authority of the Catholic Church
- tradition of moral leadership in and out of Church
- teaching and life of Besus Christ is normative in life of Catholics
L to descriptions of hat e call the good( image in ,od and teaching and e#ample of
Besus Christ
'.1 <a,(%(ar() C$n)$rt($ @ %$-e
a. 1od inscribed in humanity man and woman the vocation8thus capacity and responsibility
to love
- issued by Bohn Eaul 11 in /KM/
- ,od created man in .is image and li!eness love is fundamental and innate vocation of
man
- ,od is love man is created by ,od in love man has the capacity and responsibility
to love
- not a neutral capacity
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First Semester SY 2005-2006
- capacity to love ma!es 8.5 difference in the doing of the good
- hen e genuinely love, e reali*e our fullest capacity
b. 7an loves as an incarnate spirit (sign and meaning)
- e are not pure spirits, e0re not =ust flesh and blood e love as an incarnate spirit
- sign( there is a need of a sign that he or she understands "a hug, a gift, etc$
( sign rooted in a meaning specified by the spirit
- meaning( signs become meaningful because of the giver
( it may be one among others but it is specified and meaningful because
of the giver
- 5#ample ( many atches li!e this, but it is meaningful because my mother gave it
to me
( se# beteen a married couple% rape ; se# ithout meaning, ithout
love
- physicalDmaterial act "sign$ ith meaning ho e love as incarnate spirits
c. "otal self-giving only in marriage
- total( complete array of e#pressing love
- more total from the point of vie of marriage because it includes physical se#ual
e#pression of love
'.' L.,en Gent(., 3AB:1
39 I 3ll Christians are called to holiness+ does not mean only priests, clergy, etc are called
3ll Christians are called+
:; I Forms of life are many "i+e+ nun, priest, married, single$ but there is only one holiness that
underneath all these different forms, you are still called to a life of holiness+ 7e become
holy not only through e#traordinary things, but even in fulfilling the ordinary
responsibilities in our lives+
:1 I 7hether e live the religious or married life, e are still called to holiness+
.int( @53< 186
'.3 C$nc%.*(n& Re,ar0)
a. statement that all vocations are e/ual was not always so
- 1 C$r C ; says that for those unmarried or idos, if they can0t control themselves,
&they should marry because it is better to marry than to be on fire+' people used to
believe that to reach ,od faster, you should remain a virgin
- 1 C$r C 3' says that a married man ill not be single-minded about ,od because he
orries about pleasing his ife, so he ill be divided+
b. connected with a certain world view
- a vie that sees the orld as source of evil and temptation% as impediment to heaven
gives the impression that marriage is inferior
- St+ 8homas 32uinas( .o do e become perfect: &7e become perfect by renouncing
the temporal and clinging only to the spiritual+'
- )arriage as the last Christian sacrament to be accepted "Council of Nerona$ because to
them, ho can you consider marriage a sacrament if it is available for sin: "se#$
- Some became monastic in practice "isolated, pray all day, eave bas!ets$ attitude that
the orld is not important
- 5#ample ( Catholic countries are not as developed possibly because e don0t value the
orld as much
c. sacramental structure of human e<perience
- e communicate meaning "i+e+ love$ through material symbolsD orld of
matter
- communicate orld of spirit through orld of matter
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- if e ere deprived of the orld of matter, then e ould lose the very
language ith hich e gro and love other people
d. "hus=
- they are not necessarily competitors as it ere
- if e have a better understanding beteen the orld of matter and spirit, e could have a
more positive vie of marriage and the meaning of se#ual relations
- instead of opposing one another, the orld of matter and of spirit complement and
reinforce each other
'.: S.,,ary
a. All men are called to a life of love and holiness.
b. All vocations are equal. (OConnell, umen !entium"
c. # Cor $% &, '( (presupposition of )O* and )O+ as opposing"
3." THE MEANING O< GEN#INE LOVE 3c$ntr(/.t($n $2 e,p(r(ca% )c(ence)4
3.1 Sc$tt !ec0+) *e)cr(pt($n $2 %$-e (n-$%-e) : e%e,ent)
8The 1(%% t$ eDten* $ne+) )e%2 2$r the p.rp$)e $2 n.rt.r(n& $ne+) $1n an* an$ther+) )p(r(t.a%
&r$1th.9
a. "eleological > 1enuine love can be distinguished and specified by its fruits or end-result
which is spiritual growth
- can0t tell by the intensity of feelings
- you can tell hether it is genuine by the fruit it bears ; spiritual groth of
both
- 7hat !ind of person am 1 becoming as a result of this relationship:
- spiritual groth is about a person maturing
not only thin!ing about himself% other-oriented% generally interested in the
goodDelfareDcomfort of others
e#panding your orld% your orld is not only inhabited by yourself
recogni*e that 1 am not the only person in the orld and everyone has their on lives
and problems
1t isn0t genuine love if you do things "i+e+ giving gifts$ that are pleasurable to you, and
you stop hen it isn0t as fun anymore+ 8his shos that all that time, you did it for
yourself because it pleased you+ 1t asn0t really about the other+
- 1t0s not love if you treat relationships as something that defines you+
- ,enuine love in a relationship gros together ith the rest of the orld+ 1t0s not li!e you
have your on orld during the entire time+ 1t should be able to co-e#ist ith other
healthy relationships% more than that, it should flourish ith them+
b. "here is only love that embraces both parties. )ne love should lead to spiritual growth of
both parties. +t is not as though there are two moments of love? first + will love myself and
then3 in a second and subse/uent as it were3 + will love the other party.
- the act ith hich you love another is the very same act ith hich you love yourself
- ?ove is circular+ 7hen 1 love a person, that love comes bac! to me+
- ?egitimate love of self( 1n loving another person, you begin to love yourself+
- ,enuine love is self-replenishing+
c. 1enuine love involves real effort. +t4s not always easy. +t4s not always driven by strong and
sheer emotion.
- novelty ears aay "gifts, surprises, etc$
- 8hings done during &in love' stage become benchmar! you become disappointed later
on because you depend on them
- genuine love is not =ust doing hat feels pleasurable
- test of real love hen it becomes difficult
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- 5#ample ( 7hen ife is nagging and husband is inattentive, children parents are 38)
,enuine love is hen you ant to do something else, but you choose to stay true to your
commitment+
- 5#ample ( bro!en marriages I they give up too soon and they0re not as illing to
sacrifice
- set such a high benchmar! from honeymoon stage
*. Gen.(ne %$-e () an act $2 the 1(%%E (t )h$.%* /e an eDerc()e $2 &en.(ne 2ree*$,.
- there may or may not be feelings of high but e shouldn0t identify this ith genuine love
- e don0t have control over our feelings amoralD neither right nor rong
- an act of the ill means you made a choice love is a free decision for hich you are
responsible
- genuine love is born out of freedom
- feelings ma!e sacrificing easier% illing becomes more rearding ith feelings
- but there is no necessary connection beteen feelings and genuine love
3.' Gen.(ne %$-e a) *()t(n&.()he* 2r$, $ther )ee,(n&%y )(,(%ar phen$,ena
3.'.1 <a%%(n& (n %$-e () n$t &en.(ne %$-e
a. @hat is falling in love5
- e#perience of a very very strong attraction, usually physical or e#ternal attraction
- an ideali*ed state, unreal state
b. Aalling in love and the collapse of ego boundaries
- e#tending one0s self means you have limits% first it0s =ust us in our orld then
e#tending hen you include others
- not really e#tending boundaries% =ust a collapse and it0s possible for it to snap
bac!
c. not genuine because=
- the to of you are trying to impress each other
- begin to impose e#pectations from the other
i. not a free and conscious choice but a chemical reaction
- you thin! each other is perfect
- try to measure up to e#pectations
- do unreal things
ii. it is not nurturing, there is no spiritual gro-th
- not nurturing because hen you give, it0s because it ma!es Y>O happy
does not have anything to do ith caring for the other% pleasure is mainly for
yourself
d. what is it then5
- Scott Eec!( it is part of the survival instinct of the human race
- coming together of male and female
- if you don0t thin! at all, you0ll be mating li!e an animal
e. similar to genuine love because=
- similar because you thin! you0re really caring for the other person% sometimes
overlaps ith genuine love
- not that it is rong but e must recogni*e it for hat it is don0t ma!e it a
benchmar! for any relationship
- don0t ma!e important decisions on the basis of it
f. importance or function
- you see that he or she isn0t perfect but you0re still interested
- has that function of bringing to people together
- hen in love, you have an e#planation for everything even hen he or she ma!es
a mista!e
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First Semester SY 2005-2006
- hen ego boundaries snap bac!, you see clearly once again
3.'.' Depen*ency
- normal human phenomenon
- patheological dependency( person fails to e#perience fullness and cannot function in
ordinary acts of life because there is no special someone
- cannot be the basis of a lifelong, holesome relationship
- legitimate self-interest( a person0s right to e#perience fullness and =oy in life this
isn0t met in dependency and self-sacrifice
3.'.3 CatheD()
- you care for something or someone
- 5#ample ( relationship beteen a master and his pet
( you feed it, groom it, ta!e it to the vet, etc
( you love it because it sits hen you sit
( you get irritated hen it doesn0t obey you
( you don0t ant it to be independent% it ill only be a pet
- li!eise, it0s li!e you are not really interested in the groth of the other person
- you see him or her only as a pet
- you care for them only up to a certain point
3.'.: Se%2B)acr(2(ce
- re2uires effort
- violating non-negotiables% giving up something that belongs to the core of your being
hich violates yourself
- physical abuse in a loving relationship is no e#cuse "some ives thin! it0s their fault
hen their husbands beat them$
- not alays easy to delineate here non-negotiable core is
- sacrifice, on the other hand, is giving up something but not from the core of yourself%
e#tending yourself rather than losing a part of you
- hen a person seems to be giving up something for another but already giving up
on legitimate self-interest
- there are person-specific non-negotiables li!e religion
L marriage is a supportive relationship% you bring out the best in each other
L marriage is a ay of fulfilling this vocation-of doing the good, of loving, etc+
3.3 S.,,ary an* O/)er-at($n)
a. boyfriend-girlfriend relationships are part of growing up
- e have an innate capacity to love, but physical e#pression to love is something e must
learn to temper
- teaches you to be dran out of yourself% to learn to love and be concerned about someone
outside yourself
b. physical e<pression should be supported by a real loving relationship
- e#pression should be a symbol of your love
- introducing se#ual relations early in the relationship may or ill elbo out other aspects
of relationship
c. get over the toys for the big boys stage before getting married
- couples usually fight over hether to spend money on lu#ury or on basic needs
d. unre/uited love is probably not genuine
- in an &imaginary' relationship, it0s hard to have a real relation+ 1t0s hard to put this into
closure hen it didn0t even start at all
- falling in love ith a pro=ection
e. unconditional love
- violates the hole meaning of love because love isn0t =ust accepting, but rather, it
should ma!e you a better person
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First Semester SY 2005-2006
- no reform or change% prevents groth
- love is not completely unconditional% there are limits, but this doesn0t mean they
don0t genuinely love each other
f. long-distance relationship
- impractical% you on0t see each other gro
g. + need space
- if indeed serious ith relationship, e don0t need to say this+ 1n real love, problems are
shared and tal!ed about by both+
- in the company and support of the other
: <#NDAMENTAL O!TION
>(& !(ct.re 7e ere taught about sin as something e do+ 7e see them as specific, concrete,
distinct actions+ Aut in reality, sin is not only merely about hat you0ve done, but also about hat
you0ve become as a result of hat you0ve done+ Sin is not so much in the particular acts but in the
fundamental option e have chosen ourselves+ 1n Christian anthropology, e loo! at the person not
only as hat he is but also as hat he ought to become+ 1t is prescriptive rather than descriptive+ .e
must do the good he !nos, follo the teaching of Besus Christ, live a life of love "FC$, live a life of
holiness "?,$+ Sin prevents a person from fully reali*ing himself+ .e is not being true to being in the
image in hich he as created+ .e doesn0t do the good he !nos and violates his highest potential+
:." Intr$*.ct($n. Fe 1ant t$ .n*er)tan* the ,ean(n& $2 )(n an* 1e 1$.%* %(0e t$ *$ th() (n th()
,anner
a+ understand the person ho commits the sin, and in this understanding, e collocate sin not so
much in hat the person does as in hat the person becomes as a result of hat he does%
- 3ristotle( &e become hat e repeatedly do'
b+ the traditional understanding of sin%
c+ sin reconsidered ta!ing into account the insight that the locus of sin is on the level of the
becoming rather than merely doing
The 2$%%$1(n& are (,p$rtant c$ncept.a% t$$%)
a. doing and becoming
b. particular acts and fundamental option
- particular acts are concrete, specific, discreet actions categorical actions
- 5#ample ( cheating in a 2ui*, stealing money, disobeying parents, etc+
- but these actions are not completely disconnected from one another% there are incoherences
but by and large, they are coherent ith each other
- option to live going in a certain direction
c. categorical freedom and transcendental freedom
- categorical freedom is e#ercised hen you ma!e categorical choices
- to options( go in favor of or violate self-interest% do the good or not
- transcendental freedom( concrete decisions are hat ma!e you go toards your general
direction in your life
:.1 #n*er)tan*(n& the h.,an per)$n 1h$ act)
:.1.1 (ersons and actions
a. a person is more than the sum of his acts
b. underneath the act is the person -ho is a sub.ect and doer
c. the sub.ect per.ures and it is from this free agent that responsibilit/ arises
continuity of a person is e#perienced more clearly in memory% you !no that the
person is a sub=ect ho is a doer of all these particular actions% the person
underneath is the source of responsibility
- a person forms himself through his actions "bac! to 3ristotle$
- a person e#presses himself in and through his acts
:.1.2 (ersonal #uman +dentity. ,eneath the actions that a person does and revealing itself
through these acts is a fundamental stance.
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First Semester SY 2005-2006
Aut this fundamental stance that defines and e#presses the personal human identity of an
individual did not alays e#ist+ 8here as a moment at hich e e#ercised that
transcending !ind of freedom in order to define ourselves as persons-the fundamental
option+
:.1.3 Aundamental )ption
a+ F> refers to both the moment the decision is ta!en as ell as the decision made+
b+ 8he fundamental decision does not e#ist by itself% it is a mediated decision
c+ Categorical decisions are about things that e do% the F> is about hat e become+
d+ F> is an inner act of self-definition% hile they are not irrevocable% such changes are
not easy or done often+
:.1.: "he Bimension of "ime
- hen you0re older, you become more accountable for your actions
:.' S(n (n Tra*(t($n
- not referring to sin as a violation of a la
- ith or ithout la, it doesn0t ma!e things any better
- sin is the destruction of a value human person
- it prevents human persons from ma!ing concrete the image in hich it as created
- sin doesn0t help the person reali*e hat he ought to become
- 5#ample ( masturbation ma!es you selfish and there are no real relationships
- sin frustrates the development of the human person
- in the folloing, all the components are present in each% the difference is in ho they all
interrelate ith each other
:.2.1 %in as an C!"
- things you have or have not done of hich you are accountable
:.2.2 %in as a AC!"
- original sin sin of 3dam and 5ve
- not something you did% not responsible for it
- it is the sinfulness e inherited from them
:.2.3 %in as a %"C"'
- person e0ve become as a result of hat e repeatedly do
<ACT ACT STATE
- the relationship is that sin is an action "specific, concrete$
- this understanding of sin as a fact is the same ay e understand the sinful act of 3dam and
5ve "eating the forbidden fruit$
- e become hat e repeatedly do
<ACT ACT STATE
- understood sin as fact, not as something done in the past but understand as situation of
sinfulness in the orld hich ma!es the commission of act so much simpler
- 5#ample ( a culture that tolerates slavery ma!es it &legal' to loo! don on others and
treat them as nonpersons
( some people may feel that they don0t have a sta!e in society so ho ill
this sin affect others: 7hat does it matter: results in collective sin
:.3 S(n Rec$n)(*ere* T$*ay. The *(,en)($n) $2 the h.,an act 1h(ch the *e2(ne* the h.,an
per)$n
a+ 8he human act that defined the human person Funderstood primarily as a doer-agentG as
characteri*ed by freedom and !noledge%
b+ 8he human act as also characteri*ed by a third dimension-namely the human identity, that
from hich the action proceeds
/C
First Semester SY 2005-2006
c+ 8he fourth dimension is time+ 7e evolve in our consciousness and e become progressively
more free, and therefore more accountable+ 3t the transcendental level, this groth means
that the depth and the strength ith hich e choose evil or good increase ith age+
:.3.1 S(n a) <ACT
:.3.' S(n a) ACT
:.3.3 S(n a) !er)$na% State $r D(rect($n
/H