REL-330 Christian Morality Study Question:

1. Define Intention.  How do intention render our acts meaningful?

 

2. Describe how our various goals in life are related to each other such that we can get some coherent sense of a person’s character.

 

3. Define object, intention, and circumstances, and use a example to illustrate each.

 

4.What is the differnce between freedom of indifference and freedom for excellence? Be able to use the story from Mark 10:17-31 to explain each one.

 

5. What is a habit? Describe how a habit is related to a person’s particular actions.

 

6.What is the difference between theological and cardinal virtue?

 

7. Define natural law. How is it related to the cardinal virtue?

REL 330 Christian Morality: Module 2- Moral Norms

Moral Norms

Moral norms are criteria for judging the various actions or decisions we should make. Norms also provide ideals by which we judge the type of persons we should be in response to the Christian message and example of Christ.

A Moral Norm is an indication of how human persons ought to exercise their freedom.

Moral norms point us toward achievable ideals.

A moral norm is very much like a carpenter’s square, or a chalk line used in construction. The carpenter’s square is used to determine a straight line or true right angle; it is a “norm” or ideal by which an angle or line is judged.

Moral norms are also ideals that serve as standards against which we measure what is actually done.

Ideal Actual

Measures

Morally normative does not necessarily mean normal or typical.

Moral norms can be expressed as rules, principles or character traits and even the life of a person. The life and person of Jesus Christ is the most complete moral norm. Moral norms are derived from values, particularly as they pertain to the value of persons and their social relations. Norms are expressed as either positive or negative statements.

The Sources of Christian Norms:

· Scripture: Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor is a norm or rule from scripture. It is a negative norm in that it tells us what not to do. It is a material norm because it also specifies a specific physical action. (see definition below of material norms.)

· Reason : (Includes Natural Law) – Self preservation is an example of how reason provides us with norms. It is reasonable to expect persons to defend themselves against an attacker.

· Tradition: The Just War Doctrine is a set of norms that has been passed down and developed over time. It suggests ways to determine when going to war is just.

· Experience: Some norms are the result of experiences from the past or from personal

experience. The experience of Hiroshima and Nagasaki suggest that a nuclear

war cannot target only non-combatants.

Three types of Norms:

1. Material Norms: these specify the “matter” or means of specific actions.

Material norms answer the question what should or should not be done?

They focus on doing and tend to indicate actions. Material norms often include “implied qualifiers” such as “all things being equal” or “if there are no further intervening factors.” Material norms attempt to guide us away from evil whenever possible and are usually not absolutes.

Example: Intentionally targeting and killing non-combatants in war is wrong.

There are some material norms that fall in the “virtually exceptionless” category however. They include prohibitions against rape, adultery, and mandates for obtaining a patient’s consent before any experimental medical treatment, etc.

2. Formal Norms: These norms specify the form of acting or the form of being. They relate to

character. They are
permanent and enduring norms,
official standards or

laws that govern behavior. They express values which are universal among

humankind.

They answer the question “How should or shouldn’t one act? Or

Who should or shouldn’t one be?

The focus is on being and formal norms tend to indicate
character traits or

dispositions.

Formal Christian or Church Norms-

· The example of Jesus and the Apostles, scripture, wisdom of church fathers.

· The commandment to love, openness to the poor, conversion or change of heart.

· Love God and love your neighbor as yourself. Mt 22:37-40

· Whatever you wish others to do to you, do so to them. Mt 7:12; Lk 6:31

·
Formal norms as virtue: be honest, be just, be humble, be reasonable.

3. Synthetic Norms– A synthetic norm includes both a material action as well as a moral judgment.

It can combine what is done with how it is done and/or why.

The focus is on both.

Example: Thou shall not murder. This is a negative synthetic norm.

The use of language such as murder, adultery, lying, stealing, or blasphemy within a norm already offers judgment. Murder has a different, more judgmental meaning than “killing” for instance. Likewise using the word “adultery” is judgmental in a way that “sexual relations” or “sex” is not.

Positive and Negative Norms– A norm is positive if it tells you to do something or to be something. It is negative if it tells you not to do something or not to be something.

Values– Values are expressed as nouns. Values are those attributes, beliefs or goals that are meaningful. Whether we are consciously aware of them or not, every individual has a core set of personal values. Values can range from the common widely accepted beliefs such as the belief in hard work and punctuality, to the more psychological, such as self-reliance, concern for others, and harmony of purpose.

Consider for a moment what you value most in your life. Does your list of values include family, friends, faith, work, success, money, freedom, beauty, knowledge, or safety? Chances are that those things that you value the most play a role in the direction of your life.

The center of value for Christians is God.