INTRODUCTION

TO
MORALITY

CHRISTIAN
MORALITY
 THE STARTING POINT OF MORALITY

• 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.
 THE STARTING POINT OF MORALITY

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.
 THE STARTING POINT OF MORALITY

3. To acknowledge that God is

the author over all His Creation
THE DIGNITY OF THE
HUMAN BEING
Human Being is the
masterpiece in God’s creation.
Being such, the individual
person must respect his or her
life and that of others.
To have dignity means:

to have worth and value.

One who has the dignity:

is excellent
honorable, and
worthy of respect
Our human dignity is:

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

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

INALIENABLE
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
SACRED,
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 think

The ability to love
The ability to choose
The ability to relate
with others
 IMPORTANT TEACHINGS ABOUT
MORALITY

• 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.
 IMPORTANT TEACHINGS ABOUT
MORALITY

• 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.
 IMPORTANT TEACHINGS ABOUT
MORALITY

• 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.
 IMPORTANT TEACHINGS ABOUT
MORALITY

• 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.
 IMPORTANT TEACHINGS ABOUT
MORALITY

• 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.
 IMPORTANT TEACHINGS ABOUT
MORALITY

• 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 PERSON
 THE HUMAN PERSON
• What is the difference between a
person and an animal?
 THE HUMAN PERSON
• What is a person?
– Scientist
• A biological being
– Philosopher
• A being that can
think
 THE HUMAN PERSON
• –Drug pusher
Drug pusher
– A source of income
• Pleasure seeker
– An object for pleasure
• Christian
– _________________
 THE HUMAN PERSON
Christian view of a
person:
2. 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)
 THE HUMAN PERSON
– It is the BEST
creation of God.
– A person is
basically GOOD.
 THE HUMAN PERSON
Made by God in the image of God:
- Because a person is made in the image of
God, then each person has:
“ 人类 dinity”
“humanos dinity”
인간 dinity
HUMAN DIGNITY
“KAHALAGAHAN”
 HUMAN 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?
• “Sapagka’t kami ay tao lamang.”

• Minamaliit natin ang ating pagkatao, subali’t

ang tao ay ginawa na kalarawan ang Diyos.
THE HUMAN PERSON
 THE HUMAN PERSON
• Tell something positive about the persons
shown:
- What the person is good at
- What you like about the person
THE HUMAN PERSON
 THE HUMAN PERSON
• Tell something positive about the persons
shown:
- What the person is good at
- What you like about the person
 Christian view of a person
1. 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 Freedom
• Wrong understanding:
“I can do anything I
want.”
• Correct
understanding: “ I
can choose to do
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
- Automatic
- Psychology
Reaction
- Environment
 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.
 Christian view of a person
• Environmental
– Bumagsak ako kasi mahirap talaga dito sa
school na ito.
– Umuulan sarap matulog, hindi muna ako
papasok.
 Christian view of a person
• Persons have freedom to choose

– Your Present is a product of your Past.

– But your Future Action is your Choice.

Christian view of a person
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 Your Action
- Environment

FREEDOM
TO
CHOOSE
• Genetics
Examples
– Kahit na walang nakatapos sa pamilya namin,
kaya kong maka-graduate ng college.
- Kahit tamad ang mga kapatid ko, kaya kong
maging masipag.
 Examples
• Psychic
– He made me angry, but I can control myself.
– Pinainit niya ang ulo ko, pero
pinagpasensiyahan ko siya.
• Environmental
– Bumagsak ako dahil hindi ako nag-aral ng
husto.
– Malamig, sarap matulog, ngunit papasok pa
rin ako.
 Christian 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.
 Christian view of a person
After physical survival,
the most important
need of the person is
to have GOOD
RELATIONSHIPS:
- In the family
- Among friends
- With God
Christian view of a person

What do you think is the

secret to having good
relationships?
 Ang pananaw sa tao ng
Kristiyano
• A person is made
in the image of
God
• A person has
freedom.
 Ang pananaw sa tao ng
Kristiyano
• Every person is
relational, may
kaugnay. No
person is an
island.
• All persons are
part of Creation,
so we have to take
care of the
environment.