LAW

Part II

CLASSES OF LAW

Divine Law
God has provided men and women the grace to discern His will and thereby formulate laws and codes according to His plan.

Decalogue 10 Commandments
10 commandments Basic Human values

1. I, the Lord am your God 2. You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain. 3. Take care to keep holy the Sabbath day. 4. Honor your father and your mother.

We recognize the One God , center of all reality. We reverence Gods transcendent holiness and all things associated with Him. We value the indispensable role of worship. We see the family as a community and sacrament of Gods love.

10 commandments

Basic Human Values Cherish and uphold Gods gift of life. We must respect the gift of our human sexuality as well as the sacredness of marriage. We must respect the property of all persons and foster Justice for all. We must value the right of all persons to a good name as well as the value of honesty in all our interpersonal human relations.

5. You shall not kill. 6. You shall not commit adultery. 9. You shall not covet your neighbors wife. 7. You shall not steal. 10. You shall not covet thy neighbors goods. 8. You shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

Questions of the Day

Is it Right because God commands it?

or
Does God command it because it is Right?

THE DEGREE THAT YOUR MORAL REFERENCE POINT IS DRIVEN FROM DIVINE COMMAND, MAY DETERMINE HOW YOU RESOLVE CONFLICTS IN YOUR DECISION MAKING.

NATURAL LAW

NATURAL MORAL LAW A DIRECTIVE, ORDERING MAN TOWARDS ULTIMATE END HICH ARISES FROM THE NATURE OF MAN AND CREATIO AND WHICH CAN BE RECOGNIZED BY MANS REASON.

IT IS ALSO DIVINE NATURAL LAW CAUSE ITS ORIGIN IS ULTIMATELY TRACED BACK TO THE WILL OF GO

Natural Law
Two important things about natural law theory: (1) Natural laws are prescriptive; they tell us how we ought to behave. In this sense, they are unlike physical laws aka laws of nature (e.g., gravitation), which tell us how things do in fact behave and are, therefore, descriptive.

Unlike rocks, we are always at liberty to disobey the natural laws that pertain to us. This is how we sin.

Natural Law
(2) Natural laws are absolute, because the goods in which they are grounded are incommensurable
- that is, there is no common metric that would allow us to compare them.

Hence, there can be no trade-offs between, say, protecting life and seeking knowledge; or, more importantly, between protecting this life rather than that life.

The Properties of the Natural Law are

a)Universality b)Immutability c)Indispensability

Church laws
Some examples of Church laws pertinent to our study of Morality includes:

1. The fundamental understanding of who we are, what our final goal is, how we are to get there, what constitutes authentic freedom and love. 2. The role of the family in the formation of the youth and in the transformation of society. 3. The marriage laws of the Church. 4. The specific teaching of the Church on moral issues like abortion, euthanasia, suicide, and human sexuality. 5. The social teaching of the Church pertaining to human rights, social justice, and the dignity of labor.

CIVIL LAW

Human made decrees of civil government binding its citizens. Often particular application of natural law made by duly elected or assigned officials for the welfare of society.

Definitions
Eternal Law
The law of Gods regulative reason

Divine Law
The Law that man receives by special revelation from God

Natural Law
That part of Gods Law that is incorporated into human nature

Human Law
Law devised by man for specific purposes

Divine, Natural and Civil Law

Eternal Law (Divine+ Natural)

Divine or Revealed Law

(From Deity)

Natural Law
(from Reason)

Law of Nature
(Descriptive)

Human Laws Civil Laws

Summary
1. Moral laws express basic values and are grounded on the inviolable dignity of persons. 2. Just laws protect and promote our true freedom. Hence, we are obliged as persons to understand and obey just laws. 3. St. Thomas Aquinas defines a just law as an ordinance of reason promulgated by competent authority for the sake of the common good. 4. Different types of laws have different goals. We may classify laws into four categories: natural law, divine law, church law and civil law. 5. As Christians, our ultimate moral law is not merely a set of dos and donts but a person Jesus Christ. Through His teachings and deeds, he has proclaimed that love of God and love of neighbor are the greatest commandments. To be authentically free is to follow Christs example.

Quiz 1 5 Give 5 of the ten commandments and opposite each commandment the basic values they uphold. ( 10 pts.) 6 9 The 4 classes of laws.