THR M O R A L L AW

ON S. SOLO MON, L PT, MAC DDS

MR. JOSE DIZ
LEARNING TARGETSS
• I CAN DESCRIBE THE EVENTS THAT SHOW THE UNFOLDING OF GOD’S
LOVING PLAN OF SALVATION IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
• I CAN EXPLAIN THAT GOD IS A LOVING AND LIBERATING GOD WHO ENTERED
INTO HISTORY OF HIS PEOPLE TO BRING THEM REDEMPTION.
• I CAN POINT OUT WAYS ON HOW TO RESPOND TO GOD’S LOVE.
• I CAN NOURISH THEIR FAITH LIFE THROUGH PRAYER AND LITURGY.
“THE HIGHWAY SIGN”
WHAT SIDES ARE POSTED ON EITHER SIDES
OF THE ROAD? WHY DO YOU THINK THESE
WERE POSTED? WHAT WOULD HAVE
HAPPENED HAD THE DRIVER TAKEN HEED OF
THE SIGN “LIMIT YOUR SPEED.”?
ASIDE FROM THE SIGNS MENTIONED
IN THE STORY WHAT OTHER SIGNS
DO YOU NOTICED POSTED BY THE
ROAD?
ASIDE FROM SAFEGUARDING OUR
LIFE, WHAT OTHER FUNCTIONS DO
ROAD SIGNS PERFORM?
DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS OFTEN HEARD
COMMENTS OF PEOPLE, “I WILL FOLLOW
ROAD SIGNS ONLY WHEN THERE IS A
POLICE OFFICER AROUND.”? WHY YES?
WHY NOT?
PS. 19:8-12
HOW DOES THE PSALMIST DESCRIBE THE
LAW? DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS
DESCRIPTION? WHY OR WHY NOT?
•THE LAW OF THE LORD IS ABSOLUTE
ABOVE AMONG ANY LAWS. ATTAINING
THIS LAW MAKES AN INDIVIDUAL FEEL
FREE FROM EVIL AND GAINING A POSITIVE
OUTLOOK IN ONE'S LIFE.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE PSALMIST MEANS
WHEN HE SAYS “THE STATUTES OF THE LORD
ARE MORE DESIRABLE THAN GOLD AND
SWEETER THAN HONEY”?
THE AIM OF THE LAW OF THE LORD IS TO
HAVE A LIFE MORE GRACEFUL THAN
HAVING LUXURIOUS THINGS. THIS LAW
OBJECTS TO ACHIEVE FREEDOM OF EACH
PERSON.
WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LAW
ACCORDING TO THE PSALMIST?
OBEYING THE LAW OF THE LORD WILL
BRING US TO THE PLACE WHERE JOY
AND FREEDOM LAST FOREVER.
SEEING GOD’S MESSAGE IN THE TEACHINGS OF THE
CHURCH CFC 848
A NORM OR LAW IS A DECREE OF REASON, PROMULGATED
BY COMPETENT AUTHORITY, FOR THE COMMON GOOD.
MORAL NORMS, BASED ON A MORAL VISION COMPRISING
BASIC MORAL VALUES, EXPRESS THE OBJECTIVE STANDARD
FOR JUDGING MORAL GOOD AND EVIL.
 INTEGRATING GOD’S MESSAGE IN MY LIF

•WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF THERE ARE NO ROAD SIGNS IN THE ROADS?

•WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF THERE ARE ROAD SIGNS BUT DRIVERS DO NOT
FOLLOW THEM?
•DO YOU THINK THAT WE ARE SAFE IN THE ROADS IF EITHER OF THESE
SCENARIO WOULD HAPPEN?
INTEGRATING GOD’S MESSAGE IN MY LIF
•ROADS AND TRAFFIC RULES ARE SOME OF THE LAW THAT GOBERN
HOW DO WE BEHAVE IN THE ROAD.
•OTHER LAWS WOULD PERTAIN ON HOW DO WE LIVE OUR LIVES AS
HUMAN PERSONS IN GENERAL. ONE EXAMPLE OF HAT IS THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS.
•WHAT ARE LAWS?
INTEGRATING GOD’S MESSAGE IN MY LIF

•ACCORDING TO ST. THOMAS AQUINAS, A NORM

OR LAW “IS AN ORDINANCE OF REASON
PROMULGATED BY COMPETENT AUTHORITY
FOR THE SAKE OF COMMON GOOD.”
•IT MEANS THAT THE LAWS ARE PRODUCT OF
REASON OR RIGHT JUDGEMENT ABD HAS BEEN
COMMUNICATED TO THE SUBJECTS BY THOSE WITH
LEGISLATIVE POWER TO DO SO AND IS INTENDED
FOR THE GOOD OF THE SUBJECTS.
•THERE ARE OTHER NORMS THAT GOVERN US. IT
COULD BE IN YOUR FAMILY, SCHOOL, SOCIETY.
GIVE SOME EXAMPLES OF NORMS THAT WE
FOLLOW IN SUCH GROUPS.
KINDS OF LAW ACCORDING TO ST. THOMAS
AQUINAS
•ETERNAL LAW
•NATURAL LAW
•MORAL LAW
•HUMAN LAW
•DIVINE LAW
KINDS OF LAW ACCORDING TO ST. THOMAS
AQUINAS
•ETERNAL LAW- ORIGINATES FROM THE WILL OF GOD. IT IS
GOD’S DIVINE WISDOM IN CONCEIVING CREATION AND
AWS. IT IS CALLED ETERNAL LAW BECAUSE GOD’S DIVINE
REASON FOR CONCEIVING THE IDEA OF CREATION IS NOT
SUBJECT TO TIME BUT IS ETERNAL.
KINDS OF LAW ACCORDING TO ST. THOMAS
AQUINAS
•NATURAL LAW- NATURAL LAW IS PROMULGATED BY GOD,
GOD INSTILLED INTO HUMAN HEARTS AND MINDS THAT
“GOOD IS TO BE PURSUED AND EVIL IS TO BE AVOIDED.”
THIS GENERAL PRECEPT THEREFORE BECOMES KNOWN BY
MAN NATURALLY IT IS IMPRINTED ON HIS VERY NATURE.
KINDS OF LAW ACCORDING TO ST. THOMAS
AQUINAS
•ST. PAUL AFFIRMS THIS WHEN HE TELLS THE
ROMANS THAT NATURAL LAW IS INSCRIBED IN
MAN’S HEART AND MEN AND WOMEN PERCEIVE
WHAT IS GOOD AND BAD FOR THEM NATURALLY. IN
THS WAY THEY PARTICIPATE IN GOD’S ETERNAL LAW.
KINDS OF LAW ACCORDING TO ST. THOMAS
AQUINAS
•MORAL LAW- PROVIDES CRITERIA FOR JUDGING
WHO WE ARE AND HOW WE SHOULD ACT. IT HELPS
OUR MORAL DEVELOPMENT BY EXPRESSING TYPICAL
PATTERNS OF MORAL BEHAVIOR AND HUMAN
VALUES.
KINDS OF LAW ACCORDING TO ST. THOMAS
AQUINAS
•IT ALSO PROVIDES STABILITY AND CONSISTENCY IN OUR LIVES
BY ACTING AS CONSTANT AND RELIABLE POINT OF REFERENCE.
LASTLY, IT CHALLENGES US TO MAKE CHOICES IN VIEW OF AN
IDEAL OR CORRECTS US BY ILLUMINATING OUR FAULTS.
KINDS OF LAW ACCORDING TO ST. THOMAS
AQUINAS
•HUMAN LAW- IS DESCRIBED BY ST. THOMAS AS DEVISED BY
HUMAN REASON BASED ON THE PRECEPTS OF THE NATURAL LAW
AND APPLIED OR "ADAPTED TO A PARTICULAR GEOGRAPHICAL,
HISTORICAL, AND SOCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES "TO BENEFIT AND
PROMOTE THE COMMON GOOD.
KINDS OF LAW ACCORDING TO ST. THOMAS
AQUINAS
•HUMAN LAWS ARE BASED ON "REASON," THEREFORE THEY
ARE ROOTED ON THE NATURAL MORAL LAW. THEY ARE NOT
VALID IF THEY REQUIRE THEIR SUBJECTS TO DO ACTIONS
AGAINST THEIR HUMAN NATURE.
KINDS OF LAW ACCORDING TO ST. THOMAS
AQUINAS
• DIVINE LAW- ACCORDING TO ST. THOMAS, IS DERIVED FROM ETERNAL LAW
AS IT APPEARS HISTORICALLY TO HUMANS AS DIVINE COMMANDS. THE
DIVINE LAW BECOMES KNOWN TO MAN THROUGH DIVINE REVELATION. IT
INCLUDES BOTH THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT,
THE SOCIETY DURING THE TIME OF MOSES WAS COMPOSED OF
DISORDERLY AND HARDHEADED PEOPLE,
KINDS OF LAW ACCORDING TO ST. THOMAS
AQUINAS
•GOD GAVE THEM THE TEN COMMANDMENTS SO THAT THINGS
COULD BE PUT IN ORDER. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS,
SUMMARIZED INTO LOVE OF GOD AND LOVE OF NEIGHBOR, IS THE
FOUNDATION OF ALL THE LAWS WE HAVE TODAY. IN THE NEW
TESTAMENT, THE ETERNAL LAW REACHES HUMANS THROUGH THE
TEACHINGS OF JESUS AND HIS EXAMPLE OF DIVINE LOVE.