Aspects of Moral Theology
Human beings are bound to follow their judgment of conscience. The moral command to “do good and avoid evil” ensures every Christian leads a better life (Keenan, 2010, p. 48). Every human being should follow the judgment of his or her conscience. Sometimes conscience might be erroneous. The Catholic Tradition protects our consciences from every error (Keenan, 2010). The first rule is to always do the right thing. The second principle is to avoid every evil action. We should always acknowledge that evil is a reality of our lives.
We should always understand every aspect of moral theology in order to deal with our actions. Our consciences might be erroneous depending on a number of ethical principles. Meta-ethics offers three options for defining what is wrong or right. Human beings might formulate erroneous consciences. The three levels of ethics include “meta-ethics, personal ethics, and normative ethics” (Keenan, 2010, p. 74).
The teaching authority of the Catholic Church plays a significant role in defining levels of ethics. Catholic Moral Theology offers some discernible norms to guide the best human behavior. The teachings explain how “the knowledge of wrong and right informs our consciences” (Keenan, 2010, p. 84). The church also explains how human conscience can be erroneous. The right approach is to follow the above discernible norms for the best behavior.
The Principle of Just War
The principle of just war explains why a combat should be the last option (Principles of the Just War, 2014). This explains why the state should consider every non-violent decision before using force. Every just war should also safeguard the life of every civilian. This principle is applicable to the Vietnam War in which the United States were involved. The Vietnam War was unjustifiable because the Americans did not exhaust every non-violent option. The combat also violated every international law.
The country wanted to prevent communism from spreading across Asia. The soldiers did not protect the liberties and lives of the affected civilians. The Americans did not present clear reasons for this war. The Vietnamese had not threatened the United States. The United States used its power to invade Vietnam.
There was no moral or clear justification to support this decision. Many citizens did not support the American soldiers during the period. The war also divided the whole world. The American forces were unable to survive in Vietnam. This discussion explains why the U.S. did not meet the criteria for the war (Principles of the Just War, 2014).
Gained Ideas
I have gained numerous ideas from this class. The most interesting topic from this class was “Moral Theology and Ethics”. I now understand why moral theology encourages every believer to lead a good life. This moral theology poses many difficult questions encountered by human beings every day (Keenan, 2010). The materials also explained the connection between moral theology and ethics. Ethics explains why every human being can have a good life.
This philosophical discipline explains how a person can live a better life through divine revelation. Every believer should use the scriptures and natural laws in order to lead a better life. Moral theology “is incomplete without ethics and the scriptures” (Keenan, 2010, p. 97). The class discussions were interesting because they identified the major issues affecting my religious beliefs.
The topic also encouraged every learner to identify the issues affecting his or her life. The lessons gained from this topic are timeless and meaningful. Every person can use these ideas to control his or her conscience. This is the best path towards a holy life.
Reference List
Keenan, J. (2010). A History of Catholic Moral Theology in the Twentieth Century: From Confessing Sins to Liberating Consciences. New York: Bloomsbury Academic.
Principles of the Just War. (2014). Web.