NATIONAL EVANGELICAL UNIVERSITY

Supporter:
Yuleidys Priscilla Ramírez Núñez

Tuition:
2015-3300387

Subject:
Christian and professional ethics

Issue:
Ethics in the Church

Section:
06

Teacher:
Freddy del Rosario

Date of delivery:
04/12/2020
TABLE OF CONTENTS
NATIONAL EVANGELICAL UNIVERSITY.................................................................1
Supporter:.......................................................................................................................1
Tuition:...........................................................................................................................1
Subject:...........................................................................................................................1
Issue:...............................................................................................................................1
Section:...........................................................................................................................1
Teacher:..........................................................................................................................1
Date of delivery:.............................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................2
III. What is Christian ethics?.....................................................................................7
IV. Ethics in Christian relationships..........................................................................7
V. Elements of Christian evangelical ethics.............................................................8
VI. Principles of Christian ethics...............................................................................9
VII. Bible verses about Christian ethics....................................................................10
VIII. History of Christian ethics.............................................................................11
First Lutheran ethic.......................................................................................................11
IX. Catholic ethics...................................................................................................14
X. principles of Catholic ethics..............................................................................14
XI. History of Catholic ethics..................................................................................17
XII. Encyclicals.........................................................................................................17
CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................20
REFERENCES.............................................................................................................21

INTRODUCTION

Ethics is one of the many branches of philosophy. It is the science that studies
things by their causes, of what is universal and necessary, which is dedicated to
the study of human acts. Acts that are carried out by the will and absolute
freedom of the person. Any human act that is not carried out through his will
and in which he is absent of freedom, does not enter the study or field of ethics
because it is not a conscious exercise of the human being.

An ethical proposition may assert that a particular action is good or bad, or that
actions of a certain type are good or bad.

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In this work we will be dealing with the topic of ethics in the church, in it we will
see the definition of ethics, the relationship between ethics and religion, ethics
in the Christian church, ethics in the Catholic church, among other topics of
interest .

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 ETHICS IN
CHURCH
I. What is ethics?

Ethics, or moral philosophy, is the branch of philosophy that studies human

behavior, right and wrong, good and bad, morality, good living, virtue, happiness
and duty.

II. Religion and ethics

Religion consists of the ritual relationship of the human being with the
transcendent, with the divine, with that which gives meaning to his existence.
Man, incapable of rationally accounting for his own life, searches in the
unknown, in the irrational, in the superhuman, for a comprehensive model that
facilitates access to his own being, that clarifies his identity.

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Thus, although religion is also an explanation of the environment in which
human beings live, above all it offers a way of understanding the interior of
consciousness, of understanding oneself through a being that is infinitely wise
and Well.

If religion orders the human world, it cannot do so except through the

regulations of man's behavior, since he defines himself thanks to action,
expresses what he is and what is worth acting on reality.

Now, what values are those that make an act good or bad? What serves as an
evaluative basis? Religion is, without a doubt, the first option. An infinitely wise
being cannot make mistakes; He knows what is absolute good, what should be
done in each situation and what would happen if he did not act rightly.

Religion is linked to moral behavior from the origin of existence. In the

uncertainty of life, God appears as a reliable foundation on which to base good
behavior, appropriate action. Therefore, with few exceptions, the history of
ethics itself is actually a reflection of the relationship between human behavior
and religion.

Fundamental elements of ethics: its religious origin

For many thinkers, the moral act (that is, the human act that can be considered
good or bad) was born inextricably linked to religion, to the existence of a
superior being. However, later, what occurred in an inadvertent way, the natural
relationship between the moral act and the existence of a god began to be
considered from a scientific, ethical point of view, and the way in which two
were related was discovered. essential human dimensions: the ethical and the
religious.

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ETHICS IN
CHURCH
CHRISTIAN

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III. What is Christian ethics?
Christian ethics lies in the practice of goodness and good works, as commanded
by Jesus Christ in the Gospel. On the other hand, good or good action is
intrinsically present in the person himself, who according to Christian teaching
was made in the image and likeness of God. It should be noted that in the
Lutheran culture of the Nordic countries it is believed that man is not good in
himself and that he needs God to free himself from his evil actions.

IV. Ethics in Christian relationships

Ethics is a discipline of judgment in human moral behavior. In Christianity,

biblical principles are applied to the behavior of each disciple of Jesus Christ. In
the disciples of Jesus is where the discipline of ethics is applied, for the best
practices in Christian relationships. The apostle Paul wrote:

“ Brothers, if anyone is caught in any fault, you who are spiritual, restore such
a one in the spirit of meekness; Consider yourself, lest you also be tempted. ” -
Galatians 6:1.

The discipline of ethics is applied in various categories and branches of human

life. You could say that there are professional business ethics, sports ethics,
family ethics, Christian ethics, etc. Ethics is not cheap politics, hypocrisy, or
anything similar. Ethics is necessary for the best conduct of human relationships.
Christian ethics are important for the best testimonial conduct among others;
and mainly, with the domestics of the faith.

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V. Elements of Christian evangelical ethics

➢ Truth: In its nature , truth is the conformity of our expressions to the

essence of things, or to our understanding or comprehension of those
things. By the way, guilt would arise when a communicator has the
necessary means to know the essence of a matter, but does not use it, or
negligently spreads rumors as if they were true.
➢ Justice: In a general and human sense, speaking with justice is that virtue
of the soul that inclines man to speak of his neighbor with kindness and
without deceit . What is known as making a good construction of the
intentions of others. This justice is a habit of mind that disposes us to say
about others what is due or our duty for the love of God.
➢ Kindness: Hear this commandment from the Lord our God: “You shall
love your neighbor as yourself” ( Mt. 22:39). Love or kindness to our
neighbor is something that is easily discerned, or love tells me what is
good for me, and if it is good for you, give it to your neighbor. So, in
ethics, exercising kindness is a very simple rule: What you want to be said
about you, both in public and private, say it about your neighbor . This is
no easy task, and those who commit to this virtuous endeavor could
rightly be called our modern leaders.

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VI. Principles of Christian ethics

Below are some important principles of Christian ethics:

1. Promote respect for authority with your ministerial ethics, and not judgment
of authority.

2. If you are not a leader, pastor or minister of God, you do not have the right
to judge to condemn those who are.

3. You can censor someone, as long as you take responsibility for what you say,
and better if you do it face to face and not behind others' backs.

4. Each one will give an account to God for his actions, and not for the actions
of others.

5. Do not consider yourself better than another when you hear or observe their
wrong actions.

6. Don't pass any judgment; and much less, if you do not know the facts and
reality of others.

7. If speaking costs nothing, consider your words before speaking or criticizing.

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VII. Bible verses about Christian ethics

The behavior of a believer is related to the fruits of his faith. Believing or not
believing is what motivates people to live according to their moral ethical status.
For a Christian or disciple of Jesus Christ, the word of God is the maximum
authority of faith and conduct in relationships with his fellow men.

Here are some principles of Christianity extracted from the Bible:

“With mercy and truth sin is corrected, and with the fear of the Lord men depart
from evil.” -Proverbs 16:6.

“Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be
condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.” -Luke 6:37.

“Do not judge according to what appears, but judge righteous judgment.” -John
7:24.

“Every soul submits to the superior powers; because there is no power except
from God; and those that are, are ordained by God.” -Romans 13:1.
“Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who also will
make clear the hidden things of darkness, and will reveal the intents of hearts:
and then everyone will have praise from God.” -1 Corinthians 4:5.

“I admonish, therefore, before all things, that rogations, prayers, petitions, and
thanksgivings be made for all men;” -1 Timothy 2:1.

“Let no one be infamous, let them not be quarrelsome, but modest, showing all
meekness toward all men.” -Titus 3:2.

“Pursue peace with all, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:” -
Hebrews 12:14.

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“Remember your shepherds, who spoke the word of God to you; the faith of
whom you imitate, considering the success of their conduct.” -Hebrews 13:7.
“And we beseech you, brethren, that ye recognize them that labor among you,
and preside over you in the Lord, and admonish you: And that ye esteem them
highly for the sake of their work. Have peace with each other. We also ask you,
brothers, to admonish those who walk disorderly, to comfort those who are
weak-minded, to bear with the weak, to be patient with all. See that no one gives
another evil for evil; but always pursue what is good toward one another, and
toward everyone.” -1 Thessalonians 5:12-15.

“Depart from every kind of evil.” -1 Thessalonians 5:22.

“And you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.” -2 Thessalonians 3:13.

“If anyone says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar. For he who does
not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not
seen? -And we have this commandment from Him: That he who loves God, love
his brother also.” -1 John 4:20-21.

“Beloved, do not follow what is evil, but what is good. He who does good belongs
to God: but he who does evil has not seen God.” -3 John 1:11.

VIII. History of Christian ethics

First Lutheran ethic

The first Protestant ethic was dominated by the principles of the Reformation,
which contemplated the blessing of justification by faith as the center of all
Christian truth, the Scriptures as the proper standard of Christian doctrine, and
the communion of believers united by the Word of God and the sacraments as
the essence of the Church. Therefore, starting from these principles, which are

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closely related to each other, he sought to purify Christian ethics from the
disturbing elements introduced by Catholicism.

He changed the belief from an acceptance of ecclesiastical doctrine to a

penitential one, of trust in God, who is revealed in Christ. In this way faith
became the central and morally powerful source of the entire Christian life. At
the same time, the Catholic concept of a purely magical foundation of Christian
morality of legalism and justification by works was discarded. Instead of an
external mandate, the source of ethical knowledge was now the ideal of life set
forth in the Bible, adopted by the Christian conscience and coupled to the
individual. At the same time, the distinction between high and low morality and
especially the recommendation of monastic life was rejected. Furthermore, since
the ethical importance of the secular realm and the natural relations of human
society were now recognized, its subjection to the visible Church became a thing
of the past. However, none of the Reformers developed these ideas into a
comprehensive system, although Luther sometimes used them in their
fundamental generality and with strong emphasis on their religious aspect.

His Von der Freiheit eines Christenmenschen (1520) contains important

foundations of ethics, while in the discussion of the Decalogue, in his catechism,
he makes statements on individual ethical issues.

A stronger and more specific interest in ethics was shown by Melanchthon, not
only in his great work on dogmatics, the Loci , but also in his university lectures
on Proverbs and in brief individual treatises on ethical matters. However, he only
gave a systematic presentation of ethical philosophy, discussing natural law,
given by God. His Epitome philosophiæ moralis (Strasbourg, 1538) and Ethicæ
doctrinæ elementa (1550) formed the basis of ethical instruction in the Lutheran
Church.

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ETHICS IN
CHURCH
CATHOLIC

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IX. Catholic ethics

It is a set of norms and principles referring to the social, political and economic
reality of humanity based on the gospel and the Magisterium of the Catholic
Church.

John Paul II: The teaching and dissemination of this social doctrine is part of the
evangelizing mission of the Church; Social doctrine, an instrument of
evangelization, announces God and his ministry of salvation in Christ to every
man.

X. principles of Catholic ethics

1. Dignity of the human person: Social justice can only be obtained by

respecting the transcendent dignity of man. But this is not the only or the main
reason. What is at stake is the dignity of the human person, whose defense and
promotion have been entrusted to us by the Creator, and to which men and
women are rigorously and responsibly indebted at every juncture of history.

2. Primacy of the common good: The common good is always oriented towards
the progress of people: 'the social order and its progress must be subordinated
to the good of the people and not the other way around'. This order is based on
truth, it is built on justice, it is vivified by love.

3. Principle of subsidiarity: "As one cannot take from individuals and give to
the community what they can achieve with their own efforts and industry, so it
is not fair, constituting a serious detriment and disturbance of right order, to
take from minor communities and inferior what they can do and provide and
give to a greater and higher society, since every action of society, by its own
force and nature, must provide help to the members of the social body, but not
destroy and absorb them. .

4. Social participation: Both peoples and individuals must enjoy fundamental

equality… equality that is the foundation of everyone's right to participate in the

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process of full development.

5. Culture of life and Quality of life: Man is called to a fullness of life that goes
beyond the dimensions of his earthly existence, since it consists of participation
in the very life of God. The sublime of this supernatural vocation manifests the
greatness and value of human life even in its temporal phase. In effect, life in
time is a basic condition, initial moment and integral part of the entire unitary
process of human life. A process that, unexpectedly and undeservedly, is
illuminated by the promise and renewed by the gift of divine life, which will
reach its full realization in eternity (cf. 1 Jn 3, 1-2).

6. The existence of the moral law: If there is no ultimate truth, which guides
and directs political action, then human ideas and convictions can easily be
instrumentalized for purposes of power. A democracy without values easily
turns into visible or covert totalitarianism, as history shows.

7. Universal destination of goods and private property: God has destined the
earth and its goods for the benefit of all. This means that each person should
have access to the level of well-being necessary for their full development. This
principle has to be put into practice according to different social and cultural
contexts and does not mean that everything is available to everyone. The right
to use land assets must be exercised in an equitable and orderly manner,
according to a specific legal order. This principle does not exclude the right to
private property either. DSI Compendium, 171-84

Private property does not constitute an unconditional and absolute right for
anyone. There is no reason to reserve for exclusive use what exceeds one's own
needs, when others lack what is necessary. Populorum Progressio, no. 23

8. Principle of solidarity: Thus, in this world divided and disturbed by all kinds of
conflicts, the conviction of a radical interdependence increases, and
consequently, of a necessary solidarity, which is assumed and translated on the

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moral level. Today perhaps more than before, men realize that they have a
common destiny to build together, if catastrophe is to be avoided for everyone.
The good to which we are called and the happiness to which we aspire are not
obtained without the effort and commitment of everyone, without exception;
with the consequent renunciation of one's own selfishness.

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XI. History of Catholic ethics

The great changes of the 20th century such as the industrial revolution and the
subsequent growth of cities had produced serious social and economic
inequalities. There was a debate and struggle to establish a fair relationship
between labor and capital and hence the problem known as the workers'
question. Pope Leo XIII addressed this issue and that of private property in his
encyclical, which became a document of reference and inspiration for all
Christian actions in the social field.

In 1864, Pope Pius IX in the encyclical Quanta Cura condemned socialism and
economic liberalism , for which he made a first outline of the teachings that Leo
Divine Providence for the State and, on the other, the materialist character of
economic liberalism that excludes the moral aspect of the relations between
capital and labor.

When 1931 marked the 40th anniversary of the publication of Rerum Novarum ,
Pope Pius whose power passed outside national borders. He also remembers the
condemnation of socialism as well as the insufficiency of liberalism.

Pius XII lived the post-war years with another international order to which he
dedicated his interventions. He did not even publish encyclicals on social issues,
he did not fail to remind everyone through his radio messages of the
relationship between morality and positive law as well as the duties of people in
different professions.

XII. Encyclicals

➢ Gaudium et Spes: The Second Vatican Council; current social and

economic issues, such as the new problems faced by marriage and the
family (for example, from the successive facilities for divorce granted by
nineteenth-century liberalism and socialism), peace and harmony
between peoples (in the scenario of the so-called Cold War), etc.
➢ Populorum Progressio: With Paul VI the theme of development makes its

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 entry into the documents of the Magisterium in the encyclical Populorum
Progressio, emphasizing the need for this development to be for all
people and all men.
➢ Laboren Excercens: John Paul II, strongly marked by his experience in
Poland, published various encyclicals on social issues. Laborem exercens
presents a spirituality and morality typical of the work carried out by
Christians.
➢ Solicitudo Rei Sociales: This takes up the theme of integral progress and
development of people (published on the occasion of the twenty years
since the publication of Populorum progressio).
➢ Centesimus annus: This, on the occasion of the centenary of the
publication of Rerum Novarum, focuses on the notion of solidarity, which
allows us to find a common thread through all the social teaching of the
Church.

Even though his predecessors had treated social issues as guidelines for social
ethics or philosophy, John Paul II proposed the Social Doctrine of the Church as a
branch of moral theology and gave guidelines on the way in which this discipline
should be taught in the seminars.

XIII. Main social documents of the Magisterium of the Church

Leo XIII

➢ Rerum Novarum (1891)

➢ Pius XI
➢ Quadragesimo Anno (1931)
➢ Non abbiamo bisogno (1931)
➢ Divini Redemptoris (1937)
➢ Mit Brennender Sorge (1937)

Pius XII

➢ Radio message "Solennitá", 50 years of the encyclical Rerum Novarum

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(1941)
➢ Christmas Radio Message (1942)

➢ Christmas Radio Message (1944)

John XXIII

➢ Mater et Magistra (1961)

➢ Pacem in Terris (1963)
➢ Vatican Council II
➢ Gaudium_et_Spes (1965)
➢ Dignitatis humanoe (1965)

Paul VI

➢ Populorum Progressio (1967)

➢ Humanae Vitae (1968)
➢ Octogesima adveniens (1971)

John Paul II

➢ Laborem Exercens (1981)

➢ Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (1987)
➢ Centesimus Annus (1991)
➢ Veritatis splendor (1993)
➢ Evangelium Vitae (1995)
➢ Fides et Ratio (1998)

Benedict XVI

➢ Deus Caritas Est (2005)

➢ Caritas in Veritate (2009)

Francisco

➢ Laudato si' (2015)

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➢ Fratelli tutti (2020)

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 CONCLUSION

The concept of Christian ethics needs to be known, taught and applied in

different Christian institutions and in our daily lives, and for this it is necessary to
promote its teaching with our example.

And it is that revealing to man the person of God and the mysteries that God
allows, is the manual of practical ethics for the citizen in society, and for the
Christian in the Church, and as such, it must be studied starting from that base,
the The real solution begins with: improving the personal relationship with
Christ, first of all, and this leads us to apply the ethical principles given by Jesus,
focusing on the ethical-Christian principle.

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 REFERENCES

http://www.iglesiapueblonuevo.es/index.php?codigo=enc_etica

https://ovidiobarrios.com/2016/08/12/la-etica-en-las-relaciones- Cristianas/

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teolog%C3%ADa_moral#:~:text=The
%20%C3%A9tica%20cristiana%20radica%20en,image%20and%20semejanza
%20of% 20God .

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89tica

https://www.archmil.org/ArchMil/Resources/CodeOfEthics2010Spanish-
20141112-rjt.pdf

https://www.coalicionporelevangelio.org/articulo/etica-cristiana/

https://prezi.com/rufqsx3_bp22/la-etica-y-la-iglesia-catolica/

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctrina_social_de_la_Iglesia

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