Intrinsic Evil: Know It, Fight It, Defeat It

By -

I see much intrinsic evil surfacing in our society. Whether it be racism, hatred, or lying – they all stem from selfishness. What makes many of these acts intrinsically evil is that nothing good comes from them. What makes an intrinsically evil act different from a morally unjust act is the intention of the sinner. For example, if a person steals a loaf of bread with the intention of feeding his starving family, the act of stealing is evil, but the intention does not make it intrinsically evil. Contrast that with the sins of racism, hatred and lying.
  • When a person expresses racial slurs, aimed at demeaning or dehumanizing another human being/race, nothing good comes from that. The racist shows his/her vulnerabilities and insecurities. The recipient of the racial slurs is humiliated. Therefore, racism is intrinsically evil.
  • If one individual hates another, wishing ill will on that person, nothing good comes from that. In fact, it only eats away at the goodness of the hater. Also, there is a loss of opportunity for engaging in a loving relationship between both parties. Therefore, hatred is intrinsically evil.
  • Then, we need to consider those who tell habitual lies – lies that can be easily verified as lies. Nothing good comes from that. We eventually lose trust and credibility in the liar, who is doing nothing more than expressing a lack of integrity. Therefore, lying is intrinsically evil.
Read more...

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Memorare

By Helen Gonsalves -
Image
This popular prayer, a favorite of many Catholics, dates back to the 15th century and takes its name from the first Latin word of the prayer, "memorare," which means "remember." The Memorare is of unknown authorship, although it has been attributed to St. Augustine (354-430), St. John Chrysostom (c. 347-407) and, with more reason, to St. Bernard of Clairvaux (c. 1090-1153). St. Bernard's sermons on Mary were famous, and it was his Cistercian monks in the monastery of Citeaux in the 12th century who popularized the name "Our Lady" for Mary. The Memorare has also been attributed to the French cleric Claude Bernard (1588-1641), known as the "poor priest" of Paris, whose homilies contain passages that echo its words. No matter who wrote this prayer, it was Father Bernard who did much to popularize it, teaching it in hospitals and prisons, where Mary's intercession was effective in working miracles of grace. The first manuscript of the Mem
Read more

'Greater Love: Richie Fernando SJ', a joy-filled Filipino missionary

By -
Image
 I haven't been able to post for more than a week as I was giving an eight-day directed retreat to eight sisters of the Missionaries of Charity near Manila. While I had some access to the internet it was rather slow. I had intended to make a post here on the murder of Fr Fausto Tentorio PIME , a 59-year-old Italian priest, in the Diocese of Kidapawan, Mindanao, on Monday 17 October. I will save that post for a later date. As I was looking for a video about Father Fausto I came across one about Brother Richard Michael 'Richie' Fernando SJ, a Filipino Jesuit scholastic who died while trying to prevent a troubled and disabled young man in Cambodia from throwing a grenade. That was in 1996 - on 17 October. Father Fausto gave his life exactly 15 years later. I remember the mixture of sorrow and pride I felt when I read of the death of Brother Richie, pride as a missionary in the Philippines that a young Filipino seminarian had given his life so spontaneously in order to sav
Read more

Why Modesty Is Not Subjective

By -
Image
Hi there, ya'll!  The modest fashion world is one very diverse place.  Even among Catholics, the definition of "modest apparel" can vary greatly from person to person.  Recently I joined a Facebook group that advertised itself as a haven for Catholic women of all ages to share ideas for modest style and makeup and was hoping to learn more about modesty from my fellow Catholic sisters.  After a few days of being a member, though, I sadly left the group feeling a bit discouraged.  No two members seemed to agree on ANY aspect of modesty whatsoever, and the prevailing theme of the whole group was that modesty is subjective, it means something different for each woman and each woman gets to decide what she considers is "modest".  One woman very emphatically declared that she wears bikinis every summer to the beach and doesn't feel that this violates the virtue of modesty in the least.  The same woman also announced that she was never going to caution her d
Read more