April Men’s’ Book Group /Practical Theology, by Peter Kreeft / Points 171 – 190
171. Motive and deed
Catholic Encyclopedia
As a virtue, charity is that habit or power which disposes us to love God above all creatures for Himself, and to love ourselves and our neighbors for the sake of God.
IRS / dictionary definition
(mostly) Money given voluntarily to those in need.
Contrast with communist “charity”
Involuntary, perhaps invisible to the giver.
Love overflows into good works. Works can exist without love but as St. Paul says:
And if I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
172. Alms
I think of alms in terms of money (as charity in #171)
Aquinas lists the corporal and spiritual works of mercy and suggests alms may be the fulfilment of others needs in the works of mercy. There can be spiritual alms.
Kreeft focusses on “To forgive injuries” and this is something we perhaps neglect.
173. Guidelines for giving
Are you looking for a minimum amount to give? Motive is important.
Sacrificial giving produces joy
174. “Fraternal correction”
You become worse than the sinner if you fail to correct him (see #178 unreasonable patience)
Pain does not trump sin. The true good of the other may require discomfort.
There must be a chance of repentance.
Timing and situation are important.
Truth vs. Harmony?
Grief vs. Reproach – It is out of love that I suffer from where your sin will lead.
175. When it’s right to correct your clergyman
Only a superior may punish. Fraternal correction may be done if correct, necessary, respectfully, gently, in private, without presumption or pride, without hypocrisy. Only in public if innocent people would otherwise be harmed.
176. Denouncing public sin
Silence implies consent. Public scandal is the key. It shows that this sin is OK.
https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13506d.htm
…scandal is a word or action evil in itself, which occasions another's spiritual ruin.
We may think of our Bishops, of Biden, Pelosi and other Catholics who publicly support evils worthy of excommunication, but what of the man who says nothing as his brother divorces his wife?
177. Hating God
Hate punishment, not God
To hate God is to hate justice
Free will allows us to hate God.
Example of the two prisoners. One admits of justice, the other hates justice in order to justify himself.
178. Hating sins without hating sinners
Assume we love all for the sake of God who made all.
Sin harms the sinner.
If we love the sinner (and we must) then we must hate the sin.
In our age some people wrap their identity in sin and claim that the sin must be loved to love the person. This is logically impossible.
179. “Hate crimes” vs. adultery: which is worse?
Subjective (intent) vs Objective (action)
The action without the intent is not sinful. The intent (hatred) itself is disordered.
Kreeft contrasts traditional morality with political correctness leaving us with the impression that traditional morality is reflective of the “true high and holy mystery” of human dignity which political correctness the psychological opportunity for pleasure.
180. Sloth
Sloth is an oppressive sorrow. It is more than mere laziness.
Sloth is a sin of omission, a refusal of duty to move toward the good.
Interesting that Kreeft thinks leisure has been abolished and yet boredom abounds. Seven years have passed since the book was written. I’d like to know what Kreeft has to say about a society so obsessed with networked devices, social media and constant games / play.
181. When sloth becomes a mortal sin
Things contrary to charity are mortal sin. Sin has two main degrees, mortal and venial
Sloth is a lack of joy. Joy springs from charity in God. Therefore, the type (class) of sin is mortal but mere laziness is venial.
Sloth is a sin of omission; joy is an act of will
182. Sloth as the origin of lust
“those who find no joy in spiritual pleasures have recourse to pleasures of the body”
Sex is a substitute for God
183. Why the military is an honorable occupation
Just war:
1. Legitimate authority
2. Just cause
3. Rightful intent
Many things are worse than war.
Hard and painful things, like amputations, may be necessary in a world of sin.
184. Sinning a little sin to avoid a big scandal?
Kreeft doesn’t come out and say it but no, it’s not OK to sin a little to avoid a big scandal. He mentions a few cases like, “mental reservation” which is not a sinful lie and the case of the attacker giving up his right not to be murdered. These perspectives are not obvious and difficult to see for most people. In our day the difference between Divorce and Annulment come to mind.
185. Actual vs. habitual charity
This one is an explanation of habits and particularly a habit of charity (virtue).
186. Anger
Is anger sinful?
Anger before Reason vs Anger after Reason
Anger which overrides reason is seldom good (sinful anger).
Anger regulated by reason may be good (zealous anger).
Chrysostom: “He who is not angry when he has cause to be angry, sins. For unreasonable patience is the hotbed of many vices; it fosters negligence and incites not only the wicked but even the good to do wrong.”
187. Why God does not give you grace to overcome lust
Pride is worse than lust, so God allows us to fall into lust to cure our pride.
Focus more on sins of spirit which are worse.
188. Pride
Pride – “I will not serve”
The root of pride is found to consist in man not being in some way subject to God and his rule.
189. Women’s punishment for the Fall
The punishments of sin:
Pain in childbirth
Woman subject to man
Man’s pain in labor
190. Cruelty vs. savagery
Cruelty is justice perverted, vengeance taken too far. Cruelty is purposeful.
Savagery is irrational and not based on justice but pleasure in another’s pain.
I’d like to start with #186. I was particularly disturbed by the thought that I might be “unreasonably patient” and in this way negligent. From here it is worth reflecting on #178 (hating sin) or perhaps tolerating sin in order not to upset sinners. Then when should we denounce sin (#176)? Perhaps fraternal correction (#174) including our clergy (#175) and other authorities should be in our thoughts? In being tolerant am I sinning a little to avoid scandal (#184)? Applying these principals to societies #183 tells us that the military is an honorable vehicle for fraternal correction at the scale of nations.
There is another thread which is perhaps happier in the text. It is the theme of charity. In #171 we see that motive matters and that charity is more than financial. #172 develops the idea of alms further from corporal to spiritual and #173 reinforces that intent is the key to alms. #185 develops the idea of habitual charity which shows itself in good works.
From here we can dive back into the ugliness. After pondering the necessity of good intent, we ponder #179 as whether intent is more important than deed. It is observed that society has perverted human dignity for pleasure. This takes us to #177 where we ask how can one hate God? The second sinner who hates justice to avoid his own sin shows the way that society appears to be leaning. Could this be out of Sloth? Without God (“And I will go in to the altar of God: to God who giveth joy to my youth. / Et introibo ad altare Dei, ad Deum qui laetificat juventutem meam”) there can be no true joy. Is it sloth then (#180, #181, #182) which though our ignorance of or distain for our Duty to God leads us to this pervasive lust?
Why then, O God, are we allowed to persist in lust (#187)? Would our pride (#188) lead us into so much worse? Are we to descend into cruelty and savagery (#190)? Are we spiritually dead or have we abandoned reason to become like the beasts?
This leaves us to ponder our punishment for the fall (#189).