In a differing perspective, C.S. Lewis offers other ways through which human friendship and the community should be strengthened. Instead of explicitly focusing on eternal life, Lewis primarily explains the idea that human friendship and the community can also be strengthened through recognizing the value of the human person. The “Weight of Glory” referenced in his literature’s title refers to our neighbor’s glory, which we should carry with utmost humility. This glory is not something that is easily carried, but rather, is a serious task that only the humble can carry out, and the proud will fail in. God grants us the dignity of the human person, which we should freely recognize when forming relationships and acting within the community. Lewis explains that throughout our daily lives we help each other reach our own destinations. We aren’t interacting with mere mortals, but with “holy objects” through which God lives. Thus, we shouldn’t treat each other with mere tolerance, but with a divine love. This not to say that we may not enjoy ourselves in the natural life. Indeed, as Lewis …show more content…
The theological virtues are explicitly given to us by God to prepare us for eternity and live in divine love. Even the human virtues, which are concerned about natural objects and increased by human practice, can be done for the love of God. These virtues helps us exercise mercy and patience with others. They allow us to do some natural good, love one another, and with God’s grace, can lead us to knowing Him and loving others with a supernatural love that hopes to be with them in eternal life. Thus, the teachings of these virtues, along with eternal life, help us exercise human practices for the love of God and make us good as humans, which can in turn strengthen the community and friendships around
If Christ lives in us, controlling our personalities, we will leave glorious marks on the lives we touch. Not because of our lovely characters, but because of his. –Eugenia Price.
In the beginning of his journey, C.S. Lewis believed that God was one big mystery. Jesus was not in the picture, and God was just some foreign name. Like many of us, we can approach God as an unopened present hidden in a closet. If we take a peek, we will see that it is there. If we do not, we will not know unless we hear about it. There are times when you think about checking it but do not. There are also times you take a peek and forget about it. But sometimes, you check it, open it, and get excited- really, really excited, but we do not know whether or not we should open it. He struggled with Atheism as much as he did Christianity. He chose to stick with what he wanted to know more of- Atheism. Lewis had a lack of belief in the existence of Jesus of God or any of it. One day, everything changed.
them, it is fundamental to search for them , because virtues are voluntary acquired, we are not
The framework question, “What do we owe to each other?”, addresses complex issues of human existence. No matter the response, the answer is subjective, related to one’s own personal experiences and their understanding of morality and inequality. Yet, an individual’s answer can be further influenced by academic study and helping others in need. Philosophy, theology, and service influence the understanding of the question, “What do we owe to each other?” by allowing one to explore problems of human morality, experience human connection through theology, and feel sympathy for others.
“Those who care for others. live a life, in a divine way, above others” -Anonymous. Even as small children, we are taught to treat others as we would like to be treated, but as we grow older, the world becomes more complex, and the length to which we should stretch ourselves for others becomes unclear. Some people may believe that one must always put others first, while others put other people’s worries and safety far behind their own. Throughout this year I have gathered artifacts, some support these theories, while others do not, and a few support my own theory.
quest to find if anyone knows what virtues are and who has the virtues. While
Seeing as how we are all God’s children, made in His image, it is important to understand the necessity to love and respect one another while glorifying Him in the process.
This paper is a philosophical exploration of some aspects and implications of the "second great commandment", to "love thy neighbor as thyself", which Kierkegaard called the "royal command". This is often thought to be the heart of Christian ethics [Wattles, p.8].
1. Compare and contrast the Cardinal and Theological virtues. Tell what each are, where they come from, and what they get you. The Cardinal virtues, or the natural virtues, are just that: natural – innate in each human being.
Acquiring virtues takes place throughout a person’s whole life so it states there is a need to show that good actions are rewarding and that virtue is learnt through doing and following the example of virtuous role models, e.g. Jesus, Martin Luther King Jr and Nelson Mandela. Whilst this is a strength in itself, what further makes the theory more favourable is the psychological context that can be given to this way of learning virtues. One psychologist Alfred Bandura put forward social learning theory in 1977 as a possible explanation of how we learn from our environment through observation and reinforcement. This can be linked to virtue ethics because it shows that we will watch role models and their behaviour and imitate it, developing a system of virtues that are rewarding which will ultimately lead us to eudaimonia. This gives some form of theoretical evidence to virtue ethics which makes it seem a more realistic way of thinking about goodness and how we must achieve
The cardinal virtues demonstrate the active and present ways throughout the church by showing the cardinal virtues temperance, social justice, justice, fortitude and prudence. Prudence is practical common sense. Catholics believe that the cardinal virtues prepare people so that when something is offered for example grace, people will recognize it. Cardinal virtues make it easier to work with life and problems. A person for example who showed a cardinal virtue in the church that was active and present was my house saint marry Mackillop.
... of justice and kindness and devotion; pray and fast without fainting, and spend all of our time in some form of religious worship; if the things that we do were such to get us a name throughout the world, and make us famous to all future generations, it would all be in vain without sincere love to God in the heart. Furthermore, we understand that it is not the external work done, or the suffering endured, that is worth anything but yet it is the extent of love that is displayed that means something in the sight of God.
Bernard shares that only when one has a full understanding of God’s love will they have an obligation to love God back. (5) Those who lack this understanding of the goods of the body and the soul that God provided where considered an “infidel” (5). The” soul was considered the superior part of one’s being”. (5)
The Seven Virtues are separated into two different types of virtues. They are Theological and Cardinal Virtues, and they can be defined as the heart of our moral life. Virtues are healthy, good habits that help us to do well and empower us to become what God wants us to be. These personal qualities emphasize that who we are affects what we do. There are two types of virtues, Theological and Cardinal virtues. Theological Virtues: The theological virtues can be defined as gifts from God that empower us to be good so that we may do good. The three theological virtues are love, hope and faith. These are the three virtues that will combat the three of the deadly sins pride, envy and wrath. Also the reaming four out of the seven deadly sins being lust, greed, sloth and gluttony are combated by four Cardinal Virtues justice, prudence, temperance, and fortitude. While one set of laws tells a person what things to avoid in their lives to live a good Christian life, the other sets tells us how a person may combat these desire and what they can do to live a good Christian life.
It is true that virtues are not feelings because we are not moved by feelings because we do good and bad things depending on our virtues and vices not through how we are feeling. Someone will not commit murder because of his or her feelings but because of their vices that are playing in their head. No one is forced to do anything because of his or her feelings. Also the excellence of virtue is needed because it is what makes something good and allows it to function well. For example I believe god created excellence in our bodies and the ways in which we were created because through the excellence we are able to survive, breath, walk, and function well. This virtue is what makes us as people good because I believe we are all born good but what can change that is if a person develops bad habits, which would lead him or her to not function properly.