The Natural Law

[elts1956]

We are taught the Natural Law is given to us from God to help us in forming our conscience in true alignment with the teachings of the Catholic Church.

How can Natural Law be proven to those who have lost or ignore the direction of these laws.

Are the Ten Commandments based on Natural Law? To me it would seem they are.

I would appreciate all insight in this. Thank you.

 

[teachccd]

When the Natural Law is ignored it results in guilt.We bear the mark of our Maker and are innately hardwired to seek Him. I would have to agree that the Ten Commandments align with Natural Law since God would not give us commands that counter the innate behavor to seek Him…my two cents…teachccd

 

[Eucharisted]

God gave us laws to teach us how to live. The laws are teachers, not saviors. The natural law is considered a theory, and the best way I can think of proving it is by doing a study on people’s morals.

For example, murder. Everyone naturally thinks murder is wrong. Where dose this come from? Well, it is be natural, so it must be an evolutionary trait within us. However, there are some things that go against natural law which would not be evolutionary, such as stealing and honoring one’s parents. This leads to where the natural law ultimately comes from, and it, of course, is the Lord.

 

[elts1956]

God gave us laws to teach us how to live. The laws are teachers, not saviors. The natural law is considered a theory, and the best way I can think of proving it is by doing a study on people’s morals.

For example, murder. Everyone naturally thinks murder is wrong. Where dose this come from? Well, it is be natural, so it must be an evolutionary trait within us. However, there are some things that go against natural law which would not be evolutionary, such as stealing and honoring one’s parents. This leads to where the natural law ultimately comes from, and it, of course, is the Lord.

Not meaning to be argumentative, but I would see the law regarding honoring father and mother as a natural law also. These people are the instruments of life. If we ignore them, we are denying what they gave us. Does that make sense?

 

[StCsDavid]

Catholics hold to the absolutes of God’s natural law. An evil act can never be made good by circumstance or intent.

I wrote this article at the beginning of Lent last year. It helps to explain the natural law.

Hope it helps

 

[elts1956]

Catholics hold to the absolutes of God’s natural law. An evil act can never be made good by circumstance or intent.

I wrote this article at the beginning of Lent last year. It helps to explain the natural law.

Hope it helps

My thanks to all who have answered. Perhaps I haven’t thought my whole question through yet. I think for myself, I know what a Natural Law is. My quandry is how to explain it to someone else. I suppose the closest life line answer I have gotten is from StcsDavid, above: An evil act can never be made good by circumstance or intent. I know this is true, but where is this statement backed up in the Bible/Church teachings, doctrines etc. I know many people, not necessarily Catholic take the Ten Commandments seriously, even if they haven’t studied the minutiae of meanings or laws one can glean from them. Can we prove Natural Law through the Ten Commandments?

 

[ready]

We are taught the Natural Law is given to us from God to help us in forming our conscience in true alignment with the teachings of the Catholic Church.

How can Natural Law be proven to those who have lost or ignore the direction of these laws.

Are the Ten Commandments based on Natural Law? To me it would seem they are.

I would appreciate all insight in this. Thank you.

All cultures share the Natural Law in common. Proof of its existence is that diverse cultures all look down on lying, cheating, stealing, infidelity, etc… And yes, the Ten Commandments are based on the Natural Law.

 

[elts1956]

All cultures share the Natural Law in common. Proof of its existence is that diverse cultures all look down on lying, cheating, stealing, infidelity, etc… And yes, the Ten Commandments are based on the Natural Law.

Can we discuss this further? For instance I haven’t figured out how the First through the Third can apply to Natural Law.

The Catholic Ten Commandments

1.I am the LORD your God. You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.
2.You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
3.Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.
4.Honor your father and your mother.
5.You shall not kill.
6.You shall not commit adultery.
7.You shall not steal.
8.You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
9.You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
10.You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.

Jump in everyone.

 

[ready]

Can we discuss this further? For instance I haven’t figured out how the First through the Third can apply to Natural Law.

The Catholic Ten Commandments

1.I am the LORD your God. You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.
2.You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
3.Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.
4.Honor your father and your mother.
5.You shall not kill.
6.You shall not commit adultery.
7.You shall not steal.
8.You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
9.You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
10.You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.

Jump in everyone.

Our country’s forefathers, who believed in the Natural Law, held certain truths to be self-evident, one being that there exists a Creator of all. As I see it, the Natural Law demands that we acknowlege this self-evident truth of a Creator and calls upon us to give Him His rightful due in the order of things: 1) by honoring Him as God above all other gods with thankful devotion 2) by keeping His Name holy, and 3) by honoring His Sabbath.

 

[elts1956]

Our country’s forefathers, who believed in the Natural Law, held certain truths to be self-evident, one being that there exists a Creator of all. As I see it, the Natural Law demands that we acknowlege this self-evident truth of a Creator and calls upon us to give Him His rightful due in the order of things: 1) by honoring Him as God above all other gods with thankful devotion 2) by keeping His Name holy, and 3) by honoring His Sabbath.

Thanks for the response. I think we are getting a glimmer. Self evident, that should be so for most, but some do deny it. As for myself, I’ll take the self evidence.

 

[ready]

Thanks for the response. I think we are getting a glimmer. Self evident, that should be so for most, but some do deny it. As for myself, I’ll take the self evidence.

I have read that people who are willfully choosing a life apart from the virtues and who have done something really wrong without repenting come to deny the Natural Law in their hearts as a result.

 

[cristininha]

Some people use concepts of natural law to desguise and justify their prejudices against interracial and same-sex relationships.

 

[elts1956]

Some people use concepts of natural law to desguise and justify their prejudices against interracial and same-sex relationships.

Why do you equate interracial and same-sex relationships? I realize that some fundamentalists of a certain mind set would discourage interracial marriages, but same - sex relationships are against the Natural Law, the Natural Law, in this instance, being procreation.

 

[cristininha]

Why do you equate interracial and same-sex relationships? I realize that some fundamentalists of a certain mind set would discourage interracial marriages, but same - sex relationships are against the Natural Law, the Natural Law, in this instance, being procreation.

There you go… some people also say interracial relationships are against Natural Law:

*“In case after case, legislation prohibiting racial inter-marriage was justified as unbending tradition rooting in received natural law.” For example, in 1869, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled that:

“…moral or social equality between the different races…does not in fact exist, and never can. The God of nature made it otherwise, and no human law can produce it, and no human tribunal can enforce it. There are gradations and classes throughout the universe. From the tallest archangel in Heaven, down to the meanest reptile on earth, moral and social inequalities exist, and must continue to exist throughout all eternity.”*

Source: religioustolerance.org/hom_mar14.htm

 

[eichenb2]

There you go… some people also say interracial relationships are against Natural Law:

*“In case after case, legislation prohibiting racial inter-marriage was justified as unbending tradition rooting in received natural law.” For example, in 1869, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled that:

“…moral or social equality between the different races…does not in fact exist, and never can. The God of nature made it otherwise, and no human law can produce it, and no human tribunal can enforce it. There are gradations and classes throughout the universe. From the tallest archangel in Heaven, down to the meanest reptile on earth, moral and social inequalities exist, and must continue to exist throughout all eternity.”*

Source: religioustolerance.org/hom_mar14.htm

You should do some reading about Natural Law. I would suggest Charles Rice’s book, 50 Questions on the Natural Law. It is published be Ignatius Press. You are making some fundamental category mistakes.

 

[thistle]

My thanks to all who have answered. Perhaps I haven’t thought my whole question through yet. I think for myself, I know what a Natural Law is. My quandry is how to explain it to someone else. I suppose the closest life line answer I have gotten is from StcsDavid, above: An evil act can never be made good by circumstance or intent. I know this is true, but where is this statement backed up in the Bible/Church teachings, doctrines etc. I know many people, not necessarily Catholic take the Ten Commandments seriously, even if they haven’t studied the minutiae of meanings or laws one can glean from them. Can we prove Natural Law through the Ten Commandments?

CCC 1789 Some rules apply in every case:

• One may never do evil so that good may result from it;
• the Golden Rule: “Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them.”
• charity always proceeds by way of respect for one’s neighbor and his conscience: “Thus sinning against your brethren and wounding their conscience . . . you sin against Christ.” Therefore "it is right not to . . . do anything that makes your brother stumble.