The way to be happy?

[NoelFitz]

Some time ago I read a secular psychological article about how to be happy. The advice was to love and be thankful. Meditating and remembering good and beautiful things before going to sleep was recommended. It seemed like religion without a higher being.

Are we all basically religious? The Golden Rule appeals to all humans. Is the ideal of loving and being loved universal? Is the aim of loving others, wishing them well, shared by all decent people?

Some time ago I felt that while Catholics are interested in the common good and the support of all people, Protestants tended to individual striving for fulfillment. But with Covid-19 I see the heroism, love and bravery of so many to others, and not only of Catholics.

Yet there is a worry. In the US I read that with the rise of Covid-19 gun sales are increasing to prevent the unemployed starving from robbing food. Is this so?

Please advise. Are humans basically good, created by God, or following Augustine is humanity a perverse and damned mass (massa damnata)?

 

[adamhovey1988]

I read that with the rise of Covid-19 gun sales are increasing to prevent the unemployed starving from robbing food

As someone that has firearms LEGALLY I find that offensive.

Please advise. Are humans basically good, created by God, or following Augustine is humanity a perverse and damned mass (massa damnata)?

Everything God makes is good, but man is inclined to sin from the fall.

 

[StudentMI]

I think humanity is basically good, but capable of great evil. I guess you could say humanity is mostly mediocre, neither hot not cold as far as great evil and great good are concerned. But I see. More good than evil coming from your ordinary person than bad.

 

[fhansen]

The massa damnata theory, as I understand it, is in error either way. Humans desire to be and do good, to help their neighbor- and humans also have conflicting selfish desires that can cause harm to neighbor. Basic human nature is good, as created, but our wills aren’t necessarily oriented towards love, the highest good, such that we may not necessarily choose the best, so to speak; we may compromise`. God’s image and voice reside inside, but are easily ignored.

This doesn’t mean that we possess a “sin nature” as some sects teach, or that we’re “totally depraved” as per Calvinism, or worthy of eternal damnation. It means we’re lost, sick, dead in a sense, because we’re spiritually disconnected from the immediate communion with God that we were made for, which constitutes the just or right order of things for man. That separation is the essence of the state known as “original sin”, aka the “death of the soul” in other Catholic parlance.

The bottom line message is that man needs God and the nearer we are to Him the better we should become, and the better that we love the nearer we are to Him-perhaps even if we aren’t aware of it? In any case I think there can be believers who act less godly, and non-believers who act more so, in this world. Either way the Church teaches this one thought from St John of the Cross regarding our judgement, that I can’t help repeating:
"At the evening of life we shall be judged on our love."

 

[NoelFitz]

As someone that has firearms LEGALLY I find that offensive.

Sincerest apologies if you feel offended by my post. It was not my intention to offend anyone.

Everything God makes is good, but man is inclined to sin from the fall.

This is a permanent problem for me.
Humans are good, since God made them. But humans are inclined to sin and actually do sin, which shows humans are not good. Is it another case of ‘both/and’?

But I see. More good than evil coming from your ordinary person than bad.

You claim that the ordinary person is more good than bad. Yet one unforgiven mortal sin condemns one to hell for all eternity, irrespective of all the good one has done.

St Thomas Aquinas and St Augustine believed most people will end up in hell.

The NT also indicates hell is the end for most of us,

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few. " (NAB,RE, Mt 7:13,14)

Humans desire to be and do good,

Your post is very inspiring and helpful. But I seem to have a blank spot (invincible ignorance) , as I find it difficult to see that God is good, if hell exists. I know he is absolute goodness, but I have problems. At best I can ignore them and pray for mercy,

Humans are born in sin and can do nothing of merit on their own, but are quite able to add to their sins. Without grace it is impossible to do anything of merit.

but our wills aren’t necessarily oriented towards love, the highest good, such that we may not necessarily choose the best ,

Yet even when we do evil, we do it because it seems good (sub specie boni). On one hand we have an almighty being wanting us to do the right thing, on the other hand the devil, our passions and inclinations wanting us to do evil. Which is stronger God or our selves? Can God not influence us to do good, make us an offer we cannot refuse?

God made us in sin, we have built in faults, even saints reject God by sin.

For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh. The willing is ready at hand, but doing the good is not. For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want. NAB, RE, Ro 7:18–19)

“At the evening of life we shall be judged on our love.”

I would prefer to be judged by God’s love, who in Jesus died for me and gave himself up for me.
Any bit of meritorious love I had was due to God’s grace,

You have replied to me many times, with knowledge and encouragement.
Thank you and pray for me.
God bless us all.

 

[po18guy]

The catechism, paragraph 44 states, in part: “Man is, by nature and vocation, a religious being.”

 

[christismylord]

Jesus says: “no one is good but God alone”
(Mark 10:18, Luke 18:19)

Humans, apart from God, are not good. God can use anyone He wishes to accomplish His purposes, and those who are not Christian still have a conscience and can have the desire to do good. (And this conscience comes, of course, from God.) But even Catholics, and all Christians are not completely good except when perfectly united to the Will of God.

“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”
(Jeremiah 17:9)

God created Adam and Eve without flaw or evil but they chose by free will to fall away from God and perfect goodness and obedience. We all are born now with original sin, so we are tainted and not “good.” We can do good deeds but as a whole, we are not good by ourselves, but only when united with God.

Remember Paul says “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

So for believers, the good we do is inspired by the Holy Spirit and is Christ living in us, not by our own “goodness.” And for nonbelievers, they too are created by God and as humans they have a desire to care for others and can do good things because God made them as well.

Anything that is good is from God. So any good that anyone does, regardless of their faith, is a byproduct of how God created us and of His grace.

 

[NoelFitz]

The catechism, paragraph 44 states, in part: “Man is, by nature and vocation, a religious being.”

I think Tertullian said something similar.

Humans, apart from God, are not good.

Does this contradict that everything made by God is good?

God created Adam and Eve without flaw or evil but they chose by free will to fall away from God and perfect goodness and obedience.

If Adam and Eve were without flaw, why did they chose to fall away?

Nice that all the easily offended people own guns

Do they?

I appreciate all the replies.
I have a block in my thinking, which seems to go round in circles. I think I will try to distil; all my concerns into one thread. Basically why did God create beings that will suffer for eternity? If he is all powerful, merciful and loving how can we chose to reject him?

 

[FiveLinden]

As someone that has firearms LEGALLY I find that offensive

I am glad you would not use your guns to prevent someone taking food.

 

[po18guy]

I think Tertullian said something similar.

Here are the catechism’s references for the chapter on man’s capacity for God.

1 Vatican Council II, GS 19 § 1.
2 Acts 17:26-28.
3 GS 19 § 1.
4 Cf. GS 19-21; Mt 13:22; Gen 3:8-10; Jon 1:3.
5 Ps 105:3.
6 St. Augustine, Conf. 1,1,1L 32,659-661.
7 Rom 1:19-20; cf. Acts 14:15,17; 17:27-28; Wis 13:1-9.
8 St. Augustine, Sermo 241, 2L 38,1134.
9 GS 18 § 1; cf. 14 § 2.
10 St. Thomas Aquinas, STh I,2,3.
11 Vatican Council I, Dei Filius 2S 3004; cf. 3026; Vatican Council II, Dei Verbum 6.
12 Cf. Gen 1:27.
13 Pius XII, Humani generis , 561S 3875.
14 Pius XII, Humani generis , 561S 3876; cf. Dei Filius 2S 3005; DV 6; St. Thomas Aquinas, STh I,1,1.
15 Wis 13:5.
16 Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom , Anaphora.
17 Lateran Council IVS 806.

 

[christismylord]

Does this contradict that everything made by God is good?

No I said humans apart from God are not good. Meaning we are only good when joined to His Will and doing things that please Him.
Following this logic that everything made by God is good, do you believe Satan and demons are good?

If Adam and Eve were without flaw, why did they chose to fall away?

So you think that Adam and Eve were created already tainted? Then they would be born with original sin? Then not everything God creates is good. But they fell because they gave into the temptation of the devil, because they had free will. And our will is something that God chooses not to control all the time. All that God has His way in is perfect, but when He chooses not to intervene, evil has a chance to infiltrate God’s perfect goodness in creation.

I see it as that everything God creates is good, until we (or heavenly beings like the devil) stray, by our own will, from living in a way that is perfectly joined with God’s Will. Then we become tainted with sin when we give into the ways of evil instead of surrendering to the perfect and good ways of God.

 

[Mrchatsworth]

I enjoy my firearms and I purchase them often. I don’t purchase guns to kill starving people from robbing me. But if a starving person breaks into my home I should protect myself and my family. However I think the secular idea of everyone following the golden rule is a Pollyanna way of seeing the human race. People do horrible things. Saying we all follow a golden rule of “be nice” is not accurate. We have abortion, rape, selfishness, greed, etc. These things are also prevalent in the current crisis. It is only the narrative of the news you are reading that shapes the idea that you are seeing. If the media wants you to think everyone is staying home out of niceness and millions of people are drinking bleach then I guess that is what you will think is happening.

 

[fhansen]

Yet even when we do evil, we do it because it seems good (sub specie boni). On one hand we have an almighty being wanting us to do the right thing, on the other hand the devil, our passions and inclinations wanting us to do evil. Which is stronger God or our selves? Can God not influence us to do good, make us an offer we cannot refuse?

He could, but for His purposes and presumably for our good He wants our wills involved, and as such gives them sufficient help without overruling them. So murder may seem like a good thing at the moment a murderer pulls the trigger, and yet could he do otherwise in most cases? Could his choice be to not pull the trigger instead? Shouldn’t most of us know better, or are we just irresponsible and unaccountable beasts, or either sin machines or obedience machines depending on God’s discretion?

God made us in sin, we have built in faults, even saints reject God by sin.

Well, the Church rejects the idea that God either made us to be sinners-or makes us sinners now in some way. I think the bottom line is that we do have a will, and can exercise it correctly, or not, and God works patiently with us to help us arrive at the better use of it. The Church teaches that He made His world in a “state of journeying to perfection”. And that knowledge plays an important part; the more we understand the wrongness of an act the more culpable we are. But we can adamantly refuse to go along with the program in any case and at some point justice needs to be served; there needs to be ultimate consequences for sin- and the coward might just hope for extinction at the end of this life but how just would that be for his victims?

Anyway, I don’t think anyone will be disappointed or dissatisfied at the end. Julian of Norwich, with this same concern over the fate of so many dying around her centuries ago, was given a private revelation, the Source of which she knew to be Divine as that understanding was part of the experience:
"All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well."

It will happen that way.

 

[fhansen]

I would prefer to be judged by God’s love, who in Jesus died for me and gave himself up for me.
Any bit of meritorious love I had was due to God’s grace,

There is meritorious love in it all of course. But maybe He wants something more for us, and so seeks to draw more from us. I think that’s good.

You have replied to me many times, with knowledge and encouragement.
Thank you and pray for me.

Thank you-and do the same for me.

 

[NoelFitz]

do you believe Satan and demons are good?

The fallen angels were created by God and are good.

For everything created by God is good, 1 Ti 4:4.

So you think that Adam and Eve were created already tainted?

They were created with the desire to be like God knowing good from evil. They disobeyed God. Is this a taint?
I was born tainted and God made me with this built in fault.
But I see in the Bible:
God looked at everything he had made, and found it very good (Ge 1:31).

 

[Inbonum]

Some time ago I read a secular psychological article about how to be happy. The advice was to love and be thankful. Meditating and remembering good and beautiful things before going to sleep was recommended.

I do believe that key of happiness and being joyful is to be thankful to God for everything, bad and good. And to be conscious that everything is gift from God. To look what we do have instead of complaining on what we do not have. Glass half full or half empty.

It seemed like religion without a higher being.

I agree, reminds me of christian view but to whom to be thankful if God is not included in that whole “process of happiness”.

Please advise. Are humans basically good, created by God, or following Augustine is humanity a perverse and damned mass (massa damnata)?

do you believe Satan and demons are good?

Everything what God created is good in it’s essence.

In question of demons, Satan and demons WERE created good but they became evil because of their decision to not serve to God.

 

[NoelFitz]

In question of demons, Satan and demons WERE created good but they became evil because of their decision to not serve to God.

I am confused.
Demons chose not to serve God? Does thus show they were not good? In heaven does one have free will, can the angels and saints choose not to serve God?
I understood that in heaven, as in hell, the will Is fixed.

 

[StudentMI]

I am confused.
Demons chose not to serve God? Does thus show they were not good? In heaven does one have free will, can the angels and saints choose not to serve God?
I understood that in heaven, as in hell, the will Is fixed.

Yep, Satan and the rebel angels chose not to serve God. St Augustine addresses the eternity part of that in his City of God.

 

[Inbonum]

They cannot chose it now but they have chosen not to serve to God in time when God gave them opportunity to chose between serving and not serving to Him.
They were created good but since they chosen with their free will to not to serve God they became fallen angels or demons.
Their choice is now permanent and cannot be changed.
This can help you to understand better that theme

https://catholicleader.com.au/opinion/guest-writers/the-fall-of-the-angels/

Catechecism of Catholic Church on fall of Angels:

II. THE FALL OF THE ANGELS
391 Behind the disobedient choice of our first parents lurks a seductive voice, opposed to God, which makes them fall into death out of envy.266 Scripture and the Church’s Tradition see in this being a fallen angel, called “Satan” or the “devil”.267 The Church teaches that Satan was at first a good angel, made by God: "The devil and the other demons were indeed created naturally good by God, but they became evil by their own doing."268
392 Scripture speaks of a sin of these angels.269 This “fall” consists in the free choice of these created spirits, who radically and irrevocably rejected God and his reign. We find a reflection of that rebellion in the tempter’s words to our first parents: "You will be like God."270 The devil “has sinned from the beginning”; he is “a liar and the father of lies”.271
393 It is the irrevocable character of their choice, and not a defect in the infinite divine mercy, that makes the angels’ sin unforgivable. "There is no repentance for the angels after their fall, just as there is no repentance for men after death."272
394Scripture witnesses to the disastrous influence of the one Jesus calls “a murderer from the beginning”, who would even try to divert Jesus from the mission received from his Father.273 "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil."274 In its consequences the gravest of these works was the mendacious seduction that led man to disobey God.
395The power of Satan is, nonetheless, not infinite. He is only a creature, powerful from the fact that he is pure spirit, but still a creature. He cannot prevent the building up of God’s reign. Although Satan may act in the world out of hatred for God and his kingdom in Christ Jesus, and although his action may cause grave injuries - of a spiritual nature and, indirectly, even of a physical nature- to each man and to society, the action is permitted by divine providence which with strength and gentleness guides human and cosmic history. It is a great mystery that providence should permit diabolical activity, but "we know that in everything God works for good with those who love him."275
https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p1s2c1p7.htm