In the last 18 articles we explored the essential doctrines of the Catholic Church, based on the Apostles’ Creed. These articles can be reviewed at www.fatheranthonyho.ca.

In addition to believing what God has revealed we must keep His law in order to be saved. Christianity is a way of life, and the Ten Commandments guide us on the way to salvation.

This week we are beginning a series of articles on moral life based on the Ten Commandments.

The Ten Commandments can be summed up by the two great commandments of loving God and loving others. We should love God above all things and love others as ourselves.

Affirmative and negative

Some of the Ten Commandments are affirmative and some are negative. Affirmative precepts say “thou shalt,” whereas negative precepts say “thou shalt not.”

Examples of affirmative precepts are: going to Church on Sunday and obeying one’s parents. Examples of negative precepts are: thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not commit adultery, and thou shalt not steal.

One author has written: “Precepts, both affirmative and negative, urge at all times, but with this difference: negative precepts urge always and at every instant, since always and at every instant the prohibited act is to be omitted; but affirmative precepts urge always but not at every instant, since the enjoined act is always enjoined but not to be performed at every instant.

“Affirmative precepts sometimes yield to excusing causes, but not even fear of death will excuse from the negative precepts of the Divine Law.”

We must abstain from evil acts at all times, with no exception. Hence, lying and stealing are always wrong. However we are only obliged to do certain good acts when required.

For example, we are only obliged to go to church on Sundays and holy days. And affirmative precepts sometimes yield to excusing causes. Hence, a sick person can be excused from the Sunday Mass obligation.

Three sources

The moral quality of our human acts is determined from three criteria: the object, the end or purpose, and the circumstances.

The object is what we do. For example, almsgiving is morally good and stealing is morally evil. An important moral principle is “the end doesn’t justify the means.” Hence we can never do a morally evil act to achieve a good result.

The end or purpose is the motive for which something is done. If the motive is sinful, then the action is sinful. A bad intention spoils a good work, but a good intention cannot change a bad action into a good one. We need both good work and good intention.

The circumstances are the conditions under which a human act is performed. Father John Hardon, SJ, author of The Question and Answer Catholic Catechism, wrote, “Who does something, in whose presence, when, where, and the way it is done: all these are called the circumstances, and they deeply affect the morality of our conduct.”

“For example, the misconduct of a public official gives greater scandal than that of a private individual, to speak unkindly of a person before a group of people is worse than before one person, and to practise charity toward an enemy is normally more virtuous than toward a friend.”

An action is morally good when the object, circumstances, and purpose of what is done are all good. But an action is morally bad when either the object, circumstances, or purpose of the act is bad.

“Love can cause no harm to your neighbour, and so love is the fulfillment of the Law” (Rom 13:10).

前十八篇拙作，按「宗徒信經」談到天主教教會的當信道理，各位可到www.fatheranthonyho.ca網址溫習。

除了要相信天主所啟示的真理之外，為要靈魂的得救，我們必需要遵守祂的律例。基督宗教是生活之道， 而天主的誡命是引領我們走得救之路。

本週開始，我們從「天主十誡」探討倫理道德的規範。而其實，「天主十誡」可綜合為兩條重要的誡命：愛天主、愛近人 —— 我們應當愛天主在萬有之上，及愛人如己。

正面與反面

「天主十誡」的規範，大致可分類為「正面的」和「反面的」。就譬如，守瞻禮主日及孝敬父母，是正面的規範；毋殺人、毋行淫或毋偷盜，是反面的規範。

有箸作分析認為：「正面的」和「否定的」規範，都是必然全天候遵守的；但「反面的」規範，是屬於每刻的、即時的禁止，絕無藉口或酌情的考慮，因為我們必需時時刻刻不作惡事。說謊、偷竊、和邪淫等惡事在任何環境下都有不對的。

「正面的」規範所要求的事，並不是每時每刻都要去做；有時更會有酌情的處理；例如守瞻禮主日只是規定於主日要參與彌撒；一些特殊例外的事情(例如患了重病)可寬免參與彌撒的本份。

三個因緣

我們的道德質素，可從三個因緣作判斷：行為的本身、行為的動機、行為的環境。

譬如，施捨本身是好的行為，偷竊本身是壞的行為；我們絕對不能利用一個本身是壞的行為來達到所謂的良好目標和效果。

行為的動機或意向也是非常重要。動機醜惡，行為也是醜惡。醜惡的動機破壞善行的價值；但好的意向也不能把一個本身是壞的行為變成好的行為。為守誡命，我們必要俱備善良的意向和良好的行為。

我們也不能忽視行為的環境。耶穌會會士若望.赫頓神父在他的「天主教要理問答」一書內寫道：「我們所做的，看當時的對象或在場的人、時間、地點和我們的表達方式，都屬於行為的環境，深深搆成我們行為的道德質素。」

「舉例說，一個公僕的醜聞大於一個升斗市民；口無遮攔的說話，在公開場合製造出來的壞影響，大於在私下的場合；善待敵人的道德情操，比善待朋友的道德情操更高。」

總括來說，要行為合乎倫理道德，行為本身、動機、和環境, 三樣都要好；相反，若行為本身、動機、和環境 ,三樣其中之一是醜惡的，那行為也不合乎倫理道德。

「愛不加害於人，所以愛就是法律的滿全。（聖保祿宗徒致羅馬人書12:10）」