"Yet the principle of one’s own happiness is most reprehensible, not merely because it is false and experience contradicts the pretense that one’s own welfare always accords with conducting oneself well; also not merely because it contributes nothing to the grounding of morality, since making a happy human being is something other than making a good one, and making him prudent and sharp-witted for his own advantage is something other than making him virtuous;"

Immanuel kant, The Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals, 4:442

On Catechesis And Caritas

Our salvation begins with God's initiation and grace. Similarly, our sanctification too will be a product of God's grace by the work of the Holy Spirit. Indeed, we are not perfected in knowing, but we are perfected in love. We will not overcome sin by hating sin but by loving Jesus.

All the divine precepts are, therefore, referred back to love, of which the apostle says, "Now the end of the commandment is love, out of a pure heart, and a good conscience and a faith unfeigned." Thus every commandment harks back to love. For whatever one does either in fear of punishment or from some carnal impulse, so that it does not measure up to the standard of love which the Holy Spirit sheds abroad in our hearts--whatever it is, it is not yet done as it should be, although it may seem to be. Love, in this context, of course includes both the love of God and the love of our neighbor and, indeed, "on these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets" --and, we may add, the gospel and the apostles, for from nowhere else comes the voice, "The end of the commandment is love," and, "God is love."

- St. Augustine, Enchirdion on Faith, Hope and Love, trans Albert C. Outler (1955), XXXII.

On Society, Virtue And Trash

‎A style of this sort will seem to modern readers marred by classical stiffness- "truth," "Knowers," the Good," "Man" -but we can by no mean deny that behind our objection to such language is a guilty consciousness of the flimsiness, and not infrequently the trashiness, of our modern talk about "values."

- Saul Bellow in Allan Bloom, Closing of the American Mind (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1987)

On Worship And Theology Of The Cross

May the words of Christ be on hearts and on our lips. Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his 1life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it" (Matthew 16:24f).

Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee

E'en though it be a cross that raiseth me

Still all my song would be nearer, my God, to thee

- Sarah F. Adams (1805-1848)

On Egg Donation, Greed, And Value Theory

Debt and Donation probably better titled "regret and donation" from Regrets of an Egg Donor from the ruthinstitute.org -read and share any thoughts.

An injustice that comes to the fore is the literal abuse of the women who are giving their eggs. Say what you want about egg donation, but the woman's body undergoes a lot of stress (albeit self-induced) while the companies provide no follow up health care.

For what it's worth, I think the entire process is wrong. But, if a company has the desire to purchase the eggs from a woman, they ought to make sure she has adequate care afterwards. A woman's value is not relegated to her eggs. She is made in the image of God (c.f. Genesis 1:26f).

On Humanity and Humeanism

Christianity claims that the essence of humanity that separates all mankind from animals stems from the doctrine of the Imago Dei. Namely, that man was made in the Image of God (c.f. Genesis 1:26), and therefore, a supremacy and distinction. This doctrine has many corporate implications. Namely, murder is wrong in that man is created in the Image of God (Genesis 9:6) and that slandering another human is wrong in that they are made int he image of God (James 3:8f).

From a more Aristotelian standpoint, man is unique in that they have reason. From a Thomistic (a far more Christan) reinterpretation of Aristotle, man has reason because he has the Image of God. It seems, however, that David Hume argues from a different standpoint concerning the sentiments of humanity (9.2) and also that there is a natural "infused benevolence". Namely, corporate benevolence is a defining factor of humanity. I disagree with him. I am not Hobbesean. I am Pauline. Man is made in the image of God. And what makes us fallen is sin and what makes us (fully) Human is Christ. But is humanity defined by infused benevolence?

What is more interesting is Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister of Poland, has made a similar assertion. Namely, the humanity of the individuality would ensure a humane punishment. But, in the case of pedophilia, the perpetrator is inhumane. As a result, according to Tusk, the punishment fits the crime -it's inhumane. Hume states in his Enquiry Concerning the Principle of Morals (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005):

"I may be esteemed, perhaps, a superfluous task to prove, that the benevolent or softer affections are estimable; and wherever they appear, engage the approbation, and good-will of mankind. The epithets sociable, good-natured, humane, merciful, grateful, friendly, generous, beneficent, or their equivalents, are known in all languages, and universally express the highest merit, which human nature is capable of attaining (2.1.1).

[And] it will be suffice to remark, (what will readily, I believe, be allowed) that in qualities are more entitled to the general good-will and approbation of mankind, than beneficnence and humanity, friendship and gratitude, natural affection and public spirit, or whatever proceeds from a tender sympathy with others, and a generous concern for our kind and species. These, wherever they appear, seem to transfuse themselves, in a manner, into each beholder, and to call forth, in their own behalf, the same favourable and affectionate sentiments, which they exert on all around (2.1.5).

[There is a frequent satisfaction] of seeing knaves, with all their pretended cunning and abilities, betrayed by their own maxims; and while they purpose to cheat with moderation and secrecy, a tempting incident occurs, nature is frail, and they give into the snare; whence they can never extricate themselves, without a total loss of reputation, and the forfeiture of all future trust and confident with mankind (9.2.24).

In terms of Humanity, it seems either Hume is right or, perhaps, the Prime Minister of Poland (Donald Tusk) is Humean.

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland on Friday approved a law making chemical castration mandatory for pedophiles in some cases, sparking criticism from human rights groups. Under the law, sponsored by Poland's center-right government, pedophiles convicted of raping children under the age of 15 years or a close relative would have to undergo chemical therapy on their release from prison. "The purpose of this action is to improve the mental health of the convict, to lower his libido and thereby to reduce the risk of another crime being committed by the same person," the government said in a statement.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk said late last year he wanted obligatory castration for pedophiles, whom he branded 'degenerates'. Tusk said he did not believe "one can use the term 'human' for such individuals, such creatures."Prime Minister Donald Tusk said late last year he wanted obligatory castration for pedophiles, whom he branded 'degenerates'. Tusk said he did not believe "one can use the term 'human' for such individuals, such creatures." "Therefore I don't think protection of human rights should refer to these kind of events," Tusk also said. His remarks drew criticism from human rights groups but he never retracted them.

- Baczynska, Gabriela. "Poland Okays Forcible Castration for Pedophiles" from Reuters, September 25, 2009. http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE58O4LE20090925?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

On Epistemology and Virtue Ethics

"It is my assertion that the problems in contemporary ethics are essentially the same as those in contemporary epistemology. If Plantinga's approach to epistemology [proper functional epistemology] provides a solution to the theory of knowledge, then proper function should also provide a solution tot he problems in ethics. Proper function should help determine which ethical theory is the right one [namely, Augustinian and Thomistic Virtue Ethics]."

- Craig V. Mitchell, Alvin Plantinga's Proper Functionalism As A Model For Christian Ethics. Ph.D. dissertation, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2005.