Religion 12 (Morality and Christian Vocations)-Period 4 Assignments

Write a 1-page, single-spaced personal reflection essay (Times New Roman font, size 12) regarding your experience of making a Rule of Life and striving to keep it. What did you gain from the experience? Was it easier or harder than you thought? What were your successes and failures? What can you take from this experience going forward in your spiritual life?

Your essay needs to be personal: include what your resolutions were, why they were a challenge to you, and how it affected you personally! Your essay should be broken into paragraphs (a good essay should have 5 paragraphs: introduction, 3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion). Make sure you use good spelling and punctuation! I will grade you based on how well your essay is written. Do not use run-on sentences, and do not make your whole essay one paragraph. 

Note: if students can prove (through an attendance record signed by a priest or faculty member) that they attended Mass each of the six Sundays of Lent AND at least one weekday for each of the six weeks at Mary Star High School, they will be exempt from writing the one-page essay. Friday Stations of the Cross at Mary Star High School will also satisfy the second part of this requirement (provided that a faculty member certifies their attendance). 

Our next quiz will be on Friday, March 8. For that quiz, you should know:

The definitions of marriage, family, and communion (see below).
That human dignity (worthiness) is based on what we are by nature, and men and women are both equally human (rational animals) by nature, so men and women are equal in dignity. Being men or women does not change our nature.
Catholics should understand different gender roles as complementary, not competition. Your happiness is not about being superior to anyone else, but about living out what you are called to be, as a man or woman made in God's image.
Nature clearly intends two sexes in human beings because two sexes are necessary for reproduction. The fact that in human life, almost equal numbers of men and women are produced is a sign that human nature is made for marriage (in other words, a lifelong, monogamous, sexual relationship between one man and one woman.)
Definitions. MEMORIZE them precisely.
Marriage: the lifelong communion of a man and woman, established by their free consent, for the sake of the generation and education of children.
Family: the communion of a husband, his wife, and their children.
Communion: a multitude of persons in which each person somehow lives or shares the life of every other person.

Our next quiz will be on Friday, March 8. For that quiz, you should know:

The definitions of marriage, family, and communion (see below).
That human dignity (worthiness) is based on what we are by nature, and men and women are both equally human (rational animals) by nature, so men and women are equal in dignity. Being men or women does not change our nature.
Catholics should understand different gender roles as complementary, not competition. Your happiness is not about being superior to anyone else, but about living out what you are called to be, as a man or woman made in God's image.
Nature clearly intends two sexes in human beings because two sexes are necessary for reproduction. The fact that in human life, almost equal numbers of men and women are produced is a sign that human nature is made for marriage (in other words, a lifelong, monogamous, sexual relationship between one man and one woman.)
Definitions. MEMORIZE them precisely.
Marriage: the lifelong communion of a man and woman, established by their free consent, for the sake of the generation and education of children.
Family: the communion of a husband, his wife, and their children.
Communion: a multitude of persons in which each person somehow lives or shares the life of every other person.

Take the following test and submit your results.
https://psychcentral.com/quizzes/temperament-test

1. Go to https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test and complete the free personality test.
2. Answer the questions on the attached Google doc (make a copy, and submit on Google Classroom by Friday, January 12). 
3. For the last question, check out this page: https://psychologia.co/four-temperaments/ and compare your results from the personality test with your results from the temperament test. Scroll to the bottom to see how the temperaments match up to the personality types. 

This is a mercy assignment to help you regain points if you have not turned in your PQs. Due by December 1 unless you arrange with me otherwise. Make sure you follow the directions: write your answers in pen, on paper, in complete sentences!

1. Ask four (4) questions directly on the slides for class. Spread out your comments between the different commandments, focusing on the 7th/10th and 8th Commandments. 

2. Copy out your four questions in a Google doc. Copy out the four quotations that you highlighted.

3. Add 2 points that you thought were interesting or that you would like to know more about.

There should be a total of 10 things for a 10 point assignment: 4 questions, 4 quotes, 2 points of interest.

1. Ask four (4) questions directly on the slides for class. Spread out your comments between the different commandments, focusing on the 7th/10th and 8th Commandments. 

2. Copy out your four questions in a Google doc. Copy out the four quotations that you highlighted.

3. Add 2 points that you thought were interesting or that you would like to know more about.

There should be a total of 10 things for a 10 point assignment: 4 questions, 4 quotes, 2 points of interest.

Dear students,

For those who had your parents fill out the survey about their relationship with you, I will offer extra credit if you sit down and have a conversation with your parents about what you each put down for your answers, and try to understand one another's perspective better. To get the extra credit, you need to have your parents write and sign a note explaining that you had this conversation. The note should be written on the back of the survey that you filled out about your parents (the one that says "For Students") at the top, so that I know they saw your answers.

I know that having these kinds of conversations takes courage, but it is worthwhile to focus on how you communicate with your parents. Having an open discussion can really help to make your relationship stronger!

Remember, each week you need:
2 Questions
2 Quotations from class/notes
2 Reasons why you’re asking the questions
Questions/Quotations must be:
Relevant to the main topic we’re studying (not tangents)
Accurate (I really said that)
Use good grammar and spelling!

Remember, each week you need:
2 Questions
2 Quotations from class/notes
2 Reasons why you’re asking the questions
Questions/Quotations must be:
Relevant to the main topic we’re studying (not tangents)
Accurate (I really said that)
Use good grammar and spelling!

Research a particular issue related to the Fifth Commandment ("Thou shalt not kill") and create a presentation to give your classmates. Your project can take the form of a slideshow, but it could also be another creative work (e.g., a video, a dialogue, a recorded podcast/interview, a clever song/rap that teaches Catholic doctrine, etc.). You must submit a copy to me by the time of your presentation in class on Thursday. 

Whatever you choose to do, your presentation must:
Be faithful to Catholic teaching.
Be 5-7 minutes long.
Tell me how this topic relates to the Fifth Commandment (for example, why is suicide considered a violation of the commandment "Thou shalt not kill," but killing another person in war, or even possibly the death penalty, is not? Why would we consider actions like drug use or MMA fighting or racism to be part of the Fifth Commandment when they aren't obviously about killing?)
Integrate principles we have learned throughout our morality class. Most importantly, explain the morality of this action in terms of object, end, and circumstances. Some topics (e.g., self-defense) would need to include an explanation of how the Principle of Double Effect applies. 
Include a list of 5 of the most important takeaway points that could be used on a quiz. Ask yourself, what is essential for Catholics to know about this particular topic in order to have a well-formed conscience?
Your primary resource should be the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which is in the classroom, or online (two different links below). Secondly, you should look in the Our Moral Life in Christ textbook. Thirdly, the Catholic Answers website (linked below) allows you to search and has good explanations for Catholic teaching. You could search on the YouTube page of the Thomistic Institute below; they have faithful Catholic content dealing with many moral topics. You can also search the Word on Fire website (below) for good content on many areas of Church teaching. The Catholic Encyclopedia (linked below) is older, but faithful to the Church's teaching. Otherwise, feel free to search other places on the internet, but remember that your presentation must be faithful to official Catholic doctrine.

Remember, each week you need:
2 Questions
2 Quotations from class/notes
2 Reasons why you’re asking the questions
Questions/Quotations must be:
Relevant to the main topic we’re studying (not tangents)
Accurate (I really said that)
Use good grammar and spelling!

Please create a page for the school's Book of Life to commemorate and pray for those who have died during this month of November. Your submissions are due for a grade by the end of the school day on Monday, November 6. 

Print this out if you lost yours. Please submit ASAP!

Print this out if you lost yours. Please submit ASAP!

FOLLOW ALL DIRECTIONS:
In 4 paragraphs or less, respond to the following Scripture verses: Deuteronomy 19:9-10
"...carefully follow all these laws I command you today - to love the Lord your God and to walk always in obedience to him ... Do this so that innocent blood will not be shed in your land, ... and so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed." 
Essays should be typed, double-spaced with 1-inch margins and size 12 font
Place essay verse at the top of the page and your name at the end of the essay
DUE IN CLASS (printed) AND ON GOOGLE CLASSROOM BY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3!!!
The top essay will be printed in the Mary Star Parish bulletin; prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners

If you do this essay (and do a good job), you can earn up to 15 pts extra credit, distributed between the Weekly Quiz, Participation Questions (PQs) and Homework portions of the gradebook. You will also be exempt from submitting questions next week. No late submissions will be accepted.

***Do not cheat. Do not plagiarize. Do not reuse an old essay. Do not use AI bots to do your work. All of those are sins, which are against God's commandments and bad for your soul. Getting a few temporary benefits out of this essay is not worth losing your soul and going to hell.***

This week we talked in class about the virtue of religion and the need to offer God beautiful and fitting worship. Now, you can put the virtue of religion into practice with two special opportunities. 

At Ss. Peter and Paul Church in Wilmington (515 W. Opp Street) tonight and tomorrow (November 1 and 2) at 7:00p.m. there are Solemn High Masses (in Latin) to celebrate All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. The Mass tonight, for All Saints' Day, features a special, professional choir with sacred music from the 17th century. 

If you attend these Masses and have one of the Norbertines sign a paper (or you take a picture with them), I will give 5 points extra credit for each Mass that you attend (up to 10 points). This opportunity only applies to these Solemn High Masses at Sts. Peter and Paul.

This week we talked in class about the virtue of religion and the need to offer God beautiful and fitting worship. Now, you can put the virtue of religion into practice with two special opportunities. 

At Ss. Peter and Paul Church in Wilmington (515 W. Opp Street) tonight and tomorrow (November 1 and 2) at 7:00p.m. there are Solemn High Masses (in Latin) to celebrate All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. The Mass tonight, for All Saints' Day, features a special, professional choir with sacred music from the 17th century. 

If you attend these Masses and have one of the Norbertines sign a paper (or you take a picture with them), I will give 5 points extra credit for each Mass that you attend (up to 10 points). This opportunity only applies to these Solemn High Masses at Sts. Peter and Paul.

For this quiz, you should know:

The basic definition of virtue
What does virtue help you to do?
What is the difference between the theological and moral virtues?
How are moral virtues acquired?
What are the four cardinal virtues? Why are they called "cardinal"?
Give a definition of each of the cardinal virtues
What part of the soul does each one perfect?
What is grace? 
Why is grace important for growing in virtue?
Knowing the basic ideas presented by James Clear (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNeXuCYiE0U) will likely help you for extra credit.

Remember, each week you need:
2 Questions
2 Quotations from class/notes
2 Reasons why you’re asking the questions
Questions/Quotations must be:
Relevant to the main topic we’re studying (not tangents)
Accurate (I really said that)
Use good grammar and spelling!

READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY:

Your task is to create a presentation of no more than 5 slides about your patron saint(s) using Google Slides. Follow these steps:

1) Figure out and/or choose a patron saint for this project. You should choose a saint who shares your first name with you. If you don't share the name of a saint, use your middle name (or even your last name). If that's not a saint's name, use your Confirmation saint. If that still doesn't apply to you, then look at the saints whom the Church celebrates on your birthday and choose one who interests you. 
For this step, look at http://saints.sqpn.com/ or www.catholic.org/saints or www.catholic-saints.info/ or https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/saints. To see a calendar of all the saints, go to https://www.boston-catholic-journal.com/roman-martyrology-complete-in-english-for-daily-reflection.htm, click on the month, and look at the saints who share your birthday. You can use other sources, but make sure they are trustworthy. 
2) Do a bit of research on your saint... you want to be able to present your saint to the class (which we will do next Wednesday, November 1, All Saints' Day, in class). 

3) With your newfound information, create a short presentation of no more than 5 slides. Presentations of exceptionally high quality might receive an exceptionally high grade, so do a good job!

Your presentation must include the following elements to receive full credit. 
a) The name of your patron saint.
b) Your name and how this saint is your patron, if it is not obvious that you share a name). For example, you could say "St. Matthew the Apostle - Confirmation Patron of Blaxwyne Jones" (if your name were something like Blaxwyne Jones). 
c) The day that this saint is celebrated in the Catholic Church (look at the Roman Martyrology online, or even Wikipedia will tell you this information).
d) The years when your saint lived (or at least the approximate year he/she died)
e) What category of saint is your patron? For example: Apostle, Evangelist, Martyr, Bishop, Priest, Nun/Virgin, Virgin Martyr, Doctor of the Church, Married Man/Woman, Consecrated Religious, Hermit, Monk....tell me. If your patron is the Blessed Virgin Mary, then enough said. 
f) An inspiring quotation from your saint or a short story about his/her life that inspires you and shows their virtue. 
g) At least 3 pictures of your saint, or of something directly related to your saint (the home where they lived, or their relics, or something similar). 
I have attached a basic sample for my own patron saint, St. Ignatius of Antioch, so you can see what I'm looking for. But remember, presentations of exceptionally good quality have the possibility of receiving exceptionally good grades!

This quiz will be on Tuesday, October 17 towards the end of the block period for periods 1 and 3. Period 4 will take the quiz on Thursday, October 19. See the updated slides for Weeks 8-9.

In particular, you should know:
A human act is one done with intellect and will, knowledge and consent. 
A human act may be good or evil.
A human act is one that is preceded by knowledge, as a choice between two or more alternatives.
A human act may be good or evil.
The way to tell if a human act is good or evil is by looking at the OBJECT, END, and CIRCUMSTANCES of the action.
For an act to be good, the object, end, and circumstances must all be good. If even one is bad/evil, the whole act is evil.
The OBJECT is the most important element of a moral action. It is what you are actually choosing to do when you act, the object of your choice. 
Some objects are always evil, such as: Blasphemy, sacrilege, profanation of Sunday, dishonoring your mother & father, murder (plus abortion, euthanasia, etc.), adultery (plus fornication, masturbation, etc.), lying, stealing and so forth--just think of the 10 Commandments, the seven deadly sins, and other things that are against the moral law. 
The END is the intention why you are choosing this action. It describes your subjective motivation for acting. It is not the same as the result/consequences of your action.
A good intention can never excuse a bad object. We may never do something objectively evil, even if we have a good intention.
The CIRCUMSTANCES describe other factors that "stand around" the action, and affect the morality by making the act better or worse. These include the who, what, when, why, where, and how of the action taking place.
Three bad versions of moral reasoning include: situation ethics, consequentialism, and proportionalism. (See the slideshow for details). All three are versions of moral relativism.
In contrast, Catholic morality emphasizes that good and evil are objective realities, and we may never do what is objectively wrong. At the same time, people are not always equally guilty for doing things that are objectively wrong. Their subjective guilt depends on the degree to which they are acting with knowledge and consent.
Know what the principle of double effect is and be able to recognize how it works in a case (see slideshow).
Be able to identify object, end, and circumstances and how they apply in examples. 

Remember, each week you need:
2 Questions
2 Quotations from class/notes
2 Reasons why you’re asking the questions
Questions/Quotations must be:
Relevant to the main topic we’re studying (not tangents)
Accurate (I really said that)
Use good grammar and spelling!

Remember, each week you need:
2 Questions
2 Quotations from class/notes
2 Reasons why you’re asking the questions
Questions/Quotations must be:
Relevant to the main topic we’re studying (not tangents)
Accurate (I really said that)
Use good grammar and spelling!

Students may gain up to 15 extra credit points under their "Weekly Participation Questions" grade if they attend the National Life Chain on Sunday, October 1, and write me 1-2 paragraphs (at least 5 sentences each) describing their experience. The paragraphs should be typed and submitted here, on Google classroom, within one week of the event. Students must use good grammar and complete sentences if they want to receive the maximum credit. 

To participate, please come to the Mary Star Parish gymnasium/auditorium at 1:45 on Sunday, October 1. From there, we will walk down to Gaffey Street to engage in a peaceful, prayerful, 1-hour public witness to the sanctity of human life. At 3:00, we will return to the parish and students are free to go home. 

For this quiz, you should know:
The definition of law (Law: an ordinance of reason for the common good, made and promulgated by those who are in charge of the community.)
Law is necessary for us as social beings, who must live in community with other people. 
Law is a rule that helps to guide our conscience, but it is not a replacement for conscience. We are supposed to make good and prudent decisions because we are good human beings; we shouldn't act rightly only because the law says so.
The eternal law is the plan of divine wisdom directing all actions and movements. (In other words, it is God's plan for all things, guiding them to their completion.)
The natural law is man's participation in the eternal law. It is a kind of law written into human nature which is ordering human nature toward its completion or fulfillment--the natural law orders us toward happiness.
Positive law is a law promulgated by those who have authority to communicate it to a society. It can be divine (from God), ecclesiastical (for the Church), or civil (established by government leaders). 
Natural law ultimately means that we have to act according to right reason, since it is our nature to be rational/reasonable. Reason sees the purposes of things; natural law directs us to use things according to their proper purposes.
Natural law has two basic characteristics: universality (it applies to everyone) and immutability (it does not change).
Acting against the natural law will never bring us happiness, since happiness is the fulfillment of our nature.
A law is unjust if it does not fulfill the definition of a law. In seeking to discover whether a law is just, we should ask: 1) does this law promote the common good? 2) does it impose burdens on society according to an "equality of proportion" (in other words, does it take into account the different conditions of different people and not overburden certain people)? 3) does it contradict God's law or the natural law?
We are never strictly bound to obey an unjust law, but you may obey an unjust law if it isn't commanding you to do something sinful. Sometimes it is better to comply with an unjust law, because your disobedience would be more harmful to society than the unjust law itself, but undermining faith in legitimate authority.
However, if a law commands you to do something sinful, you must disobey. You should rather face punishment (even death) under the law rather than sin (think of St. Thomas More).

Remember, each week you need:
2 Questions
2 Quotations from class/notes
2 Reasons why you’re asking the questions
Questions/Quotations must be:
Relevant to the main topic we’re studying (not tangents)
Accurate (I really said that)
Use good grammar and spelling!

For the quiz:
Right moral conduct perfects the human being.
Wrong moral conduct degrades the human being.
Human actions are actions done with knowledge and deliberation.
Knowledge and will make freedom possible.
Because human beings are free, they freely choose actions that are good or evil.
Freedom makes us responsible for our actions.
Human freedom is a freedom to choose the good; it is a freedom for excellence.
For full knowledge, a person must know what he is doing and know the moral quality of the action (that it is good or evil)
Be able to judge a couple of examples: is this person acting freely? (in other words: Are they acting with knowledge and deliberation?)
Know the definition of conscience; means to forming conscience; and the types of ignorance.

Remember, each week you need:
2 Questions
2 Quotations from class/notes
2 Reasons why you’re asking the questions


Questions/Quotations must be:
Relevant to the main topic we’re studying (not tangents)
Accurate (I really said that)


Use good grammar and spelling!

Remember, each week you need:
2 Questions
2 Quotations from class/notes
2 Reasons why you’re asking the questions


Questions/Quotations must be:
Relevant to the main topic we’re studying (not tangents)
Accurate (I really said that)


Use good grammar and spelling!

For the third quiz, you should know the following:
What are the three basic tools of reasoning?
What is the definition of an argument?
What is the definition of a syllogism?
What are the three parts of a simple syllogism?
What are the three main “terms” in a syllogism? How do you identify them?
Be able to identify whether a syllogism is valid. Does the conclusion follow necessarily from the premises?

Remember, each week you need:
2 Questions
2 Quotations from class/notes
2 Reasons why you’re asking the questions


Questions/Quotations must be:
Relevant to the main topic we’re studying (not tangents)
Accurate (I really said that)


Use good grammar and spelling!

Come to class tomorrow (Thursday, Sept. 14) with a real-life example (written down) of an argument you made or someone you know made. Write it out in syllogistic form. If the person made a bad argument, explain to me where their reasoning broke down. 

EXAMPLE:
,My friend Michael told me that he is sure that his neighbor is an alien. I asked why. He said that he has seen a weird light hovering over the neighbor's house, which he thinks is a UFO. Also, he said his neighbor has abnormally large eyes.

Michael's argument in syllogisms seems to be this:

Every unusual bright light above a house is likely to be from a UFO.
But my neighbor has unusual bright lights above his house.
Conclusion: My neighbor is likely to have a UFO above his house. 

All aliens have abnormally large eyes.
My neighbor has abnormally large eyes.
Conclusion: My neighbor is an alien.

Every person who has both a UFO above his house and abnormally large eyes is an alien.
My neighbor has a UFO above his house and has abnormally large eyes. 
Conclusion: My neighbor is an alien.

Now, my friend's argument breaks down in several places, but especially in the second syllogism, because even if it is true that aliens have abnormally large eyes, the argument never says that ONLY aliens have abnormally large eyes. Plenty of other things have abnormally large eyes, like tarsiers and some people. So the conclusion of the second syllogism doesn't necessarily follow from the premises. Also, the first syllogism is based on conjecture (the bright light is "likely" to be from a UFO), but a good syllogism will proceed from established facts. Thus, my friend Michael's "certainty" is really not a very sound argument, and definitely is not a proof that his neighbor is an alien.

(I will offer up to 15 pts. extra credit, depending on how well thought-out your submission is.)

For this quiz you should know:
The four causes (material, formal, efficient, final) in general. What is each of these, basically?
Know how to apply the four causes to an example. In particular, you will need to explain what a human being is based on the four causes. You will also have to apply it to a simpler example (like a soccer ball or chair).
Know that the final cause is the most important of the four. Once you know the final cause (what is the end/purpose of the thing), you can reason toward the other three causes, because the material, formal, and efficient causes have to help that thing to reach its own proper end, to fulfill the purpose for which it exists).
Knowing the causes of a thing helps us to give a definition of the thing; Knowing the definition of a thing helps us to understand its nature; Understanding the nature of a thing helps us to see whether we are using it in a way that respects its nature or works against its nature (contra naturam) and maybe even works to destroy it.
You should also brush up on a few important concepts from the last quiz. They may reappear this time. In particular:
Know the two essential definitions of happiness that you learned. 
What is Beatitude? (The supernatural happiness of
seeing God in himself - and all things in God - for all eternity.)
A human being is defined as a rational animal. This means that we must act according to reason if we are going to fulfill our nature.

Remember, each week you need:
2 Questions
2 Quotations from class/notes
2 Reasons why you’re asking the questions


Questions/Quotations must be:
Relevant to the main topic we’re studying (not tangents)
Accurate (I really said that)


Use good grammar and spelling!

We will have our first quiz in class on Thursday, August 31. 

Here's what you should know:

Principles:
-The goal of every human action is happiness.
-For anything we choose, we can only choose it under the aspect of the good.
-The highest good for man will be a good that is chosen only for its own sake and not for the sake of anything else. (Happiness fits this criterion, but not money or pleasure or power or health, etc.)

Definitions:
-Happiness is activity of the soul in accordance with virtue.
-More specifically: happiness is the activity of the speculative intellect contemplating God by means of wisdom.
-Human being: rational animal
-Virtue: a habit of doing well

Other stuff:
-Our natural end (what we're aiming for) is happiness, i.e., a kind of perfection in virtue in this life (look at the first definition of happiness given above.)
-Our supernatural end is beatitude, i.e., the happiness of contemplating God (and all things in God) face-to-face for all eternity (look at the second definition of happiness given above). This is only possible by the gift of God's grace. 
-The highest power of man's soul is his intellect (specifically, the speculative intellect). To figure out what is ultimately going to make man happy, then, we have to look at how the intellect is perfected....namely by contemplating the highest good (God) by means of a virtue (called wisdom).
-Bonus: what is the definition of truth? Truth is the conformance of the mind with reality.

Remember, each week you need:
2 Questions
2 Quotations from class/notes
2 Reasons why you’re asking the questions


Questions/Quotations must be:
Relevant to the main topic we’re studying (not tangents)
Accurate (I really said that)


Use good grammar and spelling!

Submit two written questions that you have which pertain to the topic discussed this week, along with a quote from notes or class that prompted the question. 

These submissions will be graded according to completion, pertinence to the topic of the week, and pertinence of the question to the quote.

You can get as many as ten points on each homework assignment. You will receive 1 point for:

Each question (total of 2 points)
A quotation from class/notes that pertains to each question (total of 2 points)
Each true quote (you accurately recorded something that was discussed in class; total of 2 points)
Each of your questions/quotes corresponds to the topic being covered in current the week (i.e., not a past topic or a random topic; 2 points total)
Each application statement that explains how your question, or the answer to it, pertains to you personally. Show why you are curious or why you want to know more (2 points total).