Then picking up on the erroneous idea that man can determine what is good or evil Veritatis Splendor continues:
The problem of Man, Adam & Eve, tree bearing final fruit.
- In the Book of Genesis we read: “The Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may eat freely of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die’ ” (Gen2:16-17).
With this imagery, Revelation teaches that the power to decide what is good and what is evil does not belong to man, but to God alone. The man is certainly free, inasmuch as he can understand and accept God’s commands. And he possesses an extremely far-reaching freedom, since he can eat “of every tree of the garden”. But his freedom is not unlimited: it must halt before the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil”, for it is called to accept the moral law given by God. In fact, human freedom finds its authentic and complete fulfilment precisely in the acceptance of that law. God, who alone is good, knows perfectly what is good for man, and by virtue of this very love proposes this good to man in the commandments.
God’s law does not reduce, much less do away with human freedom; rather, it protects and promotes that freedom. In contrast, however, some present-day cultural tendencies have given rise to several currents of thought in ethics which center upon an alleged conflict between freedom and law. These doctrines would grant to individuals or social groups the right to determine what is good or evil. Human freedom would thus be able to “create values” and would enjoy a primacy over truth, to the point that truth itself would be considered a creation of freedom. Freedom would thus lay claim to a moral autonomy which would actually amount to an absolute sovereignty.
Christ counters this absolute right to human freedom. He reveals to us the true norm. Christ only does that what He sees the Father doing. He is the Sovereign not each individual conscience. Thus, we arrive at the pivot point, forming a conscience with Christ as the norm.
Tree in bloom, fruit may be good, look at what Man is capable of. We are tasting the fruit that has been grown without Him.
Man by his freedom defines truth, not possible. Watching young thugs, tolerance permission to agree with them. Convinced of own moral rectitude.
Told best generation, ribbon without success, abolish grades, clearly present is a collective mentality on left a wideness in God’s mercy. Paths to God is unique to each Person.
Collective virtue & vice demeaning of man authentic freedom. No longer free, must believe as the collective. Christians gift of soul. Fr. Jacques Phillipe Interior Freedom, Satan hates this gift.
Equalizing of sinfulness. Joining of ill formed mind and body.
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