A Christian philosophy of sex, marriage, and the family as the pinnacle of creation and the Image of God

Abstract

The second half of the 20th century saw a sexual revolution against both human nature and God, which turned into widespread confusion and a culture of death. This thesis provides a vital response to the underlying philosophy that upholds this movement. The invention and popularization of the “birth control pill” altered the way people understand male-female relations, the meaning and purpose of sexual intercourse, the definition of marriage, and the sacredness of human life. In reaction, the Catholic Church moved to combat this unprecedented attack with an approach to philosophical anthropology that combines natural law with personalist values, seeking to restore right order to sex, marriage, and the family. Continuing in that vein, and to support and augment these efforts, this thesis provides a Christian philosophy grounded in phenomenological observation and metaphysical personalism that reveals marriage and family to be the summation of creation and the image of the Trinitarian God.

Ingxenye yesibili yekhulu lama-20 yaba nenguquko engokobulili ngokumelene nemvelo yomuntu noNkulunkulu, eyaphenduka indida esabalele kanye nesiko lokufa. Lo mbhalo wemfundo ephakeme unikeza impendulo ebalulekile esimeni somqondo wokuziphatha oyisisekelo osekela le nhlangano. Ukusungulwa kanye nokudlondlobalisa “iphilisi lokulawula ukuzalwa” kwashintsha indlela abantu abaqonda ngayo ubuhlobo babesilisa nabesifazane, incazelo nenhloso yobuhlobo bobulili, incazelo yomshado, nobungcwele bokuphila komuntu. Ngokusabela, iSonto LamaKatolika lathuthela ekulweni nalokhu kuhlasela okungakaze kubonwe ngendlela yomkhakha ohlola ingqikithi yemvelo yomuntu kanye nesimo somuntu ehlanganisa umthetho wemvelo nezindinganiso zobuntu, ifuna ukubuyisela ukuhleleka okufanele kwezocansi, umshado kanye nomndeni. Ngokuqhubeka kulowo mbono, nokweseka nokwengeza le mizamo, lo mbhalo wemfundo ephakeme unikeza umqondo wokuziphatha wobuKristu osekelwe ekuqapheliseni okwenzekayo kanye nokuqondisisa ubukhona bomuntu obuveza umshado nomndeni ukuthi kube ukufinyezwa kwendalo kanye nomfanekiso kaNkulunkulu onguZiqu-zintathu.

Karolong ya bobedi ya lekgolo la bo20 la dilemo ho bile le phetohelo ya dikamano tsa botona le botshehadi kgahlanong le botho ba motho le Modimo, e ileng ya fetoha pherekano e atileng le moetlo wa lefu. Thuto ena e fana ka karabelo ya bohlokwa ho filosofi ya motheo e tshehetsang mokgatlo ona. Ho qaptjwa le ho tuma ha “pilisi e thibelang pelehi” ho ile ha fetola tsela eo batho ba utlwisisang dikamano tsa monna le mosadi, moelelo le morero wa ho kopanela diphate, tlhaloso ya lenyalo le kgalalelo ya bophelo ba motho. Ha e arabela, Kereke e Khatholike e ile ya hlahisa ho lwantsha tlhaselo ena e e so ka e e-ba teng ka mokgwa wa thuto ya filosofi e kopanyang molao wa tlhaho le ditekanyetso tsa botho, ho batla ho tsosolosa taolo e nepahetseng ya thobalano, lenyalo le lelapa. Ho tswelapele ka mokgwa oo, le ho tshehetsa le ho eketsa boiteko bona,thuto ena e fana ka filosofi ya Bokreste e thehilweng ho dipatlisiso tse batlang ho hlalosa dintho ka tsela eo batho ba itemohelang ka yona le mohopolo o beilweng kantle ho temoho ya maikutlo a motho a tiisang boteng ba moya e senolang lenyalo le lelapa e le kakaretso ya popo le setshwantsho sa Modimo wa Boraro bo bong.