Chapter II — Duties Toward Social Life

Duties of the Human Being Toward Social Life

According to the spirit of the Christian religious observance, every human being is called, or predestined by God, to a certain work, to which he ought to devote his powers throughout his life. (1 Corinthians 12:17). This work, to which we devote ourselves, is called a calling or profession.

The New Covenant recognizes that a profession should serve each human being as a lawful means for obtaining the necessities of life. (1 Thess. 4:11; 2 Thess. 3:10). But such a conception of profession should not be the predominant one for the Christian; rather, the Christian ought to regard his profession as a sphere of activity to which he has been called by God, so that by employing in it the powers given to him by God, he makes himself useful to other human beings, advances the lofty purposes of God, and prepares himself for another and eternal life. (Luke 9:11; Rom. 12:4; 1 Cor. 10:7; Eph. 4:7; 1 Pet. 4:10).

A profession binds a human being into more or less close relations with other human beings, which relations are various. Yes, for the most part these associations, like most others, are external and based on material interests. But closer associations are those into which a human being enters, partly by free choice, partly because of circumstances and relations, and because of the necessity within him. All these various associations, up to friendship, which constitutes an entirely new relation, are summed up in that relation which can be called par excellence the social relation, or the relation of social life. A human being feels the need to enter into closer association with other human beings, because the advancement of his spiritual development requires as a necessary condition free spiritual communion with other human beings. And social life provides the human being with many new stimuli toward the good, and new occasions for good works. The higher the vantage point from which the Christian views human beings, the more gladly a person enters into social relation with other human beings. The Christian must be very careful when entering into social relations with other human beings, and must not enter into them merely for the sake of amusements, but must aim above all at the purposes of social life dictated by the Christian religious observance and by reason, and consequently must associate with such human beings who, through their good character and spiritual development, are able to influence the Christian’s moral and intellectual perfection. Respect and love of a human being toward other human beings is manifested in certain established types of common etiquette. Therefore the Christian in all his social relations must conduct himself with friendliness and courtesy. (1 Pet. 2:17).

From the relation of a human being to social life come various duties, one of the chief of which is the duty of beneficence or doing good, which consists in the effort to help others in their needs and to promote their true well-being. (Luke 7:33. Romans 1:13. 3:17). Whoever receives a benefit ought to be grateful to his benefactor. Gratitude or thanksgiving consists in the inward acknowledgment of the benefits one has received from the benefactor, and in the readiness to do everything that promotes the true well-being of the benefactor.

Duties toward the household.[1]

The foundation of family life is marriage. Its moral meaning, when examined, is the mutual union of two persons of different sexes for the sake of procreation, for intimate communion, and for their mutual perfection. Not every human being has the duty with respect to the relation of marriage, because the following are excluded from marriage: a) those who are naturally unable, or who lack the qualities that are necessary for marriage, such as the insane, the feeble-minded, etc.; b) those who lack the spiritual qualities that are necessary for marriage, such as the insane, the feeble-minded, etc.; c) those who lack the means to support a family; and d) those who voluntarily do not enter into the communion of marriage for the sake of a higher spiritual purpose.[2]

Duties of Spouses toward One Another.

The duties of spouses toward one another derive from the concept of marriage. Spouses ought to have pure morals. (1 Thess. 4:3), complete trust, and heartfelt goodwill. (Eph. 5:25 ff.), endurance in bearing with the imperfections, weaknesses, and faults of the other, steadfast effort to make life mutually joyful and to advance moral and religious perfection, and to work together harmoniously toward the purposeful upbringing of children; in addition to these things, the husband owes his wife protection and consideration. (Ephesians 5:33, 1 Peter 3:1), and the wife reverence and submission toward her husband.

Duties of Parents toward Their Children

What are the duties of parents toward their children? The duties of parents toward their children are those imposed upon them by both the natural and the moral law. By the natural law they are obligated to care for them and to provide for their preservation, development, and advancement, and by the moral law to seek their spiritual and religious perfection so as to raise them as upright citizens and children of the kingdom of God, which they ought to advance on earth. For the easy fulfillment of this duty, God has placed in the hearts of parents a natural affection, that is, a natural love toward their own children, which is stronger even than love for their own life. But such love of parents toward their children must proceed from prudence, rational and voluntary, and worthy of a rational being. Therefore it is in danger, first, of being led astray as a blind innate love that owes everything to sensory nature, and second, of growing distant as time goes on. Proper love and upbringing are taught by both the Old and New Covenants. (See Treasury of Sayings, vol. 2, chapters 40 and 46.)

Duties of Children toward Their Parents

Children also have a natural love toward their parents, which must become a free love with full awareness. All their duties toward their own parents are dictated by love, as toward the causes of their own life, development, and happiness, and reverence (Malachi 1, Ephesians 6:2), and gratitude for the countless benefits they received from them (1 Timothy 5:8), as well as submission, obedience, and compliance toward them with love (Ephesians 6:1), and zealous diligence in promoting the welfare of their parents. (1 Timothy 5:4, 9; cf. Sirach 3:9–18, Proverbs 23).

Concerning the Mutual Duties of Masters and Servants.

From the mutual and voluntary concession of rights arise mutual obligations and duties between the persons involved. From this agreement arise relations between masters and servants. The servant provides his service, and the master compensates him with wages.

Duties: Servants (a) ought to fulfill their own duties faithfully, and fulfill the will of the master as those obeying God. 2) to love and respect them. Masters have a duty toward their servants: a) to compensate them according to the worth of their labor, and b) to treat them with fairness, to love them, and to provide for their moral and religious development, and to care for their life and health.

THE END AND GLORY TO GOD.