Paper on Summa Theologica, Q. 94, art. 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Paper on Summa Theologica, Q. 94, art. 2 - Essay Example Nevertheless, the book can already stood on its own as a basis of creating an excellent and moral society based on theological laws. 1. Christianity is the official religion of the state. Citizens may only adopt Christianity and its different variations as a manner and method of praising of God, for Jesus Christ is the way through man’s divinity. 2. The state should protect the individual and make him or her free from any forms of threat and unjust vexation from outside force. Protection of the individual is necessary because man is in the likeness of God. An assault to man due to laxity of the state in unforgivable. Security therefore must be achieved to protect God and his likeness which is man. Explanation: This proposed law is consistent with Aquinas â€Å"The end or term of production of man† as enunciated in Question 94. The image of God is in man as Aquinas justified â€Å""Where an image exists, there forthwith is likeness; but where there is likeness, there is not necessarily an image" (Summa Theologica Question 94). Protecting its citizens therefore is also an act of protecting God’s likeness because man is created in the image and likeness of God Explanation: Perhaps this portion of the Question is the crowning glory of Summa Theologica because it explicated reason and excellence is part of Divine Plan. That to achieve divinity, it would be necessary to develop man to become perfect that he is now. Quoting St. Thomas Aquinas in Question 94, he said that â€Å"The first man did not see God through His Essence if we consider the ordinary state of that life; unless, perhaps, it be said that he saw God in a vision, when "God cast a deep sleep upon Adam" (Gn. 2:21). The reason is because, since in the Divine Essence is beatitude itself, the intellect of a man who sees the Divine Essence has the same relation to God as a man has to beatitude† (Summa Theologica Question 94). In essence, Aquinas is saying that man can only see the