Inherent Dignity Who are we? Why are we here? How should we live?

Inherent Dignity Inherent: in the very fabric of our being; cannot be taken away from us. We are born with it. A gift from God – Made in God’s image and likeness – Have intelligence – Have free will – Able to love and be loved – Immortal soul – Human dignity

Human Beings Uniqueness – Unique DNA – Varying degrees of intelligence – How we use our free will – Quantity and quality of relationships – Each of us has unique or different abilities but we are all of the same value and worth because of the love of God

We are created as Good Made in the image and likeness of God – Unique creatures of the creation Incarnation affirms the basic goodness of the world in general, humanity in particular – Jesus would not have come into the world if it were not good – Jesus would not have assumed a human nature if it were not good

Image and Likeness of God Fundamental dignity – We have value and worth because God made us in His image and because he loves us. This is the basis for human dignity and our claim to human rights no matter how we look, what we do or what others say. Reflection of God in this world – We image God to others in this world – We are the visible face of God to others Jesus as our model – Jesus gives dignity to humankind – He ministers to all people with respect and love

Intellect and Free Will Intellect – Think and reason – Make wise decisions – Pursue truths of a higher order Free Will – Conscience Aid to our decision making – Moral decisions Choose freely what to do – Act Of our own will, without coercion

To Love and Be Loved How did Jesus love? – Spoke the truth – Healed – Showed mercy – Willingly gave his life for us How does he want us to love? – Love God above all – Love others as he has loves us – Seek the good for others even at our own expense

Stewardship Creator’s gift – God’s gracious gift that destined all material creatures for the good of the human race Intended for all – Original gift of God to the human race – All people are entitled to their needs – Right to private property, possessions Call to stewardship – Dominion to care for and use but not to abuse or use for selfish purposes – Environmental protection Earthly goods belong equally to the future humankind

Men and Women Created for each other – Revealed in the creation story of Genesis Created as equals – Equal in dignity, rights, and capacity to be a sign of God’s presence in the world – Different physically Created with the gift of Sexuality – Love, procreation, and bonding – Chastity, the virtue that helps us successfully integrate our sexuality into the total person.

Human Dignity The heart of human dignity consists of these three fundamental truths: 1.We are all created as good 2.We are in need of salvation 3.We are meant for eternal life in the glory of God’s holy presence

In Need of Redemption The “Fall” brought sin into the world and has been part of the human experience since. Affected our human nature in that it is now weakened and inclined to sin. (Concupiscence) Because God loves us, he sent Jesus to expiate that sin, Jesus undoes what Adam did – Baptism heals our wounded nature and gives us the grace to fight temptation and sin – Jesus restored what we lost

Redeemed Justified – Through God’s loving action we are cleansed of our sin and made “right” through our faith in Jesus the Christ Sanctified – The work of the Holy Spirit that makes us, as individuals, holy with our cooperation. Salvation through faith and actions

Bound for Glory Ultimate destiny: eternal life in the glory of God’s holy presence – Beatific vision Sharing in the sacramental life strengthens us for the journey and enables us to attain this ultimate destiny

Revelation of Inherent Dignity Assumed our human nature (Incarnation) – Restored our image that was tarnished from sin Ensured our ultimate destiny – Eternal life in the glory of God’s holy presence Revealed our inherent dignity – All people have been created in God’s image – Men and women are equal partners – Life is sacred, at all its stages, from conception to natural death

Respect for Human Life Sacred gift of life – God gives life only God can take life – Killing at any stage is a violation of the fifth commandment – “cides,” torture, trafficking and degrading conditions – Dignity of the body At life’s beginning – Abortion, the intentional termination of any pregnancy, in any circumstances – Genetic alteration – IVF and other artificial methods of conceiving a child At life’s end – Euthanasia, the direct action or deliberate and purposeful lack of action that causes the death of a person who is sick, disabled or dying. Other life issues – Capital punishment Execution by the state for capital crimes – War Conflicts between nations