The Fifth Commandment

Textbook Read page 24 – The Fifth Commandment Answer the reflection questions from the text: What gives human life its value? Are some lives more valuable than others? Explain. What positive action does the fifth commandment call us to? What does the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco or medicine and the use of illegal drugs have to do with the fifth commandment?

Note All of us are made in the image and likeness of God and no two of us are alike Through the Incarnation (God taking human form as Jesus), God shows us the sacredness of the human body. The fifth commandment states “Thou shall not kill” reinforces the sacredness of the human body. All life is sacred to God.

Note We are called to take care of our bodies and not abuse them in any way. We are called to respect others as well as ourselves. The value of a person’s life is not decided by their usefulness. We are called to give special respect and care for those whose lives are made more different by sickness or a handicap. We must help them lead lives as normally as possible.

Read the Latimer Story Reflect on this story What are the two sides to this story? Were the jury right in convicting him? Why? Should Robert Latimer have been let off? Why?

Read the Choose Life Handout Do we hold those who are ill to a different standard? Talk about suicide intervention course. Should I decide when to and not to apply what I learned? Is mercy killing showing mercy to the one who is sick, or to those around them who don’t want to deal with illness? If illness and suffering calls us to compassion, what does it say about our society that we don’t want to see illness and suffering?

Story A man found a cocoon of an emperor moth and took it home so he could watch the moth come out of the cocoon. One day a small opening appeared. The man sat and watched the moth for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. To the man it appeared as if the moth had gotten as far as it could in breaking out of the cocoon and was stuck. Out of kindness the man decided to help the moth. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon so that the moth could get out.

Story Soon the moth emerged, but it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the moth, expecting that in time the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would simultaneously contract to its proper size. Neither happened. In fact, that little moth spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It was never able to fly.

Story The man in his kindness and haste didn’t understand that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the moth to get through the tiny opening were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body into the wings so that the moth would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Reflection God doesn’t cause suffering, but He does use it to bring about greater good. We don’t always understand how this works, it is a mystery. But to directly end somebody’s life while they are suffering is like cutting the moth out of the cocoon early; maybe they haven’t completed their purpose yet. And we are playing God in the process.

Song Reflection Everybody Got 2 Suffer – Fr. Stan Fortuna What is this song about? The value of human life, everybody goes through suffering

Journal Do you believe that the value of a person’s life is decided by their usefulness? Explain. Talk about an experience of suffering that you went through. Did it give you a new perspective on life? Do you struggle with visiting a sick or suffering loved one? How do you deal with it?

Case Studies Handout In paragraph form, explain how this case relates to the idea of “killing” (physically, emotionally, spiritually). You may use your textbook, pages 25 – 26 for help.