The Fourth and Fifth Commandments Honor Your Father and Your Mother You Shall Not Kill

The Fourth Commandment “Honor your father and your mother.”  After the first three commandments, parents are next in the divine order of charity.  The family is the most important community to which we belong. It is the heart and center of all other communities.  Christian parents teach their children that the first calling of the Christian is to follow Christ.

The Fourth Commandment “Honor your father and your mother.”  Requires dutiful obedience to parents, our elders. But not just these…!!  This commandment includes all who exercise authority: teachers, supervisors.  There are limits to this obedience to authority…  Virtue acquired: family values  Sin avoided: irresponsibility, disobedience

The Fourth Commandment “Honor your father and your mother.” There are limits to the exercise of authority:  Civil authorities sometimes establish and enforce laws that go against moral law.  When an authority figure commands you to do something that is inherently wrong, immoral or against God’s law, or is an unjust civil law, then you are not obliged to follow that command.

The Fourth Commandment “Honor your father and your mother.” The family is the basic unit of society.  A healthy family begets a healthy society.  A weakened family is a threat to society.  Families must nurture virtues, such as authority, stability, and loving relationships, which are essential for a society that desires freedom, security, and community awareness.

The Fourth Commandment “Honor your father and your mother.” A Christian family is a Domestic Church.  Faith, Hope, Love—family virtues that everyone must practice.  Parents are the primary educators of their children.  Young children have a duty to obey their parents.  As children grow to be young adults, they are obliged to honor and respect them.  Trinitarian in nature.

The Fourth Commandment “Honor your father and your mother.” Family duties include:  Respect parents—Sir 7:27-28  Children must obey parents: trust in their goodness, seek their advice; accept their wisdom  Become responsible adults: give them material, moral, and physical support especially as they get sick or elderly.  Promote family harmony: avoid rivalries, angers, envies, and hostilities to each other including brothers and sisters.

The Fourth Commandment “Honor your father and your mother.” Parental duties include:  Raise children conscientiously: raise children physically, spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, and morally.  Emphasize teaching the virtues: self-discipline, compassion, responsibility, friendliness, work, courage, perseverance, honesty, loyalty, and faith  Teach children faith and God: how to pray; go to church regularly

The Fourth Commandment “Honor your father and your mother.” Responsibilities of Civil Authorities  Respect all human life  Preserve the dignity of others.  Protect human rights of citizens  Guarantee freedom, peace, and safety to all  Guard against totalitarianism Duties of Citizens: Citizens must work with civil authorities by:  Working with them in truth and justice  Loving, serving, and defending the country.  Paying taxes  Exercising the vote  Serving in juries

The Fifth Commandment “You Shall Not Kill.” ► This commandment demands that we respect and protect the sacredness of human life from conception to natural death. ► Direct and Indirect killing are sins against this commandment. ► Anger and hatred are often the root causes of murder ► Virtue to be acquired: sacredness of human life.

The Fifth Commandment “You Shall Not Kill.” ► The “Seamless Garment Rule”—all life is woven into the fabric of this teaching that ALL human life, from conception to death, must be defended, protected, and cherished. ► This teaching is absolute, unchangeable, and universal

The Fifth Commandment “You Shall Not Kill.” Direct (Intentional) Killing ► The murder of an innocent person is against the dignity of the person, the Golden Rule, and God Himself. This includes homicide (in all forms), abortion, euthanasia, and suicide. (CCC 2258, 2261, 2268) ► Capital punishment (CCC ) ► Just war (CCC 2304 ff) ► Self-defense (CCC )

The Fifth Commandment “You Shall Not Kill.” Indirect or Unintentional Killing ► “The Cult of the Body” (CCC ) ► Drugs, alcohol, tobacco, food, and its excesses ► Scientific research and experimentation—if it’s against human dignity or moral law, DON’T. THE END CAN NEVER JUSTIFY THE MEANS! ► Kidnapping, hostage taking, terrorism, torture, and other scandals

The Fifth Commandment “You Shall Not Kill.” YOU can be a Terminator and Perpetuator! ► When you strive for peaceful end to violence and killing, you can be a terminator of violence and a perpetuator for peace by: Stopping...Listening…Negotiating

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