You shall not Kill  Obviously, this commandment prohibits murder  More importantly, it implies a broad principle: the dignity of the human person  Because we are made in the image of God, human life is SACRED  We are not authorized to abuse or destroy it- unless we are acting in self-defense or defense of innocent life

Old Testament Roots  One of the earliest sins recorded in scripture is the murder of Abel by Cain  God reiterates the prohibition of murder to Noah  God declares to Moses that “He will not acquit the wicked” when the innocent and righteous are killed  This theme continues throughout the Old Testament

New Testament Revelations  Christ condemns murder, in addition to its underlying causes (anger, hatred, vengeance), during his Sermon on the Mount  Murder: intentional and direct homicide  Murder is a grave sin  This term also extends to indirectly willing another’s death  Putting someone’s life at risk  Refusing to help someone in danger

 Anger, revenge, hatred, and grudge bearing varies from murder more in degree than type.  Even though these may seem “venial” in comparison, every time we sin we subject ourselves to more serious sin  We must avoid physical and moral harm to our neighbor  Leading another to sin falls into this category  Christ challenges us to love one another– especially those who are most difficult to love: the very opposite of these sins

Respect for Life at It’s Beginning  The Church protects the unborn  Abortion: the intentional termination of pregnancy  The unborn are the most innocent and defenseless of all human persons  From a biological perspective, the fertilized egg within the womb is a completely new organism, distinct from both mother and father, with its own genetic code

Three types of Abortions  Eugenic abortion: performed because of a malformed fetus  Therapeutic abortion: performed because the mother’s health is endangered  Psychological/Psychosocial abortion: performed for psychological, economic, or social reasons  Regardless of type– ALWAYS gravely sinful

 Those who fail to appreciate life from conception, who may be personally opposed, but consider themselves pro-choice, fail to appreciate the intrinsic value of the human person.  Many consider abortion to be a way to resolve the inconvenience of unwanted pregnancy  Women have abortions for a variety of reasons, and while we must be sympathetic to their circumstances– none of these reasons JUSTIFY an abortion.  “Abortion is the deliberate killing of an innocent human being”-Blessed Pope John Paul II (EV)

Consequences of Abortion  The Code of Canon Law excludes those participating in abortions from the sacramental life of the Church  Excommunication for those who perform or who cooperate in procuring one  This is intended to demonstrate gravity, as well as encourage reconciliation  In addition to killing the child, abortions frequently cause emotional and psychological pain to both mothers and fathers of the aborted child. There are also serious health risks like sterility and cancer that result from abortions.

What about the Life or Health of the Mother?  Direct and intentional abortion is always a grave sin  IF the life or health of the mother is SERIOUSLY compromised and intervention is necessary to save her, AND IF (as a result of those lifesaving efforts) the life of the unborn child is LOST, then NO SIN is committed.  Care must be taken to protect the child; aborting it intentionally is NOT a legitimate moral option

Abortion in the early Church  The Didache (ca. 80AD) an early Christian text states unequivocally: “You shall not destroy a newborn child”  The Magisterium has taught that abortion is gravely sinful throughout Christian history  In modern times, it has continued to be condemned at Vatican II and by Pope JP II.

Embryonic Stem-Call Research  Even though research may one day find cures for disease, it does not justify embryonic stem-cell research  Extraction of stem-cells from an embryo results in the death of that embryo and therefore constitutes the killing of innocent human life  Stem cells which come from non-embryonic sources have been shown effective in studies. The Church supports non-embryonic research because it does NOT harm human life

Human Cloning  In 1997, Dolly became the first cloned sheep  Some scientists want to take this technology further to clone human beings; advances in parthenogenesis have yielded a non-viable cloned embryo.  While cloning humans has not yet been done, these developments raise new moral and ethical questions and concerns  The Church considers reproductive and therapeutic human cloning to undermine the dignity of human life

Prenatal Tests  Tests and diagnosis of the health of an unborn child are morally acceptable as long as they are performed to ensure the health of the child  They can not be used to determine whether a child should be aborted  Chromosomal therapy in eutero is acceptable as long as it is not intended to create a “designer baby”

Respect for Life Until its Natural Death  An incapacitating sickness or severe suffering does NOT diminish the value of a person  Only God has the right to call someone out of this world through death

Euthanasia  The decision by doctors, family members, or public officials to end the life of someone who has been given little or no chance of recovery and is judged to have poor quality of life.  “Euthanatos” – Greek for sweet/good death  Inappropriately called “mercy killing”  Condemned by the Church in NO UNCERTAIN TERMS  Legal in several countries in the Western world and is practiced illegally elsewhere

Assisted Suicide  Distinct from euthanasia in that the patient requests help in ending their life.  A serious offense against God’s love and plan, and can NOT be condoned in any form.  Legal in several countries in the Western world, as well as several states: Washington, Oregon, and Montana

Discontinuing Treatment v. Euthanasia  Must receive ordinary care: Nutrition, hydration, medication  The sufferer may refuse extraordinary means of sustaining life IF the benefits are disproportionate to the burden  IF they only prolong the dying process  Must respect God’s will to call someone out of this world

Discontinuing Treatment v. Euthanasia  On the other hand, ordinary treatment is always necessary  Terry Schiavo’s case:  Removing her feeding tube starved her (not okay)  Bl. Pope John Paul II stated that food and water must be provided to patients in a “vegetative state”

Suicide  Killing oneself is a grave sin, objectively speaking  There are mitigating circumstances which can diminish the sin’s gravity  The Church does not make any judgment on the eternal state of those who take their own lives.  The Church prays for those who have taken their own lives

Self Defense and Criminal Justice  The right to self-defense is an extension of the right to life  Response must be proportional to aggression  Great caution must be taken to avoid harming the innocent  Criminal justice systems are designed to bring offenders to justice, rehabilitating them, and deterring future criminal acts.  Governmental authorities can impose just, proportional punishment

Capital Punishment  According to strict justice, the state has the right to apply the death penalty for crimes involving the murder of innocent persons or high treason  The Gospel calls for moral rehabilitation, not retribution  Capital punishment often does not deter future crimes  It also perpetuates a diminished view of the value of human life  Not absolutely prohibited by CCC, but non-lethal means are preferred when they are sufficient to maintain public safety

Just War Doctrine  War is never desirable  Causes immense and incalculable suffering and death  Just War Doctrine sets forth guidelines for determining whether war is morally permissible  Self-defense  Last Resort  Probability of Success  Proportionality

Self-Defense in JWD  When used as defense against an unjust aggressor, war is morally permissible  The damage inflicted by that aggressor must be “lasting, grave, and certain”

Last Resort in JWD  Only as a last resort  Diplomacy, negotiations, embargos, and other nonviolent means must be exercised first  Even more important since the invention of weapons of mass destruction

Probability of Success in JWD  The most difficult of the criteria for just war to understand  Must have a reasonable chance of victory  If defeat is almost certain, it is worse to go to war than not because of the lives that will be lost

Proportionality in JWD  A military response must not be greater than that required for self-defense  A few tanks does not get responded to with a nuclear bomb

Noncombatants in JWD  It is ALWAYS morally wrong to target noncombatants (civilians)  POW’s must be treated humanely  “I was only following orders” is not a viable excuse: JWD applies to individuals, too.  Genocide, Kidnapping, Torture, Terrorism, etc. are all violations of the 5 th Commandment

Arms races in JWD  Spending $$$ that could better be used for positive things on weapons is a violation of the 5 th Commandment  The funds are being diverted from where they should be for the sake of producing weapons  It’s about using $$$ for the common good of humanity, not to deter war by building the biggest gun

Respect for the Integrity of the Body  Our own lives are also to be respected  Part of respecting our life means taking care of our health  Failure to respect one’s body as a gift from God is a sin against the integrity of the body

Cult of the Body  Our body’s beauty is a gift, but it is not to be idolized  Excessive concern with “perfection” diminishes our understanding of the true value of the human person  Inordinate body piercing, tattoos, extreme bodybuilding, weight loss, and unnecessary plastic surgery are offenses against the body

Gluttony  Eating or drinking to excess is incompatible with the dignity of the human body  Unhealthy, can cause illness or premature death  Moderation and exercise demonstrate respect for the body

Mutilation  This is degrading to the human body  Constitutes abuse  For life-saving purposes, it may be morally permissible to remove an organ or limb.

Illicit Organ Transplantation  Organ donation is subject to certain conditions  Permissible if both parties give informed consent  Dangers/Risks are proportional to benefits sought  Immoral to transplant organs which are primary to a person’s identity  Immoral to remove an organ to save the life of another before (or causing) death

Sterilization  Altering reproductive organs to make themselves infertile  Voluntary, direct sterilization for avoiding pregnancy is gravely sinful  Indirect sterilization as a secondary, unintended result of medical procedures directed toward healing someone is licit under necessary medical conditions

Substance Abuse  Drug and alcohol abuse is always sinful  Getting drunk or “high” impairs self-control and proper judgment, which frequently leads to offensive and tragic consequences  Auto accidents  Overdoses  Violence/abuse  Inappropriate sexual behavior  Ruins our reputation, scandalizes others, and embarrass ourselves and our families.