1. 1995

3. Culture of Life vs. Culture of Death “God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living… It was the wicked who with hands and words invited death.” Wisdom 1:13, 18 “I am the resurrection and the life.” John 11:25

4. Culture of Death: Origin

5. Human Questions What is the meaning of life?

6. Rich Young Man Approaches Christ

7. Christ Reveals Man to Himself “Keep the Commandments” “Come, follow me.”

8. Christian View of Man Christ Reveals Man to Himself Teacher Reconciler Obedient Son Just judge/Peacemaker Self-Giver

9. Modern View of Man Pleasure Seeker Consumer Individual Relativist (no moral absolutes) Skeptic (no knowledge is possible)

10. The Modern Age

11. Freedom: Distorted View

12. Freedom Defines the Human Person Instinctual Action Free Action

13. Freedom to Do What is Good

14. Modern Fixation on the Individual

15. Christian Community: Love & Sacrifice “God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God, and God in him.” I John 4:16

16. Christian Generosity vs. Modern Materialism

17. Modern Skepticism: All Opinions are Equal Pilate said to Him, “What is Truth?” (John 19:38)

18. Christ: Splendor of Truth “I am the Way the Truth and the Life.”

19. Moral Relativism

20. Inalienable Rights “We hold these Truths to be self- evident… …Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

21. Moral Absolutes Reason Revelation

22. Values Modern View “Freedom;” Doing what I want, when I want Individualism Materialism Skepticism Moral Relativism Christian View “Freedom;” Being free from sin and doing what is good Community Generosity Truth Moral Absolutes

23. Unlimited Choices?

24. The Heart of Liberty?  “At the heart of liberty is the right to define one’s own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and the mystery of human life.” Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992)

25. A Connection Griswold vs. the State of Connecticut (1965): legalizes sale of contraceptives Roe vs. Wade (1973): legalizes abortion Compassion in Dying vs. the State of Washington (1996): legalizes assisted suicide Lawrence v. Texas (2003): legalized sodomy

26. Crimes Against Life: New Rights

27. A Progression

28. Further Differences Modern Values Man is sovereign over all Suffering is useless There is no life after death Christian Truth God is sovereign over all Suffering has redemptive value Man has an eternal destiny with God

29. The Modern Tragedy: Godlessness “In seeking the deepest roots of the struggle between the ‘culture of life’ and the ‘culture of death,’ we cannot restrict ourselves to the perverse notion of freedom….We have to go to the heart of the tragedy being experienced by modern man: the ‘eclipse of the sense of God and of man.’” Evangelium Vitae 21

30. Man: A Highly Developed Animal

31. Man: An Immortal Creature

32. “You Will Be with Me in Paradise” “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.” John 11:25-26