The Fifth Commandment

1
The Fifth Commandment

• Thou shall not kill
• The sanctity of human life

2
God author of life

• God gives humans the duty of guarding their own
  lives and the lives of those around them
• Human life has its origin in God and is dependent
  on Him
• Christianity rejects autonomy (dependence on
  oneself) and heteronomy (dependence on someone
  else) and accepts only theonomy (dependence on
  God.

3
Respect for human life

• Killing an innocent person is a grave sin
  contrary to the natural law, the dignity of the
  person, and the holiness of the Creator.
• Jesus adds two elements to the fifth commandment
  any offense that violates the dignity of a
  person is condemned and no one can be reconciled
  with God if he is not reconciled with his
  neighbor.

4
Conservation of existing life

• Duty to conserve ones own life
• Legitimate self-defense is morally acceptable,
  but only the force necessary to repel an attack
  is permitted
• No one should end ones own life
• Each person has the duty to take care of his own
  life (illegal drugs and excessive use of alcohol
  are forbidden)/

5
Respect for the life of others

• Taking the life of an innocent person is a
  serious offense
• Murder
• Homicide
• Kidnapping
• Torture
• Terrorism

6
Rights of the unborn

• Abortion causing the death of a child before he
  can survive outside the womb.
• Spontaneous occurring naturally
• Induced brought about through human
  intervention
• Eugenic malformation of the fetus
• Therapeutic cases of rape
• Psychological/psychosocial for psychological,
  economic, or social reasons
• All induced abortion is gravely sinful.

7
Abortion

• The magisterium of the Church has consistently
  proclaimed the gravely sinful nature of abortion
  throughout history.
• Condemnation found in the Didache (first century
  Church text).
• The Code of Canon Law imposes the punishment of
  excommunication for those involved in abortions.

8
Capital punishment

• Evangelium Vitae formally confirmed the churchs
  use of the death penalty.
• It is seen as an extreme measure that should not
  be done except in cases of absolute necessity.
• These cases are very rare if not nonexistent.

9
Euthanasia

• An action or an omission which of itself or by
  intention causes death.
• Must be distinguished from the decision to forgo
  aggressive medical treatment
• To take directly the life of a sick person is
  murder
• Extraordinary means to maintain life are never
  required
• Ordinary means of sustaining life are required

10
Scandal

• Attitude or behavior that leads another to do
  evil.
• Those in authority have a special responsibility
  to avoid scandal/
• Scandal can be provoked by laws, institutions,
  fashion, entertainment, and opinions.

11
Just war

• Everything reasonable must be done to avoid the
  evils of war.
• Legitimate defense by military force requires
• Damage inflicted by the aggressor must be
  lasting, grave, and certain
• All other means to end the conflict must be found
  to be ineffective
• Serious prospect of success
• The use of arms must not produce more evil than
  the evil to be eliminated.

12
Organ transplants

• Removing an organ or limb to save the live of a
  seriously ill person is morally permissible.
• Organ transplants are morally permissible.

13
Cloning

• Cloning on human beings is condemned by Donum
  vitae.
• Cloning, in vitro fertilization, artificial
  insemination, and the use of frozen embryos are
  condemned since they reduce human beings to
  objects.

14
Illicit drug and alcohol use and smoking

• These are forbidden since they reduce the humans
  ability to think clearly and can be dangerous to
  ones health.

15
Sterilization

• Can be defined as depriving a person of his or
  her procreative capability.
• Direct sterilization intended to destroy
  procreative capability
• Indirect sterilization secondary result of a
  different medical procedure.