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Assaults Against Life * In 96% of states there is a pattern of discrimination regarding race and the death penalty * Capital punishment does not deter crime * On the federal level, 3.5% of persons to be executed have been innocent * Abortion techniques are inhumane * Patients often ask for euthanasia due to inappropriate treatment
Human beings have a right to life from
themoment of
conception to natural death
AbortionA: Defined as the
unjustified killing of unborn human beings
Remember: Human life is a gift from God
which must be protected, nurtured, and sustained from
the first moment of conception
A: When society tolerates abortion, all of human life is threatened
Q: What is it?
Q: Why is it wrong?
Abortion
Legalized in 1973 by the US Supreme Court in
Roe v. Wade
This decision held that a woman’s right to privacy included her decision to have an abortion
• 1.3 million abortions in US each year
• 3,700 abortions per day, 155 per hour, 1 every 24 seconds
• 48% of pregnancies are unintended, half of these are aborted
• 46 million abortions in the world every year
What factors lead to the disrespect for the sanctity of life?
Abortion
Breakdown of the family
Belief that freedom is the absolute value
Did you know. . . * The Church has opposed abortion from
the beginning * The Church always considered abortion a
mortal sin* The Church believes in the
seamless garment of respect
for human life from the womb
to the tomb
Abortion
A child’s right to life outweighs a mother’s freedom of choice or her
right to privacy
AbortionAbortion should be made illegal
God conveys the gift of life, not the state
One should cultivate a correct view of the sacredness of sex
There are always alternatives to abortion
Human life begins at conception
A person who is
“right to life”
believes:
Stem Cell Research
Embryonic stem cells have the
potential to become any kind
of body cell
Adult stem cells have the potency to become many different cells but
not all.
Stem Cell is an
unspecialized cell that has the
potential to become a
specific type of
cell
* The Church supports stem cells that come from adult tissue, umbilical cord blood and other sources.
* The Church is against the use of embryonic stem cells, since stem cells must be harvested from living human embryos that destroys them.
Stem Cell ResearchDid You Know. . .
EuthanasiaA: Defined as an act or
omission which of itself or by intention cause death, with the
purpose of eliminating suffering
Euthanasia is also called “mercy killing”
Q: What is it?
Did You Know . . .
Our cultural climate
sees no value in suffering
People who neglect
God think they have sole
control over life and death
Aging population puts pressure on a
costly healthcare system
Euthanasia
Reasons for
legalizing Euthanasia
include:
The Church believes in using ordinary and morally acceptable means to preserve life, even of those who face death.
The Church teaching holds that to decision to forego using extraordinary or disproportionate means to sustain life is morally acceptable
Declaration on Euthanasia states we can judge whether the means is ordinary or extraordinary by: Kind of treatment used Its complexity and risk Its costs and possibilities of using it
Euthanasia
A: Euthanasia violates God’s law which forbids the deliberate and morally unacceptable killing of a human person
A: Suicide is equivalent to murder and violates the fifth commandment
A: Assisted suicide is the concurring with the intention of anotherperson to commit suicide; helping someone take his/her life
Euthanasia
Q: Why does the Church
strongly condemn
euthanasia, suicide and
assisted suicide?
Capital PunishmentThings to consider:
Jesus taught nonviolence and forgiveness
All people are challenged to look for ways to punish and rehabilitate criminals while
protecting society
Not even a murderer loses his/her personal dignity
* The Church has traditionally permitted the death penalty as a last resort for a society to defend itself against violent criminals
* States have enough means today to repress crime and control violent criminals without inflicting the death penalty
Capital PunishmentDid You Know. . .
A dead criminal cannot be reformed
Mistakes have been made in administering capital punishment
Since 1973 at least 100 people have been exonerated and released from death row in the US
Executions attract unhealthy publicity
Death penalty is disproportionally administered to poor persons and members of minority groups
Capital Punishment
Problems with the
death penalty:
A: Consistent life ethic
The Seamless Garment
Respect for all human life from the moment of conception until natural death,
from womb to tomb.
Q: What is it?