Justice and the Right to Life

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:

Euthanasia

Options for the dyingUnrelieved suffering

Euthanasia

Palliative medicine

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. . .

Capital Punishment

retribution deterrence

reform

Reasons for punishment:

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?

The Seamless Garment

Pro -Life

protect human

life

pursue social justice

promote family

life

Vocabulary abortion stem cells

embryonic stem cells adult stem cells

euthanasia assisted suicide

capital punishment consistent life ethic