We are halfway through the 10 Commandments now. We started with #10, and have now reached the 5th
Commandment,
You shall not kill.
Of all the Commandments, this may be the one we need most
urgently to hear now.
This Commandment is not based on simply the fact that it
feels wrong to kill, or that it is sad when someone is killed. It goes beyond saying human life is a natural good (which it is). No, the reason man does not kill goes deeper
than that, and points to a much deeper, profound reality. Listen to the beautiful words of the
Catechism (2258). It says we do not kill because:
Human life is
sacred because from its beginning it
involves the creative action of God and it remains for ever in a special
relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its
beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself
the right directly to destroy an innocent human being.
Human life is not just good, it is sacred. Because it is
sacred, God alone can determine when it begins and when it ends, not man.
Self-defense which
involves the killing of an aggressor can
be justified if one’s life is in danger and in the process of defending one’s
own life, someone else is killed. The death penalty can be legitimate if
killing the aggressor will somehow save lives, but in the view of the Church,
those situations today are rare, if non-existent.
The specific kind of killing, however, forbidden by the 5th
Commandment, is intentional. In other words, the action must be intended
to affect the individual who is killed, as opposed to directed at someone else
whose life will be protected by the unintended taking of another life. This intentional killing can either be direct, such as shooting someone, or
indirect, such as refusing to help someone when you can who is dying.
Here are some sins against this Commandment:
1)
Intentional homicide (see paragraph
above)
2)
Abortion In the words of the
Catechism (2270), Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment
of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be
recognized as having the rights of a person - among which is the inviolable
right of every innocent being to life. There
is never a reason to kill a baby, with the exception of extremely rare cases
where a mother’s life would be in jeopardy as a result of the pregnancy and/or
birth (some dispute these cases even exist at all). In those cases, another procedure would be
used. There are however, heroic cases
where a mother will see the birth through even at the risk of her own life.
3)
Euthanasia
In the words of the Catechism (2276-77) those whose lives are diminished
or weakened deserve special respect. Sick or handicapped persons should be
helped to lead lives as normal as possible. Whatever its motives and means, direct
euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick, or
dying persons. It is morally unacceptable. All human
life is sacred. Old age and/or severe
illness do not change this, nor does it change the reality that God is the Lord
of life. It is permissible to withhold extraordinary measures that would
unnecessarily prolong life; doing this is not intentionally killing the person, as euthanasia is.
4)
Suicide In the words of the
Catechism (2280-2281), everyone is responsible for his life before God who has given it to
him. It is God who remains the sovereign Master of life. We are obliged to
accept life gratefully and preserve it for his honor and the salvation of our
souls. We are stewards, not owners, of the life God has entrusted to us. It is
not ours to dispose of. Suicide contradicts the natural
inclination of the human being to preserve and perpetuate his life. It is
gravely contrary to the just love of self. It likewise offends love of neighbor
because it unjustly breaks the ties of solidarity with family, nation, and
other human societies to which we continue to have obligations. Suicide is contrary
to love for the living God.
There are other offenses against
this Commandment that are not specifically against the value of life, but
rather, against the dignity of persons, which is the moral foundation behind
the Church’s teaching on the dignity of all human life. Human life is evidenced by the activity of
the human body. When the body stops working, there is no more
life. Therefore, since it is the visible
sign or sacrament of the gift of life that is from God, it has sacred value in
and of itself, and has an integrity that must be upheld.
5)
Scandal This is leading another to do something wrong;
for example, take drugs, steal, or perform illicit sexual acts.
6)
Intemperance This is disrespecting the body by excess
consumption of food, alcohol, tobacco, and/or drugs. It
also includes prohibits against acting unsafely, such as driving recklessly.
7)
Other sins against the integrity of the body
Torture, kidnapping, terrorism,
amputations, sterilizations, mutilations
The human body is a gift, and must
be treated with love and respect, even after death. Proper burial of the body is the preferred
and time honored method the Church uses to honor the memory of the deceased, show
his or her value, and testify to the reality that our bodies will be raised
again at the end of time. Cremation is
permitted as long as it is not implied that the person and/or his or her loved
do not believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead.
Finally, this section of the Catechism also touched
on human dignity as it related to scientific research. I covered this in detail in my series on the
Church and science. Here is a link to
that post:
The final section of the Catechism’s
discussion of this Commandment focuses on the broader concepts of war and
peace. In light of the world we live
in, where war seems ever near and peace ever far, I think a discussion of those
ideas warrant their own post, and so I will discuss them in Part 2.
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
says,
"I came that they may have
life, and have it abundantly" (John 10:10).
In the world we live in, human
life is very fragile, and quite frankly, in danger, at all stages, from conception
through the end of life. Christians are
called to be witnesses to, in the words of the late Saint John Paul II, the “Gospel
of Life”, in the midst of this, again in his terms, “Culture of Death”. Let
us follow in the footsteps of Our Lord, and be witnesses and bearers of life to
all we meet, and all we influence.
Joseph, diligent protector of
Christ, pray for us.
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