Offenses Against Human Life

Offenses Against Human Life

• Two kinds of offenses: direct and indirect
• Direct offenses: murder, abortion, suicide, and euthanasia

Murder

• Voluntary and unjust killing of a human being
• Two kinds of murder:
  • By act: intentional killing with malice aforethought
  • By omission: failure to fulfill moral and legal obligations, leading to death
• Homicide is a legal term for justifiable murder
• 27% decline in murder rate in the Philippines (2024, Jan-Feb)

Abortion

• Removal of the fetus from the mother's womb, intended or unintended, resulting in the death of the fetus
• Miscarriage: unintended abortion, often caused by accident or defects, especially during the first trimester
• Induced abortion: willed expulsion of the fetus, resulting in its death, and is considered murder
• The principle of double effect is acceptable in certain situations, where one life must be chosen over another to save at least one life

Church's Response

• Provide MPES: Medical Treatment, Pain Management, Emotional Support, and Spiritual Care
• Redemptive Suffering: offering one's suffering to help others who are experiencing a worse situation

Suicide

• Intentional taking of one's life
• Sins committed by suicide:
  • Rejecting God as the Master of life
  • Denying God's presence as Life-Giving Spirit
  • Disobeying God's command to love oneself
  • Depriving others of one's unique love and care
  • Refusing to accept moral judgment and conscience
• Bible verse: Isaiah 5:20, warning against calling evil good and good evil

Euthanasia

• Direct termination of life due to incurable illness
• Against the Law of God (5th commandment - Thou shall not kill)
• Not mentioned in the Bible
• The Catholic Church teaches that people are not obliged to exert beyond their capacity to prolong life, and that ordinary means should be used to preserve life, such as medicines, treatments, and operations that can be obtained and used without excessive sacrifice or expense, and when there is reasonable hope of benefit for the patient.

Additional Notes

• Factors to consider in preserving life:
  • Ordinary means
  • Without excessive sacrifice or expense
  • Reasonable hope of recovery
• Crimes related to alcohol:
  • 50% of murders involve alcohol
  • 33% of suicides involve alcohol
  • 60% of child abuse involves alcohol
  • 50% of all fatalities involve alcohol
• Illicit drugs:
  • Provide a false sense of experience, often described as "langit" or heaven
  • Often available at certain places, such as raves and discos, and should be avoided
  • Young people are often the victims of drug abuse
  • The use of drugs, except on strictly therapeutic grounds, is a grave offense and inflicts damage on human health and life
• All of these vices can weaken and destroy our body, causing physical and psychological damages, and leading to death, both physical and spiritual.

Explore the different types of offenses against human life, including direct and indirect offenses, and the various forms of murder. Learn about the responsibility to protect human life and the moral implications of these actions.