The Sacredness of Human Life

• Life is a gift from God, and people seek its meaning in various aspects, including physical, economic, professional, achievements, and possessions.
• Life is a gift one receives from God, and how one lives it is one's gift back to God.
• People are responsible for their lives; the challenge is to make the best out of it and live in accordance with God's will, caring for others.
• We are stewards of life, so all must respect and care for one's own life and the lives of others.

The Sacredness of Human Life

• Human life is sacred because it involves God's creative action and remains in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end.
• Only God is the Lord of life from beginning to end, and no one can claim the right to destroy an innocent human being.
• Human life is God's greatest gift, with humanity created in God's image.
• Respect and reverence for human life are core human and Christian virtues.
• Discover the true dignity and fragility in learning to respect and care for another, thus fostering and caring for all lives.
• Life is an extremely important value and the root of human existence.
• God gifted humanity with this special good alongside the basic dignity derived from being a child of God.
• All are enjoined to do what is reasonably necessary to safeguard and preserve human life, observing the 5th commandment.
• God alone is the ultimate Lord and Master of Life; life belongs to God.
• People are stewards of life and should respect all lives.
• Since all are created in God's image and likeness, all deserve to be respected and cared for, no matter the status in life.
• Enhancing God's gifts makes the image of God more clear.

Direct Offenses to Human Life

• Murder is the direct killing of a person.
• Conscience judges murder as morally evil.
• Self-defense is not directed at killing but defending one's life.
• Euthanasia is similar to mercy killing, like direct termination of life due to an incurable illness
• Euthanasia includes the planned destruction of the mentally sick or deformed who are considered morally evil.
• The Church teaches that all are not obliged to exert beyond their capacity to prolong life.
• Expected in the care and prolongation of life is the use of ordinary means, or reasonable hope of recovery without excessive sacrifice or expense.
• God grants all the gift of life, so all must take ordinary means to preserve life, like 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 (CFC 1038).
• Extraordinary means involves use to cure the sick with excessive sacrifice or expense with the hope of recovery more uncertain; all are not obliged to prolong the life of the sick person.
• To use ordinary means still within one's financial ability and there is still hope of recovery, it will be immoral to withdraw the medication.

Immorality of Euthanasia

• Willed ending of a person's life is based on mercy for the patient's pains.
• Immorality of euthanasia is not on the lack of ordinary means or the incapacity to sustain hospitalization financially, and the absence of hope to recover.

Abortion

• Abortion refers to the expulsion of the fetus from the maternal womb, spontaneously or induced, causing the death of the fetus.
• Spontaneous Abortion: the expulsion is unintentional.
• Induced Abortion: the intent is to destroy the fetus and life, and is immoral.
• Scripture specifies the prohibition in the fifth commandment.
• The deliberate murder of an innocent person goes against the dignity of the human being, the golden rule, and the holiness of the Creator.
• Human life must be respected absolutely from the moment of conception, per CCC 270.
• From the first of 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.

Suicide

• Suicide is when a person killing themselves, which shows no love or appreciation for life.
• Suicide contradicts the natural inclination to preserve and perpetuate life.
• Suicide is gravely contrary to the just love of oneself as well as offending love of neighbor by unjustly breaking ties of:
  • Solidarity with family, nation, and other human societies to which all continue to have obligations.
  • Is contrary to the love of the living God
  • People reject God as Master of Life
  • Denies the very presence of God as Life-giving Spirit.
  • Suicide disobeys God of His command to love ourselves.
  • Deprives others of the person's unique love and care.
• Refuses to accept the moral judgment of conscience to do good and avoid evil (Principle of Morality).

Factors/Reasons for Suicide

• Great depression
• Loss of finding meaning to life
• Poor relationship with parents, peers
• Feeling of social isolation and alienation
• Influence of illegal drugs
• Psychological disorder
• Experience of abuse (physical, mental, sexual)
• Lack of sense of gratitude to God

Avoiding Direct Offenses

• Strengthen values and virtues (VIRTUES are good behavior or character).
• Every grave act has a beginning.
• Seek help
• Pray