Seventh Commandment PDF

Seventh Comma n d me n t Karl Angelo Visda The seventh commandment forbids unjustly taking or keeping the goods of one’s neighbor and wronging him in any way with respect to his goods. It commands justice and charity in the care of earthly goods and the fruits of men’s labor Christian life st...

Seventh Comma n d me n t Karl Angelo Visda The seventh commandment forbids unjustly taking or keeping the goods of one’s neighbor and wronging him in any way with respect to his goods. It commands justice and charity in the care of earthly goods and the fruits of men’s labor Christian life strives to order this world’s goods to God and to fraternal charity.  The Universal Destination and the Private Ownership of Goods In the beginning God entrusted the earth and its resources to the common stewardship of mankind to take care of them, master them by labor, and enjoy their fruits. The earth is divided up among men to assure security of their lives, endangered by poverty and threatened by violence. The right to private property, acquired by work or received from others by inheritance or gift, does not do away with the original gift of the earth to the whole of mankind. The universal destination of goods remains primordial, even if the promotion of the common good requires respect for the right to private property and its exercise. The ownership of any property makes its holder a steward of providence with the task of making it fruitful and communicating its benefits to others, first of all, his family. Goods of Production - material or immaterial such as land, factories, practical or artistic skills, oblige their possessors to employ them in ways that will benefit the greatest number The ownership of any property makes its holder a steward of providence with the task of making it fruitful and communicating its benefits to others, first of all, his family. Goods of Production - material or immaterial such as land, factories, practical or artistic skills, oblige their possessors to employ them in ways that will benefit the greatest number Political authority - has the right and duty to regulate the legitimate exercise of the right to ownership for the sake of the common good. The seventh commandment forbids theft, that is, usurping another’s property against the reasonable will of the owner. Even if it does not contradict the provisions of civil law, any form of unjustly taking and keeping the property of others is against the seventh commandment. Deliberate retention of goods lent or of objects lost; business fraud; paying unjust wages; forcing up prices by taking advantage of the ignorance or hardship of another. Promises must be kept and contracts strictly observed to the extent that the commitments made in them are morally just. All contracts must be agreed to and executed in good faith. The seventh commandment forbids acts or enterprises that for any reason- selfish or ideological, commercial, or totalitarian that leads to the enslavement of human beings. E.g bought, sold and exchanged like merchandise, in disregard for their personal dignity. It is a sin against the dignity of persons and their fundamental rights to reduce them by violence to their productive value or to a source of profit. The seventh commandment enjoins respect for the integrity of creation. Animals, like plants and inanimate beings are by nature destined for the common good of past, present and future humanity. God entrusted animals to the stewardship of those whom he created in his own image. It is legitimate to use animals for food and clothing. They may be domesticated to help man in his work and leisure. Medical and scientific experimentation on animals, if it remains within reasonable limits, is morally acceptable since it contributes to caring for and or saving human lives. It is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly. It is likewise unworthy to spend money on them that should as a priority go to the relief of human misery. One can love animals; one should not direct to them the affection due only to persons. The Church’s Social Doctrine A primary concern of the Catholic Church in our era has been the social dimension of Christian living. The social doctrine of the Church has developed in response to the evolution of modern economics, and the new conditions of work. The Church’s action in the temporal sense is not political or economic but religious and moral in nature. The Church’s contribution is the strengthening of the spiritual and moral bases of society. PCP II has proposed more specific teaching, particularly regarding the political and social areas. Political Community - According to the PCP II, political authority’s legitimate autonomy in working for the common good must be exercised within the limits of the moral order. The Church has the role to critical solidarity with the government in defending the moral order. Both clergy and laity must be involved in the area of politics when moral and Gospel values are at stake. PCP II carefully explains how sins like pride, selfishness, greed, and hatred come to infect habitual patterns of human interaction. This produces sinful social structures which can harden into institutions. Some terrible effects of these sinful structures are seen in the uncared-for, malnourished “street children,” the wretchedness of the jobless and homeless, the crimes, graft and corruption, and continued widespread violation of basic human rights. The problem of injustice, exploitation, and “group stealing” cannot ultimately be resolved except through genuine spiritual conversion. The seventh commandment guards property from two kinds of theft. The prophets constantly warned against theft from above “ the rich robbing the poor. But there is also from below or the have-nots taking unjustifiably from those who have. Property is misused objectively when it becomes a means of exercising over others, instead of helping to improve the common quality of life. Subjectively, property is misused when greed and craving for possessions become the goal of life, destroying the human dignity of both rich and poor.  As theft from above there are exorbitant interest rates being charged by banks and insurance firms; refusal to pay just wages, tax evasion schemes and falsification of documents, excessive gambling, irresponsible borrowing, and refusal to repay legitimate debts. As thefts from below there are widespread practices if shoplifting, stealing office/factory/school supplies, office work-hours wasted in sloth, borrowing and never returning, cheating, smuggling and over charging to make excessive profits. Positive Social Teaching In view of such a complex social situation riddled with abuses of all kinds, the Church calls for a renewed common effort. To bring about this practical recognition of human dignity in social justice, the Church’s social doctrine has stressed a number of fundamental principles. The Church teaches that human development and liberation cannot be limited to the socio-economic and political dimensions of human life. It must also include things of the spirit or the spirituality of work. In view of such a complex social situation riddled with abuses of all kinds, the Church calls for a renewed common effort. To bring about this practical recognition of human dignity in social justice, the Church’s social doctrine has stressed a number of fundamental principles. The Church teaches that human development and liberation cannot be limited to the socio-economic and political dimensions of human life. It must also include things of the spirit or the spirituality of work.