A Consistent Ethic of Life:

1
Chapter 5

• A Consistent Ethic of Life
• Justice Across the Life Cycle

2
Consistent Life Ethic

• ____________is the most important because all
  others depend on it.
• We cannot tear apart the issues of abortion,
  capital punishment, poverty, racism, and war from
  the pursuit of human dignity
• ______________________________ ___________________
  ___________

3
Choosing Life Both-And

• Pro-life means being fully for life, not in
  terms of either __________________
  ______________________
• Pro-life also committing oneself to well-being
  of __________________________ ____________________
  _____________ _________________________________
• Ensuring the _____________________

4
Consistent Ethic of Life

• Protecting the life and dignity of all is
  something we are ____________________
• Cardinal Joseph Bernardin
• ________________________________
  ________________________________
• Seamless garment
• Jesus tunic was not torn apart because it was
  valuable

5
The Gospel of Life

• Deuteronomy 3019
• I have set before you life and death, the
  blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that
  you and your descendents may live.
• __________________________________
• Culture of death vs. Culture of life

6
Culture of Death

• The basis of human life is not the sacredness of
  ___________________, but is the ability to get
  what we want
• People have the ______________________, even as
  poverty causes death for others
• People who _______________________ as less worthy
  of life
• The _______________as the only measure of whether
  it is worth living

7
Culture of Life

• ___________________ more than our physical
  bodies
• Being fully alive means reflecting God by loving
  God and one another
• ______________________________________________
• Views all ____________________, even those who
  require extra care
• Sees life as worth living even ___________________
  __
• Respects and fosters the _________________________
  _ _____________________

8
Building a Culture of Life

• Keys to Improving Conditions
• _____________________________
• A strengthened spirit of morality and social
  concern among the young
• ___________________________
• Increased support for families
• Work for justice impacts all peoples
• ___________________________

9
Abortion

• The spontaneous or induced expulsion of a fetus
  from the womb.
• _________________________________
  _________________________________
• Roe vs. Wade (1973)
• Supreme Court allows women to choose whether or
  not to have an abortion
• ___________________________________

10
Pro-life vs. Pro-choice

• Pro-life
• __________________________________ ___________
• Pro-choice
• __________________________________ ___________

11
Abortion Arguments

• Pro-life
• Human beings are required to respect their bodies
• _______________________ __________
• All life is sacred
• _______________________
• It is wrong to kill an innocent human being and
  wrong to legalize an action that is immoral

• Pro-choice
• Human beings are free to do whatever they think
  is right
• ______________________ ____________
• Quality of life determines
• ______________________ ______________________
  ______________________
• It is wrong to put ones moral position into law

12
Church Teaching

• Jeremiah 14-5
• Human life must be respected and protected
  ____________from conception.
• __________________
• Thus, not appropriate to bomb clinics or seek
  retributive justice

13
Capital Punishment

• John 81-11
• ___________________
• The killing of a criminal for particular crimes
  committed
• ___________________
• An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth
• The type of justice in which good people are
  rewarded and evil people are punished
• 2 Views
• ____________
• Those who oppose capital punishment
• ____________
• Those who favor capital punishment

14
Retribution Arguments

• Capital Punishment is a deterrent to crime.
• ________________________ ________________________
  ________________________
• Justice calls for punishment or retribution in
  order to restore the order that has been violated
  by the criminal.
• The prison system is already too crowded.

• Every human life has unique worth and dignity.
• Capital punishment does not necessarily deter
  others from committing capital crimes.
• ________________________ ________________________
  ________________________
• Justice may not be served an innocent person may
  be executed.
• _____________________ _____________________

15
Church Teaching

• Church Teaching
• ______________________________
• Primary effect of punishment is to redress the
  disorder
• ________________________________
• Bloodless means of reform
• Acceptable ONLY when __________________ to
  protect society from repeated escape and danger

16
Statement on Capital Punishment

• Written by the US Bishops (1980)
• Abolition sends a message that we can break the
  cycle of violence, that we need not take life for
  life, that we can envisage more humane and more
  helpful and effective responses to the growth of
  violent crime.

17
Restorative Justice

• Restorative Justice
• Focuses on restoring the good that has been
  harmed by criminal activity
• ____________________________________
  ____________________________________
• Shows equal concern to victims and offenders,
  involving both in the process of justice
• __________________________________ ____________

18
Graying of America

• Americans over 65 years old are the fastest-
  growing age group
• Soon 1 in 6 Americans will be 65 years old or
  older
• Significant impact on culture
• Ageism
• __________________________________________________
  ___ _______________
• Issues of Concern
• Physical and mental health
• ________________
• Safety and isolation
• ________________
• Euthanasia

19
Christian View of Aging

• Healing the rupture between society and its
  elderly members requires a major effort to change
  attitudes as well as social structures. In
  undertaking this task, we are not simply meeting
  the demands of charity and justice. We are
  accepting our own humanity, our link with past
  and future and, thereby, our link with the
  Creator.
• U.S. Catholic Bishops, Society and the Aged, 2
• Human life requires relatedness
• principle of solidarity

20
Persons with Disabilities

• No act of charity or justice can be of lasting
  value to persons with disabilities unless it is
  informed by a sincere and understanding love that
  penetrates the wall of strangeness and affirms
  the common humanity underlying all distinction.
• U.S. Catholic Bishops, On Persons with
  Disabilities, 3.
• Justice for persons with disabilities
• ____________________
• right-to-life issue
• Justice as an outgrowth of Christian love
• ____________________________________