Groups Seeking Justice:

1
Chapter 9

• Groups Seeking Justice
• Compassion for the Marginalized

2
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.
• Evangelium Vitae John Paul II 1995
• Culture of death vs. Culture of life

3
Culture of Death

• The basis of human life is not the sacredness of
  life and human dignity, but is the ability to get
  what we want
• People have the right to more than they need,
  even as poverty causes death for others
• People who cause a burden to others as less
  worthy of life
• The quality of a life as the only measure of
  whether it is worth living

4
Culture of Life

• We are images of God more than our physical
  bodies
• Being fully alive means reflecting God by loving
  God and one another
• Calls people to share what they have with others
• Views all people as gifts of God, even those who
  require extra care
• Sees life as worth living even if it involves
  suffering
• Respects and fosters the dignity of each person
  as being created imago dei

5
Choosing Life Both-And

• Pro-life means being fully for life, not in
  terms of either Abortion or Capital Punishment
• Pro-life also committing oneself to well-being
  of both women and unborn children / the
  well-being of both criminals and society.

6
Consistent Life Ethic

• Protecting the life and dignity of all is
  something we are ALL called to do
• Cardinal Joseph Bernardin
• Connected this idea of CLE to the life of Jesus
• Seamless garment
• Jesus tunic was not torn apart because it was
  valuable

7
Seamless Garment

• Right to life 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
• Our individual well-being is related to that of
  others

8
Abortion

• The spontaneous or induced expulsion of a fetus
  from the womb.
• Dealing with those that are caused / not
  miscarriages
• Roe vs. Wade (1973)
• Supreme Court allows women to choose whether or
  not to have an abortion
• Rights of woman over rights of unborn child

9
Pro-life vs. Pro-choice

• Pro-life
• Against abortion speak out for the rights of the
  unborn
• Pro-choice
• Approve of abortion speak out for the rights of
  the woman

10
Abortion Arguments

• Pro-life
• Human beings are required to respect their bodies
• Life begins at the moment of conception
• All life is sacred
• Unborn have a right to be born
• 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
• It is unclear when life actually begins
• Quality of life determines
• A woman has a right to determines what happens to
  her body
• It is wrong to put ones moral position into law

11
Church Teaching

• Jeremiah 14-5
• Human life must be respected and protected
  absolutely from conception.
• Maintain ethic of Life
• Thus, not appropriate to bomb clinics or seek
  retributive justice

12
Capital Punishment

• John 81-11
• Capital Punishment
• The killing of a criminal for particular crimes
  committed
• Retributive Justice
• 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
• Abolitionists
• Those who oppose capital punishment
• Retributionists
• Those who favor capital punishment

13
Retribution Arguments

• Capital Punishment is a a deterrent to crime.
• Most capital crime offenders are beyond reform or
  rehabilitation.
• 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.
• It is never too late for Gods grace to touch and
  transform hearts.
• Justice may not be served an innocent person may
  be executed.
• Executions are cruel and unusual punishment.

14
Church Teaching

• Church Teaching
• Based in the Gospel and catechism67
• Primary effect of punishment is to redress the
  disorder
• Medicinal value making the offender better
• Bloodless means of reform
• Acceptable ONLY when government is not able to
  protect society from repeated escape and danger

15
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.

16
Restorative Justice

• Restorative Justice
• Focuses on restoring the good that has been
  harmed by criminal activity
• Focuses on the harm of wrongdoing more than the
  rules that have been broken
• Shows equal concern to victims and offenders,
  involving both in the process of justice
• Healing for victims is linked to healing for
  offenders

17
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
• Attitude and treatment of the elderly which is
  parallel to sexism and racism
• Issues of Concern
• Physical and mental health
• Economic security
• Safety and isolation
• Stereotypes
• Euthanasia

18
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

19
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
• Connection to abortion
• right-to-life issue
• Justice as an outgrowth of Christian love
• Affirming common humanity human dignity

20
Homosexuality

• Moral starting points
• All sexual activity outside of marriage is
  immoral
• Marriage in the Christian context
• Between woman and man fulfilling two purposes
• Unity procreation
• Homosexuals, like everyone else, should not
  suffer from prejudice against their basic human
  rights. They have a right to respect,
  friendship, and justice. They should have an
  active role in the Christian community.
• U.S. Catholic Bishops, To Live in Christ Jesus,
  19.

21
Building a Culture of Life

• Keys to Improving Conditions
• Improved health and education
• A strengthened spirit of morality and social
  concern among the young
• Expanded employment opportunities
• Increased support for families
• Work for justice impacts all peoples
• Marginalized and unmarginalized