About the gift of life a CLF 9 Topic

1. Celebrating God’s Creative Gift of
Life
5th Commandment
Exodus 20:13

2. How precious is human life?
• As we mature in faith, we need to
understand that life I a gift from God, who
created us and sustains us.

4. • 2258 "Human life is sacred because from its
beginning it involves the creative action of God
and it remains for ever in a special relationship
with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is
the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no
one can under any circumstance claim for himself
the right directly to destroy an innocent human
being."56

5. You have heard that it was said to
the men of old, "You shall not kill:
and whoever kills shall be liable to
judgment." But I say to you that
everyone who is angry with his
brother shall be liable to
judgment.55

6. Confronting the Culture of Death
• At the center of the culture of death is the
view that human life is not God’s gift but
an object or commodity that may be
disposed of when it is already deemed
unworthy to be lived.

7. Violations against the value of life:
 Abortion
• Human life must be respected and
protected absolutely from the moment of
conception. From the first moment of his
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.

8.  Substance Abuse
• What are some of the most common reasons why
some adolescents try and eventually become
addicted to cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs? Page
208.
• 2291 The use of drugs inflicts very grave damage
on human health and life. Their use, except on
strictly therapeutic grounds, is a grave offense.
Clandestine production of and trafficking in drugs
are scandalous practices. They constitute direct
co-operation in evil, since they encourage people
to practices gravely contrary to the moral law.

9. death penalty

10. Dulles argues that the Church teaches
that punishments, including the death
penalty, may be levied for four
reasons:[21]
1.Rehabilitation – The sentence of death
can and sometimes does move the
condemned person to repentance and
conversion. The death penalty may be a
way of achieving the criminal's
reconciliation with God.

11. 2.Defense against the criminal – Capital
punishment is an effective way of preventing
the wrongdoer from committing future
crimes and protecting society from him.
3.Deterrence – Executions may create a
sense of horror that would prevent others
from being tempted to commit similar
crimes.

12. What shall we do when we are angry?
• ENV OR ACTIVE NON VIOLENCE

13. 4.Retribution – Guilt calls for punishment. The
graver the offense, the more severe the
punishment ought to be. In Holy Scripture
death is regarded as the appropriate
punishment for serious transgressions. Thomas
Aquinas held that sin calls for the deprivation of
some good, such as, in serious cases, the good
of temporal or even eternal life. The wrongdoer
is placed in a position to expiate his evil deeds
and escape punishment in the next life.

14. Anger management: 10 tips to tame
your temper
• Keeping your temper in check can be
challenging. Use simple anger
management tips — from taking a
timeout to using "I" statements — to
stay in control.

15. • Anger is a common and even healthy emotion.
But it's important to deal with it in a positive
way. Uncontrolled anger can take a toll on
both your health and your relationships.

16. 1. Think before you speak
• In the heat of the moment, it's easy to say
something you'll later regret. Take a few
moments to collect your thoughts before
saying anything. Also allow others involved
in the situation to do the same.

17. 2. Once you're calm, express your
concerns
• As soon as you're thinking clearly, express
your frustration in an assertive but
nonconfrontational way. State your
concerns and needs clearly and directly,
without hurting others or trying to control
them.

18. 3. Get some exercise
• Physical activity can help reduce stress
that can cause you to become angry. If
you feel your anger escalating, go for a
brisk walk or run. Or spend some time
doing other enjoyable physical activities.

19. 4. Take a timeout
• Timeouts aren't just for kids. Give yourself
short breaks during times of the day that
tend to be stressful. A few moments of
quiet time might help you feel better
prepared to handle what's ahead without
getting irritated or angry.

20. 5. Identify possible solutions
• Instead of focusing on what made you mad, work on resolving
the issue at hand. Does your child's messy room make you
upset? Close the door. Is your partner late for dinner every
night? Schedule meals later in the evening. Or agree to eat on
your own a few times a week. Also, understand that some
things are simply out of your control. Try to be realistic about
what you can and cannot change. Remind yourself that anger
won't fix anything and might only make it worse.

21. 6. Stick with 'I' statements
• Criticizing or placing blame might only
increase tension. Instead, use "I"
statements to describe the problem. Be
respectful and specific. For example, say,
"I'm upset that you left the table without
offering to help with the dishes" instead of
"You never do any housework."

22. 7. Don't hold a grudge
• Forgiveness is a powerful tool. If you allow anger
and other negative feelings to crowd out positive
feelings, you might find yourself swallowed up by
your own bitterness or sense of injustice. Forgiving
someone who angered you might help you both
learn from the situation and strengthen your
relationship.

23. 8. Use humor to release tension
• Lightening up can help diffuse tension.
Use humor to help you face what's making
you angry and, possibly, any unrealistic
expectations you have for how things
should go. Avoid sarcasm, though — it can
hurt feelings and make things worse.

24. 9. Practice relaxation skills
• When your temper flares, put relaxation skills
to work. Practice deep-breathing exercises,
imagine a relaxing scene, or repeat a calming
word or phrase, such as "Take it easy." You
might also listen to music, write in a journal or
do a few yoga poses — whatever it takes to
encourage relaxation.

25. 10. Know when to seek help
• Learning to control anger can be a
challenge at times. Seek help for anger
issues if your anger seems out of control,
causes you to do things you regret or hurts
those around you.

26. Non violent communication
• Nonviolent Communication, (NVC), is based on the
principles of nonviolence-- the natural state of compassion
when no violence is present in the heart. NVC begins by
assuming that we are all compassionate by nature and that
violent strategies—whether verbal or physical—are learned
behaviors taught and supported by the prevailing culture.
• NVC also assumes that we all share the same, basic human
needs, and that all actions are a strategy to meet one or
more of these needs. People who practice NVC have found
greater authenticity in their communication, Increased
understanding, deepening connection and conflict
resolution.

27. The teaching of the church about WAR
The conditions to wage a war:
• Just cause: this is usually considered the
most important and it requires that the war
can only be waged when there has been
lasting, grave and certain damage inflicted
on the nation or community of nations. The
most common just cause is aggression or
the violation of sovereign territorial
integrity or another political community.

28. • Right intention: the reasons used to
justify the war (above) must be the
reasons political leaders commit to military
action. This is important because if it is not
for the highest moral reasons but for
political expediency or some other lesser
goal then the military action is
disproportionate. A wrong intention also
makes it more likely that other moral
violations will occur during the war.

29. • Legitimate authority: only authorised
leaders legitimately representing a political
community can declare and wage wars.
This is aimed at not only making sure the
war being waged is supported by the
people, but also to limit the frequency with
which wars occur.

30. • Proportionality: it must be shown firstly
that all other means of resolution have
been thoroughly exhausted; war must be
an absolute last resort; if war is the only
option, leaders must be able to show that
they reasonably expect the state of affairs
will be better off if war is engaged that if it
is not.

31. • Probability of Success: there must be
serious and probable prospects of
success, this implies that a clear notion of
success be known before engaging in war.

32. Beyond protecting civilian life the means by
which a war can be waged are also
circumscribed by one important principle
• the use of arms must not produce evils and
disorders graver than the evil to be
eliminated. The power of modem means of
destruction necessarily weighs very heavily in
evaluating this condition. This principle
calls for the act of violence to be
proportionate to the just reason for going to
war.