The fifth Commandment
“You shall
not kill” (Ex 20:13, Dt 5:17).
Why are we
not allowed to kill? (CCC 2258)
This is a good
question, because though we inherently know we cannot take the
life of another, it is important to understand the reason for
this. Human life is sacred and no one has a right to take it
away from anyone. It is our most fundamental right, and it is
inviolable. The reason for this is the fact that the human being
was made by God, made for God, and the end of the human being is
God. As well, we remain in a special relationship with God
throughout our whole lives. In a sense, we can say that if we
were to take another’s life, we would be robbing God of someone
that He made especially for Him. Very simply, we are God’s. We
are the only creatures that God made specifically for Himself
simply to love and have a relationship with. Because we are made
for God, it makes us sacred by nature, and therefore, no one
truly has any say over our lives except the Lord and those to
whom He gives the authority.
Is abortion a violation of the fifth commandment? (CCC
2270-2275)
Yes, abortion is a
grave violation of the fifth commandment. In the crime of
abortion, an innocent human life is unjustly taken. There are no
exceptions to this – in other words, there is nothing that makes
this anything but a grave violation of human life. No
circumstance will ever make it licit or just.
Why then is this grave violation of human life so tolerated in
our current age? One of the primary claims that advocates of
abortion try to make is that an unborn child is not yet a human
being. However, we know from science, natural law, and Church
teaching that human life begins at conception. From the moment
of conception, the human soul is infused into the new life, and
a new and infinite human person now exists. What a beautiful
mystery! God could bring forth life without us, but He chooses
to let us participate in His most magnificent work. Abortion is
an offense against God; we destroy a life He has brought about,
and we stop being co-creators, and instead become destroyers.
Not only is abortion a crime against the unborn child, but it is
also a great harm to the soul of the mother, and all those who
are participating in or encouraging the abortion. The essence of
maternity, which is engraved into every feminine heart, is to
receive life, nurture it, protect it, and allow it to grow and
mature. The womb of a woman is a sacred space in which life –
our most precious gift – is received, nourished, and guarded.
What a dignity that has been gift to the feminine heart, mind,
and body. When a woman has an abortion, she is destroying
herself, by casting a mortal wound into her own heart, into her
own female identity. She acts against her deepest feminine
identity and dignity.
As well, any man who encourages or helps to procure an abortion
is acting against the essence of his masculine heart. Instead of
being a guardian and protector of life, he is a destroyer of it.
The essence of the masculine heart is to provide a safe and
loving “home” for the woman and child to thrive and grow. Aiding
in an abortion is a direct act against his identity and dignity.
In summary, abortion destroys all those involved. It takes the
actual life of one, and it delivers a mortal moral wound into
the hearts of all those involved. This crime can only have
devastating effects on any society that allows the life of its
citizens to be devalued and destroyed. A people that does not
value life cannot truly have it.
If someone encourages a woman to get an abortion, are they are
guilty of violating the fifth commandment? What about those who
perform them? (CCC 2272)
Yes, all those who
aid in the procurement of an abortion are gravely violating the
fifth commandment. This includes all the doctors, nurses, and
staff of an abortion clinic. As well, it includes all those who
encourage the abortion, anyone who exerts pressure on a woman to
abort, and even political figures who voted for abortions and
help them happen – all are guilty of violating the fifth
commandment. The degree of the guilt of all those mentioned
above will depend on many different factors, but all are gravely
culpable in some regard. Though the mother herself always has a
measure of guilt in an abortion, this guilt can be mitigated if
she is forced or strongly coerced by parents, relatives,
friends, or the father. For example, if a 14 year girl is
pregnant and the parents coerce her to have an abortion by
words, threats, appeals, and even physically taking her to a
clinic, her guilt in the matter can be greatly reduced. But it
is also important to understand that even in the above
situation, each woman has the duty to make the right decision to
keep her child even if outside pressure is intense; a mother
taking the life of her own child, no matter how much pressure is
being exerted on her, is still a tragic and grave offense. We
must remember that the Lord will always provide for us when we
choose to do the right thing despite difficult circumstances.
What if a woman gets pregnant from a rape? Does she have an
obligation to keep the child? (CCC 2270-2275)
Yes, she does. Very
simply, abortion is always murder, the taking of an innocent
life, and, therefore, always wrong. There are no exceptions to
this. Furthermore, the child conceived from rape is neither a
criminal nor a cause of the crime. Even the rapist himself
should not die – though he certainly merits grave punishment
(see above question on the death penalty). Therefore, even less
so should the innocent child die for a crime he did not commit.
Imagine if a father committed a crime and they sent the son to
jail instead. We all recognize that this would be a grave
injustice. However, the same injustice would be committed
against the child in the womb if he were to be aborted: he or
she would be suffering for a crime he or she did not commit.
Many people make this argument because of their compassion for
the young woman who was raped. We will not pretend or down-play
the great tragedy of a rape and the consequences that are a
result of it. As well, there is no doubt that if a child were to
be conceived as a result, it would certainly be difficult for
the woman to carry the child of the man that raped her. All of
this is an undeniably sad and difficult situation. However, an
abortion is not the solution to this tragedy.
The first reasons for this are the reasons already mentioned
above. Secondly, far from helping the woman, an abortion would
in fact make the situation gravely worse. Theology and
psychology teach us that the one who commits a crime actually
suffers more than the victim. If this is true, the mother who
procures an abortion suffers more than the murdered child.
Therefore, to encourage a woman to procure an abortion – in any
situation – is to encourage her to commit an act that will leave
her gravely spiritually wounded. Is this the solution to a rape?
To create more wounds instead of trying to heal the ones
present? Two wrongs never make a right. Evil never heals a
previous evil; it only brings more evil and more wounds. Only
love can heal the wounds caused by evil. Only choosing to love
when everything in us wants to hate – only this will heal the
anger, hate, and wounds of sin in our soul. Only love heals.
Therefore, the only way to begin to heal the evil from a rape is
to choose love – and the first act of love would be to choose
life. Life and love always are the same choice. Jesus is the
Way, the Truth and the Life. Therefore, choosing life in the
face of a rape is the only choice that will begin to heal the
heart wounded by the rape.
It is important to note that the woman certainly may choose to
give the child up for adoption. This is always an authentically
loving choice. To make this choice, she should pray and evaluate
the circumstances of her life, and make her decision based on
reason and prayer.
Is abortion OK if it is known that a child will be severely
handicapped or disabled? (CCC 2276-2277)
Again, the answer is
a simple, “No.” Each child – no matter what his condition or
state – is a gift of God. We did not bring anyone into
existence; God did this by instilling an immortal and unique
soul into each one of us. Though a severely handicapped child
may not be what we expected or envisioned, and though it may
mean greater hardship in caring for him or her, the Lord has
allowed this for a greater reason. His ways and designs are
above ours. Everything that the Lord allows is for our greater
good and for our holiness. If the Lord gives us the gift of a
handicapped child, we must accept this gift with the same love,
joy, generosity and excitement as we would a healthy child –
even if it is difficult. Often the justification that they will
have a life full of suffering is really our own complaint – we
do not want to have a life of suffering in caring for them.
There are many things to say concerning this issue, but we will
mention only a few of the most important. First of all,
handicapped children are often a surprising joy to those who
live with them. When they are embraced in love, they are able to
teach us many lessons we would never learn from more capable
people. They usually have the heart of a perpetual child; and we
need this to learn the way of childhood that the Lord requires
of each one of us. They allow us to see life through more simple
and pure eyes, to see the things that truly matter…to see as God
sees. We would all do very well to acquire the eyes and heart of
those who are seemingly more ignorant.
As well, we live in a society where worth is measured in
“utility” or “usefulness.” You are valuable as much as you are
“useful.” This is why we are so willing to euthanize and kill
those who are elderly and sick – for to us, they no longer seem
“useful.” However, how does God measure “usefulness”? He
measures it with love. Only love is truly fruitful, truly
“useful.” And no one is prevented from loving – old, sick,
suffering, or handicapped. Therefore, to rid ourselves of those
who seem to be of no use is a grave error, for it is these that
often love the most. Those who are handicapped love in a more
pure and simple way than most of us; therefore, in the eyes of
Love, they may be even more “useful.”
The very simple fact is that everyone has an infinite value, no
matter their condition or state. We do not bestow life, and we
do not have the right to take it away. Only our Creator has the
right to call His creatures home.
Is it true that using birth control can be a violation of the
fifth commandment?
Yes, it is. Most
people are unaware that most birth control pills act as an
abortifacient, which means that it causes abortions. The primary
way that the birth control pill prevents pregnancy is by
preventing a woman from releasing her eggs from her ovaries. If
a woman does not release an egg from her ovaries, the sperm
cannot fertilize them, and she will not be able to conceive a
child. However, the birth control pill does not always prevent
ovulation (as well, when women skip days of taking the pill,
this can also lead to ovulation). When this happens, it is
possible then that the egg that is released will be fertilized
by a sperm and a child will be conceived. From this point on, a
new human life with a new human soul exists. However, the birth
control has another effect. Because of the hormones present in
the pill, it prevents the wall of the uterus from building up a
lining. This lining is needed, however, for a newly fertilized
to implant and to grow. Therefore, when a woman is taking the
birth control pill, the new child cannot implant in the uterine
wall, and therefore, it will die. All of this happens unknown to
the woman; she will never have known she had conceived and was
pregnant, in only for a few days. It is very important to
realize that even though an abortion may not have been the
direct intention of the woman taking birth control, it did
happen, and the abortion was committed. It is important for all
people to come to realize that birth control pills are morally
wrong for their contraceptive intention (see more questions and
answers on contraception) and for the fact that they are
abortifacients.
Is in vitro fertilization a violation of the fifth commandment?
(Donum Vitae)
Most of the time,
yes, it is. For simplicity’s sake we will keep this answer
relatively short and simple by describing the general way in
vitro fertilization works, though there may be variable methods
for doing it. All, however, have the general concept and are
wrong for the same principle reasons. In vitro fertilization is
wrong for a number of reasons, one being the fact that is a
violation of the fifth commandment (for the other reasons,
please see more questions and answers about in vitro
fertilization). The basic concept behind in vitro fertilization
is that eggs are fertilized outside a woman’s body (which is why
they are often called “test tube babies”), and they are then
“stored” as fertilized embryos. Most who perform in vitro
fertilizations would like people to believe that they embryos
are not individual babies yet. However, as we have already
mentioned, at the moment that an egg is fertilized by a sperm,
life is conceived and new human person exists. At this point,
any killing of this embryo or human person would be the killing
of an innocent life. With in vitro fertilization, these embryos
are often willingly discarded, thereby constituting an abortion.
As well, when a woman is trying to get pregnant, she will have
placed in her multiple of these newly conceived human embryos.
However, this is done with the hope that one of the embryos will
implant, knowing that not all them will do so. The others will
be lost. Each one of these “lost” embryos is a death a fully
human person. As well, if multiple pregnancies occur, doctors
will often use a technique termed “selective reduction” in which
they will abort unwanted babies and allow the other babies to be
brought to term. Consequently, the practices used in in vitro
fertilization are usually a violation of the fifth commandment.
Donum Vitae by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith
states, “The connection between in vitro fertilization and the
voluntary destruction of human embryos occurs too often. This is
significant: through these procedures, with apparently contrary
purposes, life and death are subjected to the decision of man,
who thus sets himself up as the giver of life and death by
decree.”
What is the role of punishment and what are its limitations?
(CCC 2302, Evangelium Vitae)
The reason for
punishment is put back in order something that has become
disordered. For example, if a child has began to use bad
language (a disorder), the parents are obliged to punish the
child to lead the child to use proper language (order). The key
to understanding punishment is to see it with the good of the
person in mind. We are meant to be ordered people, to have an
ordered society – this is for our own good and happiness.
However, sin is a disorder, and because of sin, we are also
disordered. Sometimes a simple word will put in order what has
become disordered. However, sometimes, like a broken bone that
has healed poorly, the bone needs to be re-broken in order to
actually heal correctly.
Therefore, punishment serves multiple purposes. First of all, as
we saw above, it is a means of “putting back in order” the one
who actually committed the crime; it a way that we are healed.
The Lord punished His people Israel many times, but only in
order that they would return to Him. Punishment is always a
means by which we can return to God.
As well, it is an act of justice; it puts back in order a wrong
committed. For example, if someone has broken a window, their
punishment will be to work to pay for the window and to fix it.
However, many punishments are not as simple as a broken window.
The more serious the crime, the more serious the punishment –
justice and social order demand this. Punishment should fit the
crime. The punishment should look to “make up for” the wrong
that was committed. As well, the punishment for serious crimes
should be a condition for the criminal to regain his or her
freedom. Since the offender has created social disorder and
grave harm, for the sake of justice and public safety, they
should not be allowed to be free in society. Therefore,
punishment is not only justice and way to put things back in
order, but it also helps to ensure public safety by keeping
dangerous people from being free. Finally, it provides an
incentive for people to want to improve themselves. In other
words, if someone is in prison and he will only get out if his
behavior improves and he serves his time, he will be more likely
to actually be rehabilitated.
However, there are limitations on punishment. As mentioned
above, the punishment should fit the crime. More importantly,
execution should not be used if it is not necessary to defend
society. We should not use the death penalty if it is not
necessary because every person has the right to life – even if
they have taken that life from someone else. God Himself will be
the final judge over earthly and eternal life, death, and
punishment.
