5. YOU SHALL NOT KILL
The direct killing of an innocent person, whether born or unborn, is prohibited. We are obliged to protect life, but also human health (our own and other people’s, physical and mental health).
- Am I shortening someone’s life by grief, mistreatment?
- As for the harm to the soul – we commit the same sin as we counseled to another.
- Anger – if this go to a conscious and voluntary desire to kill a neighbor or to hurt him severely – it is a mortal sin.
- Hate – a mortal sin, also if I wish a damage to my neighbor.
- Did I leave a sick without care?
- Am I not offending others by inappropriate dressing, speech, swearing?
- Did I threaten my spouse with divorce?
- Do I endanger my life and health – alcohol, drugs, smoking, self-harming (plastic surgery, tattoos, piercings, solarium, bodily injury, steroids, and hormones).
Tattoos, piercings – „You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh on account of the dead or tattoo any marks upon you: I am the Lord!” (Lev 19:28).
It is one of the pagan practices, damaging one’s own body. Tattoos characterize the attitude of a person who claims the right to do whatever he wants and does not worship his Savior. It is a symbol of contempt for the holiness of the human body! We disfigure our body, which God created with great love, and which Jesus Christ redeemed with his blood and sanctified the human body with His incarnation.
„Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and that temple you are.” (1 Corinthians 3: 16-17).
Plastic surgery – in most cases, they are the way out of emotional emptiness and the desire to be attractive. When vanity and emptiness motivate a person to do such thing, it can become that person’s idol. Change the human body is something unnatural. I express my attitude to God – I am not satisfied with how you created me! I make myself wiser than God. I question the work of His hands! I do not accept God’s will.
I am exactly what God wanted me to be.
- Lack of care – gluttony, diets, doubtful excipients, lack of exercise or, conversely, overloading the body, neglect of hygiene, exaggeration at work, insufficient nutrition, insufficient clothing…
- Risky driving of motor vehicles – I endanger the health and lives of others, driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs.
- By performing risky sports. Did I do something dangerous out of stupidity? (Acrobatic stunts, jumped from a height, jumped off the train, risky jumped into river/lake…).
- Do I carry feelings of hatred, anger or revenge in my heart? Do I let them grow within myself?
- Did I take revenge, made a retribution? Did I say hateful words out loud?
- Did I forgive my neighbor? Regardless of whether neighbor apologized to me or not – I should always and under any circumstances forgive my neighbor. Remember: „
Without mercy, no one reaches God’s Mercy” (Jesus). - If someone asks me for forgiveness, apologize – I am obliged to accept the apology, not to have negative feelings in myself, not to return to that matter again.
- Did I destroy someone’s reputation, honor, by slandering and defamation? Did I rectify this damage? Did I revoke what I said?
- Am I provoking others? Do I participate in violence, cruelty, terrorism (I support such organizations, I contribute financially – to the purchase of weapons, to propagation), do I wheedle others to such manifestations?
- Racist expressions – did I exalted myself above others in terms of race, racial attacks, ridicule, despised people of other races (nationality, skin color, gender – belittling women / men, feminism), engaged in jokes and stupid speeches, expressed offensively (nigger…), had prejudices?
- Did I do terrorism, kidnappings, hostage-taking, torture? – it is spreading terror, put unacceptable pressure on victims.
- Did I intentionally want amputations, mutilation, sterilization? (Unless, it is a life-saving medical indication).
- Did I intimidate someone physically or morally? Did I threaten? Did I send a dog or another animal against someone? Did I incite others to attack?
- Did I kill another person? State the circumstances – abortion, out of revenge, in self-defense, by defending others from the attacker, in frenzy, out of hatred, out of fear, car accident, war…
- Did I refuse to help a person who was in danger?
- Whoever defends his life is not guilty of murder, although he is forced to inflict a fatal blow on the attacker. But if someone uses more violence than necessary to defend own life, is guilty.
- Direct and deliberate murder – the murderer, even those who cooperate in a murder, commit a sin that cries for vengeance to heaven. A particularly serious crime is committed in the case of the murder of a newborn, parent, fratricide, murder of a child, wife (husband).
- Merchants, who, through their predatory and usury business practices, cause hunger and death for their neighbors, indirectly commit the murder for which they are responsible.
- In case of war – not everything is allowed, blind obedience does not justify. It is necessary to respect non-combatants, wounded, captives.
- Accumulation of weapons, arms races – do not ensure peace, do not eliminate the causes of war, but there is a risk that they will increase them even more.
- Did I kill animals recklessly or cruelly, did not torment them, did not torment them, treated them rudely (kicking, closing them into unsuitable spaces, tormenting with hunger, thirst)? Didn’t I destroy nature, the plants? Did I not cause the devastation of natural values?
Euthanasia
Whatever the reasons, and whatever means are used, it is killing the physically or mentally handicapped, the sick or the dying. It is morally unacceptable.
- Also, neglect or conduct that, in itself or on purpose, causes death to end pain – is also murder.
- The error of judgment into which you can slip in good faith, circumstances – it never changes the nature of this crime.
- Did I support euthanasia – by speech, silence, approval, support of political parties with such an electoral program?
- Did I euthanize or persuaded anyone to do this?
Suicide
It contradicts the love of the living God. We are stewards, not owners of the life that God has entrusted to us. We cannot dispose of it freely.
- At the same time, it offends the love of neighbor – I leave my wife, dependent children, parents, I hurt others, I cause grief, financial, material and existential difficulties (I leave my wife with children, I leave debts) …
- Did I attempt suicide directly? Was I thinking about it? Did I want to intimidate others in this way?
- Did I not bring someone in my word or deed to despair over their life? Did I force someone to commit suicide? Did I bully anyone?
- Did I intentionally collaboration on suicide?
- If it is committed with the intention of setting an example, especially for young people, it as well acquires seriousness of bringing temptation.
- Am I committing indirect suicide? (I smoke, drink, take drugs…) – I consciously damage my health. Do I endanger the health of others? (Smoking…). Did I introduce someone to these addictions? Am I supplying drugs, cigarettes…?
