The Catholic Church has a clear understanding that human life is hallowed and that the dignity of the human person is a vision for our society and should be a guiding principle for all of society. The Catholic Church is an enormous advocator for upholding the worth of every person and tries to promote a society that respects and protects the well-being of every individual. This is the first belief tied into my topic. The worth of human life is being threatened in our society. We are taught in the Catholic church to protect human life because we are all unique, precious, and worthy. The theme of Life and Dignity shows us that “The value of human life is being threatened by cloning, embryonic stem cell research, and the use of the death penalty.” “According to a report written by the ACLU, ”Nineteen states have laws permitting the execution of persons who committed crimes at sixteen or seventeen. Since 1973, 226 juvenile death sentences have been imposed”, and are increasing by the year. Genesis 1:26-31 states that God created man and woman in his image. Who are we, humans, to decide who does and does not live? By sentencing juveniles and others to death, we are breaking one of God’s commandments, Thou shall not kill (Exodus 20:13) , which was given to us in the Bible. 

The Catholic Church has a clear understanding that human life is hallowed and that the dignity of the human person is a vision for our society and should be a guiding principle for all of society. The Catholic Church is an enormous advocator for upholding the worth of every person and tries to promote a society that respects and protects the well-being of every The Catholic Church teaches that a healthy community and the dignity of a human being can only be achievable if human rights are met and protected. It also teaches us that because of our rights and responsibilities, we have a right to life and what we need. Our responsibilities include being responsible for everyone in our lives. Jeremiah 22 13-16 states, “ A legitimate government upholds the rights of the poor and vulnerable.” If we want to work towards making our country and community a place that upholds the mission God gave us, we must treat all, even our enemies, with love, kindness, and respect. We can start by upholding the life and dignity of every person around us in our daily lives.