“You shall not kill.”
Exodus 20:13
A Just War
Four criteria of St. Augustine’s Just War Doctrine enumerated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2309
The Problem of Suicide (from the Catechism of the Catholic Church)
- 2280 Everyone is responsible for his life before God who has given it to him. It is God who remains the sovereign Master of life. We are obliged to accept life gratefully and preserve it for his honor and the salvation of our souls. We are stewards, not owners, of the life God has entrusted to us. It is not ours to dispose of.
- 2281 Suicide contradicts the natural inclination of the human being to preserve and perpetuate his life. It is gravely contrary to the just love of self. It likewise offends love of neighbor because it unjustly breaks the ties of solidarity with family, nation, and other human societies to which we continue to have obligations. Suicide is contrary to love for the living God.
- 2282 If suicide is committed with the intention of setting an example, especially to the young, it also takes on the gravity of scandal. Voluntary co-operation in suicide is contrary to the moral law.
- Grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture can diminish the responsibility of the one committing suicide.
- 2283 We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance. The Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives.
Violence in the Old Testament
In our discussion on the Fifth Commandment the topic of the violence in the Old Testament has come up several times. Here’s a link to that post I mentioned on that topic: https://thoughtfulcatholic.com/?p=47266. It gives four perspectives (Divine Justice, Divine Pedagogy, Inspired Hyperbole, and Spiritual Allegory) that might help us a bit when considering the issue.
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