418 / 665
390 • Part III. Christian Morality: The Faith Lived
1. We need to counter the relativism that imperils human life, by rec-
ognizing that human freedom needs to be consistent with God’s inten-
tions and the laws that govern moral life.
2. We must witness God’s providential presence to all creation and
particularly to each human being. “Where God is denied, and people
live as though he did not exist, or his commandments are not taken into
account, the dignity of the human person and the inviolability of human
life also end up being rejected or compromised” (Pope John Paul II,
The
Gospel of Life
[
Evangelium Vitae
; EV], no. 96).
3. We need to confront the weakening of conscience in modern soci-
ety. Too many people fail to distinguish between good and evil when
dealing with the value of human life. Moral confusion leads many to
support choices and policies that desecrate life. Choices that were once
considered criminal and immoral have become socially acceptable.
Many consciences that were once formed by the Ten Commandments,
Christ’s moral teachings, and the Holy Spirit’s grace-filled guidance are
now swayed by the moral confusion of the spirit of the times. We should
deal with the weakening of conscience by helping people to understand
the Church’s teaching on conscience as the capacity to make judgments
in agreement with God’s law, to protect human dignity and reject any-
thing that degrades it.
LIFE ISSUES THAT CONFRONT US
Murder
The deliberate murder of an innocent person is gravely
contrary to the dignity of the human being, to the golden
rule, and to the holiness of the Creator.
—CCC, no. 2261
God forbids murder. “The innocent and the just you shall not put to
death” (Ex 23:7). The intentional murder of any person is strictly forbid-
den by this commandment (cf. CCC, nos. 2268-2269). Such actions are
gravely sinful.