-Elyse Catholics view the act of abortion as a major sin. It goes against the commandment "thou shall not kill." Many protestors try to say that a fetus should be aborted if it is to have a bad life. This, however, can be debated upon by focussing on the fact that many world powers have come from unstable homes. Abortion also implies that a man and woman have had sex without being open to procreating, which is a major belief of Catholicism. Catholics believe that life begins at the moment of conception, therefore the fetus is alive, is a person, and is being murdered. New Advent: Abortion27% of the increasing 1,370,000 abortions in the US are by Catholics.Abortion Statistics-Elyse
American Catholic -Ali Right now in the Roman Catholic Church priests are beginning to diminish, but it seems to be the largest faith based religion. There are many people who have a catholic belief.Muslims rate is growing, but not enough to pass by Christan faith. In the 21st century less people will be in attendance to mass. It will continue to diminish. Continued: Among white Roman Catholics, 72% support stem cell research, which the church is against.
Official Catholic Teaching on Euthanasia
Maria ~ Euthanasia is happening all around the world. Doctors have been injecting lethal fluids into the bodies of elderly and dying people. Doctors are discontinuing giving food and water to people in comas. People call euthananasia "mercy killing" because they think that they are doing the person a favor and putting them out of misery. As Catholics we believe in preserving life. Nobody has the "right" to die even if they are in terrible condition. Vatican describes euthanasia as "an action or an omission which of itself or by intention causes death, in order that all suffering may in this way be eliminated." The Church is at a difficult state as it faces the issues of euthanasia, abortion, and other topics that are morally wrong Brief Reflections on Euthanasia -Danielle Euthanasia is a major issue when it comes to decisions of perserving or terminating life. The majority of people agree that euthanasia is simply a caring action to end illness, or disease related suffering. Catholic's perspective on this is that no one, whether doctor, relative, or legislator, has the right to end human life. Its selfishly materialistic to even think that euthanasia is a favor when mainly the idea behind it is that, even though "its" alive its non productive, a burden to society and a problem to deal with. People just dont get the concept that life must be preserved at all costs, their ignorant little selves simply justify that" its not a life worth living" to those who are incapacitated, in coma, etc. The Human life is not an object, or a thing that you can simply "throw out" when it malfunctions or when it doesn't meet the standards. Just because its not healthy, it doesn't mean its not life. Its aggravating to even think that this kind of injustice is being accepted. People actually starve to death when resources such as food and water are denied to patients (euthanasia procedure). The cruel fact is that they never really died of the euthanasia, but of our careless society that exists today. This can be stopped, but it mostly seems as if the only voice against it are the religious ones, and one day, when it becomes popular, you may become a victim of it too. euthanasia, a catholic view : very good link
-Maria Caceres :)
Tim Staples, from "Catholic Answers", explains why euthanasia is morally wrong.
-Danielle
=
CONCLUSION= Catholics today try to follow the same guidelines and standards as they have since the beginning of the religious establishment. Abortion is thought of as a sin because it goes against the commandment: "Thou shall not kill." People often try to fight against this belief of abortion as murder, saying that the fetus isn't fully alive, but the Catholic belief is that a human is alive from the moment of conception. Interestingly, however, Catholic women account for 27% of abortions in the United States. Government laws and popular beliefs make abortion a common act, and it is hard for American Catholics to ignore the views of society and follow the commandments. A young Catholic can spread the beliefs of American Catholicism in an attempt to outlaw abortion.(Elyse) If you asked an average group of Catholics to identify the Church’s position on abortion, they might give you a one-word answer: "NO." God’s love for us and our frail human bodies are also beautifully shown in the Gospel stories about Jesus’ merciful healing of the sick. The destruction of the fetus, the church teaches, is a morally indefensible attack on human life. The only exception is "indirect abortion," or abortion that is necessary to attempt to save the mother's life. In the government, the most common view among 2008 Republican presidential candidates is that the federal government should have no involvement in the abortion rights debate either way--that state legislatures should be allowed to ban or not ban abortion. The Catholic Church has always condemned abortion as a grave evil, so children should follow the Catholic Church in their view of abortion.(Niki) Being a catholic means understanding who you are and the faith you practice. It takes a while to figure the true meaning behind it, but God does guide you. It doesn't just mean going to church every week. Its practicing being a good person in everyday life. Us teens are the future to our world. If we do good, treat people with respect, and have belifes in certain things this will impact the American Catholic Church in the future. It could thrive and be possibly better than it is today. A young individual can do many things in the church. Simply getting baptized is the first step. If the indiviudal continues on there journey it could lead to great things. Spreading the word of the lord is another way for people to understand better and preserve the idea of the Catholic Church.(Ali) To be a Catholic doesn't just mean praying and attending Church. Being a Catholic involves an understanding of the sacraments and commandments. The sixth commandment, "Thou shall not kill" explains clearly why euthanasia is wrong. Euthanasia is assisting someone in suicide, or killing someone for "mercy" No person has the "right" to die. As Catholics, we believe that all life is sacred. Instead of Euthanasia, people should be participating in the sacrament of "Anointing of the Sick" and preparing to meet Jesus. However, American culture and society today have some how made it "acceptable" to preform Euthanasia. Some people who do not practice Catholicism do not understand that killing someone as an act of mercy is morally wrong. The veiws of society and the beliefs we have as Catholics cau.se a lot of arguments to this issue and will continue to.(Danielle and Maria)
The state of the American Roman Catholic Church in the 21st century when it comes to marriage and divorce will most likely not be much different. The traditions and rules of marriage have remained the same for as long as Christianity has existed. There is not any cause for it to be changed now. Divorce is accepted by the Catholic Church. However, without an annulment, the Catholic Church does not accept a person so remarry in the Church. If he/she does remarry, it is considered adultery. Marriage as a sacrament is a vow and a promise. The Catholic Church expects each spouse to live up to their vows. Divorce can have a major impact on not only the two who are married, but also their family. Often, society sees children of divorced parents end up going down the wrong path. This is why the Church does not usually grant annulments if there are children involved. However, this can also be a bad thing because it causes the children to go through their lives with parents who do not want to be together.When it comes to the topic of marriage and divorce, it is important for young adults to understand the severity of becoming married. They must be well informed of the consequences a young marriage can cause. They must also be aware of the rules of divorce. Most young marriages end within the first 10 years. This can be prevented if young adults act responsibly. (Sarah) References:
1)Heft, Jim S.M. "Update Your Faith." What Does It Mean to Be Catholic? Google, 2011. Web. 3 Jan. 2011. <http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/YU/ay1288.asp>-first reference.
2)Frazier O'Brien, Nancy. "American Catholic." Stem-cell Research and the Catholic Church. Google, 2011. Web. 3 Jan. 2011. <http://www.americancatholic.org/news/stemcell/>.-second one
^ali
3)Coppens, Charles. "Abortion." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 6 Jan. 2011 h0ttp://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01046b.htm.
4) The Alan Guttmacher Institute. "Abortion Statistics-US." 28 July 2005. Web. 06 Jan. 2011. http://www.mnstate.edu/gracyk/courses/phil%20115/Stats_on_abortion.htm. 5) WorldBook Online. Web. http://www.worldbookonline.com/advanced/article?id=ar161640&st=divorce. 6)"YouTube - Catholic Divorce and Remarriage." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 02 Jan. 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soMpVwMk7bI.
SOCIAL/ MORAL ISSUES IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
Abortion
Catholics view the act of abortion as a major sin. It goes against the commandment "thou shall not kill." Many protestors try to say that a fetus should be aborted if it is to have a bad life. This, however, can be debated upon by focussing on the fact that many world powers have come from unstable homes. Abortion also implies that a man and woman have had sex without being open to procreating, which is a major belief of Catholicism. Catholics believe that life begins at the moment of conception, therefore the fetus is alive, is a person, and is being murdered. New Advent: Abortion27% of the increasing 1,370,000 abortions in the US are by Catholics.Abortion Statistics-Elyse
- -Danielle
Abortion:http://www.religioustolerance.org/abo_hist.htmNikiStem Cell Research and Divorce
American Catholic
-Ali
Right now in the Roman Catholic Church priests are beginning to diminish, but it seems to be the largest faith based religion. There are many people who have a catholic belief.Muslims rate is growing, but not enough to pass by Christan faith. In the 21st century less people will be in attendance to mass. It will continue to diminish.
Continued: Among white Roman Catholics, 72% support stem cell research, which the church is against.
Ali
-Sarah
Moral issues on homosexuality in the church:
http://www.catholic.com/library/Homosexuality.asp
Meredith
Euthenasia
Official Catholic Teaching on EuthanasiaMaria ~
Euthanasia is happening all around the world. Doctors have been injecting lethal fluids into the bodies of elderly and dying people. Doctors are discontinuing giving food and water to people in comas. People call euthananasia "mercy killing" because they think that they are doing the person a favor and putting them out of misery. As Catholics we believe in preserving life. Nobody has the "right" to die even if they are in terrible condition. Vatican describes euthanasia as "an action or an omission which of itself or by intention causes death, in order that all suffering may in this way be eliminated." The Church is at a difficult state as it faces the issues of euthanasia, abortion, and other topics that are morally wrong Brief Reflections on Euthanasia
-Danielle
Euthanasia is a major issue when it comes to decisions of perserving or terminating life. The majority of people agree that euthanasia is simply a caring action to end illness, or disease related suffering. Catholic's perspective on this is that no one, whether doctor, relative, or legislator, has the right to end human life. Its selfishly materialistic to even think that euthanasia is a favor when mainly the idea behind it is that, even though "its" alive its non productive, a burden to society and a problem to deal with. People just dont get the concept that life must be preserved at all costs, their ignorant little selves simply justify that" its not a life worth living" to those who are incapacitated, in coma, etc. The Human life is not an object, or a thing that you can simply "throw out" when it malfunctions or when it doesn't meet the standards. Just because its not healthy, it doesn't mean its not life. Its aggravating to even think that this kind of injustice is being accepted. People actually starve to death when resources such as food and water are denied to patients (euthanasia procedure). The cruel fact is that they never really died of the euthanasia, but of our careless society that exists today. This can be stopped, but it mostly seems as if the only voice against it are the religious ones, and one day, when it becomes popular, you may become a victim of it too.
euthanasia, a catholic view : very good link
-Maria Caceres :)
Tim Staples, from "Catholic Answers", explains why euthanasia is morally wrong.
-Danielle
=
CONCLUSION=
Catholics today try to follow the same guidelines and standards as they have since the beginning of the religious establishment. Abortion is thought of as a sin because it goes against the commandment: "Thou shall not kill." People often try to fight against this belief of abortion as murder, saying that the fetus isn't fully alive, but the Catholic belief is that a human is alive from the moment of conception. Interestingly, however, Catholic women account for 27% of abortions in the United States. Government laws and popular beliefs make abortion a common act, and it is hard for American Catholics to ignore the views of society and follow the commandments. A young Catholic can spread the beliefs of American Catholicism in an attempt to outlaw abortion.(Elyse)
If you asked an average group of Catholics to identify the Church’s position on abortion, they might give you a one-word answer: "NO." God’s love for us and our frail human bodies are also beautifully shown in the Gospel stories about Jesus’ merciful healing of the sick. The destruction of the fetus, the church teaches, is a morally indefensible attack on human life. The only exception is "indirect abortion," or abortion that is necessary to attempt to save the mother's life. In the government, the most common view among 2008 Republican presidential candidates is that the federal government should have no involvement in the abortion rights debate either way--that state legislatures should be allowed to ban or not ban abortion. The Catholic Church has always condemned abortion as a grave evil, so children should follow the Catholic Church in their view of abortion.(Niki)
Being a catholic means understanding who you are and the faith you practice. It takes a while to figure the true meaning behind it, but God does guide you. It doesn't just mean going to church every week. Its practicing being a good person in everyday life. Us teens are the future to our world. If we do good, treat people with respect, and have belifes in certain things this will impact the American Catholic Church in the future. It could thrive and be possibly better than it is today. A young individual can do many things in the church. Simply getting baptized is the first step. If the indiviudal continues on there journey it could lead to great things. Spreading the word of the lord is another way for people to understand better and preserve the idea of the Catholic Church.(Ali)
To be a Catholic doesn't just mean praying and attending Church. Being a Catholic involves an understanding of the sacraments and commandments. The sixth commandment, "Thou shall not kill" explains clearly why euthanasia is wrong. Euthanasia is assisting someone in suicide, or killing someone for "mercy" No person has the "right" to die. As Catholics, we believe that all life is sacred. Instead of Euthanasia, people should be participating in the sacrament of "Anointing of the Sick" and preparing to meet Jesus. However, American culture and society today have some how made it "acceptable" to preform Euthanasia. Some people who do not practice Catholicism do not understand that killing someone as an act of mercy is morally wrong. The veiws of society and the beliefs we have as Catholics cau.se a lot of arguments to this issue and will continue to.(Danielle and Maria)
The state of the American Roman Catholic Church in the 21st century when it comes to marriage and divorce will most likely not be much different. The traditions and rules of marriage have remained the same for as long as Christianity has existed. There is not any cause for it to be changed now. Divorce is accepted by the Catholic Church. However, without an annulment, the Catholic Church does not accept a person so remarry in the Church. If he/she does remarry, it is considered adultery. Marriage as a sacrament is a vow and a promise. The Catholic Church expects each spouse to live up to their vows.Divorce can have a major impact on not only the two who are married, but also their family. Often, society sees children of divorced parents end up going down the wrong path. This is why the Church does not usually grant annulments if there are children involved. However, this can also be a bad thing because it causes the children to go through their lives with parents who do not want to be together.When it comes to the topic of marriage and divorce, it is important for young adults to understand the severity of becoming married. They must be well informed of the consequences a young marriage can cause. They must also be aware of the rules of divorce. Most young marriages end within the first 10 years. This can be prevented if young adults act responsibly. (Sarah)
References:
1)Heft, Jim S.M. "Update Your Faith." What Does It Mean to Be Catholic? Google, 2011. Web. 3 Jan. 2011. <http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/YU/ay1288.asp>-first reference.
2)Frazier O'Brien, Nancy. "American Catholic." Stem-cell Research and the Catholic Church. Google, 2011. Web. 3 Jan. 2011. <http://www.americancatholic.org/news/stemcell/>.-second one
^ali
3)Coppens, Charles. "Abortion." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 6 Jan. 2011 h0ttp://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01046b.htm.
4) The Alan Guttmacher Institute. "Abortion Statistics-US." 28 July 2005. Web. 06 Jan. 2011. http://www.mnstate.edu/gracyk/courses/phil%20115/Stats_on_abortion.htm.
5) WorldBook Online. Web. http://www.worldbookonline.com/advanced/article?id=ar161640&st=divorce.
6)"YouTube - Catholic Divorce and Remarriage." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 02 Jan. 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soMpVwMk7bI.