HUMAN DIGNITY:THE CORNERSTONE OF CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING

By Steven JohnstonAnd Justin Bradshaw

CST Definition of Human Dignity The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is

sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. Our belief in the sanctity of human life and the inherent dignity of the human person is the foundation of all the principles of our social teaching. In our society, human life is being threatened by increasing use of the death penalty. We believe that every person is precious, that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.

Layman’s Terms Essentially, the dignity of the human person is an

inherent gift from God. At birth, we are given this dignity and, if society is governed and ran the way it is supposed to, then our dignity will be uplifted throughout our lives. Some of the destroyers of dignity are racism, euthanasia, abortion, and capitol punishment. Considering that human dignity is the center of all of the other pillars of Catholic Social Teaching, it is proclaimed that we must work towards recognizing human dignity within all peoples first and foremost. Human dignity is worldwide, it does not discriminate, and it is forever.

Human Dignity in the World We are all one human family,

regardless of race, religion, or nationality. Therefore it is EVERYONE’s responsibility to take care of EVERYBODY.

Therefore we must face the obvious offenses worldwide that are against Human Dignity such as starvation, child labor, unfair working conditions, exploitation, human trafficking, and many others, and act against them.

We must strive to make a world where nobody must face degrading conditions and where everybody has the opportunity to live healthy, fulfilling lives.

Human Dignity in the US The greatest offenses against

Human Dignity occur right here in the land of the “free” and home of the “brave”.

Here in this country, abortion, capital punishment, which are essentially murder, are legal and often practiced.

Additionally, we have poverty that is sometimes as bad as that of 3rd world countries.

It is our responsibility to take action against these offenses and truly make this country “The Land of Opportunity” for all people, born or unborn.

Human Dignity in Everyday Life

While we focus on the major offenses against Human Dignity like poverty and abortion we often forget the offenses that happen in our everyday lives.

We often overlook bullying, ridicule, cheating, gossiping, all of which deny the right of all people to live happy fulfilling lives.

Bullying especially causes not only physical harm but emotional and psychological harm, often leading to severe actions by the victim, and in the worst case, suicide.

Therefore, it is our responsibility to take notice of these offenses in our lives, and take action against it.

Voices of Human Dignity Freedom is the open window

through which pours the sunlight of the human spirit and human dignity. Herbert Hoover, 31st President

Homophobia is like racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry in that it seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, to deny their humanity, their dignity and personhood. Coretta Scott King

Voices of Human Dignity It comes down to the way you treat

people. When you treat people with dignity and respect all the time, you can work through anything. John Bacon

“The inalienable dignity of every human being and the rights which flow from that dignity - in the first place the right to life and the defense of life - are at the heart of the church's message." Pope John Paul II

The Good Book “So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27

The Epitome of CST ValuesName: Bernadette Rider O’NeillBorn: July 15, 1988High School: Cardinal Gibbons

HS• On scholarship for

exemplary Christian Service.

College: North Carolina University Wilmington (UNCW).

CST in the Family. Her parents strove to raise Bernadette as an activist with

life Consistent Life Ethic based upon Catholic Social Teaching. The Consistent Life Ethic is the basic belief that all life is

sacred and is to be honored from conception to natural death. Her parents have both spent time in jail for PEACEFUL

civil disobedience. Her parents started a Catholic Worker House, which

Bernadette grew up a part of. Her parents often took in people in crisis, and allowed

them to stay in their home. Her parents based this practice on Matthew 25 which contains

teachings of service. This upbringing set the stage for her future work for

Human Dignity.

CST during Childhood As mentioned before, Bernadette O’Neill,

grew up working in the Catholic Worker House that her parents started.

• While in middle school, she started various CST clubs such as “United for Peace” club, which put on events like Death Penalty Awareness Night.

CST in High School Because she was (and is) stubborn and so committed

to Catholic Social Teaching, Bernadette (yes, the same woman who is teaching you today), committed civil disobedience and subsequently, spent a day in jail.

This occurred when she stood up for human dignity, and participated in a protest at a North Carolina airport, known to be supplying planes to fly suspected terrorists to foreign US prisons to be tortured for information.

She also participated in Franciscan Youth International, which was a group directed towards teens that participated in various CST related service projects.

CST in College In college, she was elected president of

the Amnesty International chapter at UNCW.

She served on the board of “People of Faith Against Death Penalty”.

She also served on the board of SURGE. Surge stands for “Students United for

Responsible Global Environment.”

Fighting for Human Dignity after College

After college Bernadette O’Neill joined the Jesuit Volunteer Core (JVC) here in Atlanta. Values of JVC

Simple Living Community Spirituality Social Justice

In JVC, she ran an after school program at “Aprender y Crecer” [To Learn and to Grow], a school comprised mostly of Mexican Immigrants.

Continuing Fight for Human Dignity Bernadette Rider O’Neill is now a teacher

at Our Lady of Mercy where she teaches Spanish and Christian Service Outreach, helping to spread the values of Catholic Social Teaching to the minds of the next generation.

Quote• “ I try to keep the poor at the center of my

mind when I make my decisions, and I try to live in a way that’s conscious of how my actions affect the rest of the world.”

Bernadette Rider O’Neill

Overview The reason we chose Ms. O’Neill as our example

for CST values specifically human dignity is because she is just like everyone of us, yet she’s accomplished so much in only 23 years of life.

She is not some big name in Social Justice like MLK or Mother Teresa, but rather she is an example of what ordinary people like us can accomplish for the cause of Human Dignity.

If she can accomplish all of what she’s done in 23 years, then there is no limit to what all of us can accomplish together.

Bibliography Hailer, Gretchen, and Pacatte, Rose. Media

Mindfulness: Educating Teens About Faith and Media. Minnesota: Christian Brothers Publications.

Brainy Quote. Bookrags Media Network. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/dignity.html

Bible Verses about Human Dignity. 2001 Publishing ministry of Good news publisher. http://www.openbible.info/topics/human_dignity

Pope John Paul II Quotes. Think Exist 1999-2011. http://thinkexist.com/quotation/the-inalienable-dignity-of-every-human-being-and/357358.html