1. Chapter 5

3. Objectives Human rights and Human Responsibility
Characteristics of Basic Human Rights
Religious Freedom

4. Transition/Summary
One has God given rights, but one also has responsibilities toward society.
True rights do not come from a consensus or from society.
Rights are bestowed by God and are written into the natural law – they are universal, inviolable, inalienable

5. Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth)
Encyclical by Pope St. John XXIII
Enumerated basic human rights:
Right or Life
Moral and Cultural Rights
Right to Worship God
Right to Choose Freely One’s State of Life
Economic Rights
Right of Meeting and Association
Right to Emigrate and Immigrate
Political Rights

6. From the Catechism of the Catholic Church
“Respect for the human person entails respect for the rights that flow from his dignity as a creature. These rights are prior to society and must be recognized by it. They are the basis of the moral legitimacy of every authority: by flouting them, or refusing to recognize them in its positive legislation, a society undermines its own moral legitimacy. If it does not respect them, authority can rely only on force or violence to obtain obedience from its subjects. It is the Church's role to remind men of good will of these rights and to distinguish them from unwarranted or false claims.”

7. Basic Human Rights

8. Rights and Responsibilities: Student Handbook
Make a list of 5 rights and responsibilities you can find in the Student Handbook
Are they fair to the students?
Do they promote Christian values?
Should students be given more responsibilities and more rights?

9. Basic Human Rights

10. Objectives Define Civil Society
Nature of and rationale for the principle of subsidiarity
Provide accurate examples of the principle of subsidiarity

11. Responsibilities and Civil Society
Civil society – the sum of relationships and resources, cultural and associative, that are relatively independent from the political sphere and economic sector
Principle of subsidiarity – when a group that is far removed from the human person is in charge of meeting his needs, it can mean that his rights are denied. Larger group should stay out of the way of effective smaller groups.
Smaller groups are more effective in meeting the needs of individuals
Larger groups can step in when human rights are being denied

12. Subsidiarity The moral principle that large organizations or
governments should not interfere with or take over responsibilities
that can be administered by individuals and local organizations, but rather should support them, always with a focus on the common good.
Responsibilities in Civil Society

13. Eyes on the Prize – James Meridith
Eyes on the Prize – Fighting Back

14. Responsibilities in Civil Society

15. Responsibilities in Civil Society

16. Objectives
The goal of the government is the growth and the development of the human person
Responsibilities of the government
Legitimate and illegitimate authority

17. The Government and Human Rights

18. Transition/Summary
The goal of the government is the growth and development of the human person; it first priority is to protect the God-given human rights
Guaranteeing conditions that allow for justice and fairness, rooting out discrimination, guaranteeing the right to life, and climate that promotes the common good.
Individuals have responsibilities to civil society – to participate in creating a just and loving society and to respect those who have legitimate authority
Legitimate authority is necessary for the proper functioning of civil society because it seeks the common good.
Legitimate Authority are: guided by the moral law; recognize, respect, and promote essential human and moral values; enact just laws
A person is only bound to obey authority that follows moral law

19. The Government and Human Rights
An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law.
Letter from Birmingham Jail August, 1963
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Government and Human Rights

20. The Government and Human Rights

21. I die the King's good servant, but God's first.
The last words of St. Thomas More
July 6, 1535
The Government and Human Rights

22. Understanding the Meaning of the Law (pg. 148)

23. Pope St. John Paul II
“Every generation of Americans needs to know that freedom consists not in doing what we like, but having the right to do what we ought”

24. Objectives Church, political society, and government
Aspects of a democratic government that ideally serve the human person and the common good
Characteristics of totalitarianism that most often reject human dignity and common good
Corruption that can threaten governments

25. Summary
The primary duty of the Church is to meet the spiritual needs of the people; government’s primary responsibility is to manage temporal affairs.
The Church does not necessarily endorse a particular form of government, however the Church does propose that governments with democratic elements are best suited for human dignity.
The Church and recent popes have spoken about corruption in governments, totalitarianism, and relativism.

26. Catholic Understanding of Government

27. There’s no such thing as truth!
Relativism
There’s no such thing as truth!
Catholic Understanding of Government

28. Objectives
Define Conscience; why must it be correctly formed, and clarify misconceptions.
Explain conscientious objection and list the criteria for just resistance to authority.
Participation in the political society as Catholics.

29. Politics and Conscience

30. Politics and Conscience

31. Politics and Conscience
Significant issues to consider in a candidate’s position:
Conscience protection for individuals as well as religious institutions to serve the public in accord with religious values
Social and economic policies that support jobs with good working conditions and just wages
Comprehensive immigration reform and support of refugee resettlement for unaccompanied children
The definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman
Opposition to legalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide
Respect for life includes rejection of violence and death penalty
Affordable health care for low and moderate income individuals & families
Support for policies to protect vulnerable persons; prisoner rehabilitation and re–entry programs
Support of “child benefit” as principle for participation in education programs of their children
Opposition to abortion also includes support for mothers and children during pregnancy and infancy
Stewardship and care of the earth for this and future generations
Politics and Conscience

32. Unjust Authority
Catholics are not obliged to follow an unjust rule or authority – known as conscientious objection.
When it becomes necessary, peaceful means should be pursued first
Armed resistance is permissible under specific and strict circumstances (see page 157)