The Fifth Commandment "You Shall Not Kill"

The Fifth Commandment reflects the exalted dignity of human life from conception to natural death. Man is a unique being that carries within himself a spark of divine life.The admonition "You shall not kill" is synonymous with "murder" or the deliberate and immoral taking of "human" life. The main trust of the Fifth Commandment is the absolute duty to respect, defend, and protect human life. The commandment "You shall not kill" essentially means that killing an innocent person is a flagrant violation of natural law and, therefore, a most grievous sin.

 Because of the innate sacredness of every human person, violations against human dignity go far beyond murder and violence resulting in physical injury inflicted upon another anger, hatred, omissions in service, racism, and failures to treat an enemy or oppressor with love.
The rich teachings contained in the 25th chapter of St. Matthew’s Gospel and in particular the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats amply illustrates the sin of failing to serve others. Those persons who were sent to eternal punishment had sinned not by commission, but by omission. They had failed to help the people that need their assistance. They did not feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the imprisoned, free the captive, or instruct the ignorant. Therefore, omissions in service is a kind of killing. Since the Fifth Commandment said "You shall not kill," omissions in service violates the Fifth Commandment. To provide these basic necessities to fellow human persons who do not have them is to recognize Christ in the faces of the poor; conversely, failure to provide these basic necessities is a failure to serve Christ.

The unborn child developing in his or her mother's womb is the most innocent and defenseless of all human persons. It is at the very moment of conception that a new human person, made in the image and likeness of God, comes into existence. There is no basis in truth, scientifically or morally, to claim that the embryo or fetus is not a person for the same reason that he or she has not yet reached full development. From a strictly biological perspective, the fertilized egg in the womb is a completely new organism with its unique genetic code, the blueprint of a fully developed person. Therefore, abortion is the way of killing others. All of us must to realize that which had conceived in women's womb can never be considered as a "something," but a "someone." The Magisterium of the Church has consistently proclaimed the grievously sinful nature of abortion throughout its history. The Fathers of the Church condemned this frequent practice in the ancient Greco-Roman world. One such condemnation is found in the Didache, a first-century Christian text which told Christians:"You shall not procure abortion. You shall not destroy a newborn child." For this reason, abortion violates the Fifth Commandment "You shall not kill."

The dignity of the human person and therefore the right to life remains, as the saying goes, from "womb to tomb." The value of our lives as human beings is determined not by our fame, skills, wealth, or accomplishments, but by the simple fact that we are children of God who were created in his image. Euthanasia involves the decision by doctors, family members, or public officials to end the life of a person who has been given little or no chance of recovery and is thought to have a poor quality of life. The word euthanasia itself comes from the Greek euthanatos, which means “a good or sweet death.” Even though euthanasia is called "mercy killing," euthanasia is also a kind of killing. The Fifth Commandment said "You shall not kill." Euthanasia is opposite to the Fifth Commandment.