Development of a Convergence Model for Social Communication of a Philippine Catholic Parish Church

Social communication is an essential church activity considering the flock's profile and the COVID-19 pandemic. The study determined the convergence and divergence of the parishioners in a Philippine Catholic Church Parish in the City of Dasmariñas, Cavite on Respect for Life, using content analysis and survey methods as bases for the development of a model for social communication. Results revealed that respondents were 31 years-old, female, married, college graduates, or attended college, with the parish for 16-30 years, Sunday Church-goers only, and not members of any Church-based organizations. Parishioners had converging conceptions about the "War on Drugs," extrajudicial killings, and the death penalty even when they could not join Church activities. Parishioners' compliance was acceptable with five convergence points: the sanctity of life, proper appropriation of justice, expression of gratitude for life, healthy living, and understanding the social context of the pronouncements. With this, a social communication model for the Parish Church was recommended, which other parishes may employ.

Suicide as a sin and mental illness: A dialogue between Christianity and psychology

Christian doctrine has by and large held that suicide is morally wrong, however in psychology, suicidal tendencies and suicidal ideations are a major health problem, and for every suicide, there are many more who attempt suicide every year. In this article, we seek to advance the knowledge on suicide by identifying particular psychological characteristics and Christian spiritual controversies. This research proceeds to a transversal interdisciplinary conversation where practical theology and psychology reflect their voices about suicide. A transversal interdisciplinary approach articulates that theology and science can share concerns, and converge on commonly identified issues like suicide, although they differ in discipline. We aim to create a dialogue between psychology and the Christian faith concerning suicide. Christianity has always viewed suicide as a sinful act, and anyone who commits suicide would go straight to hell. Even though there are no direct scripture texts on suicide being a sin, biblical texts are used to prove that it is. However, God’s Word makes clear the sanctity of life, thou shall not murder. According to psychology, suicide is a highly complex and multifaceted phenomenon, and amongst others it can be a result of mental illness. We attempt to balance the non-theological interpretation with the theological discipline. This research challenges the Christian ideology of suicide as a sin; this perspective remains a challenge among our fellow ministers. This study is relevant for both theology and psychology because both the disciplines deal with the well-being of people.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The contextual perspective challenged by this research is the understanding of suicide according to theological and psychological perspectives. This research is done using a literature review on suicide according to both Christianity and psychology.

Deconstruction of Discernment in Child Euthanasia

Belgian law on child euthanasia uses the concept of discernment to bestow the right to die to minors. Jacques Derrida’s deconstruction of oppositional logic grasps the ambiguity of this use of discernment and generally challenges the alleged force of a textual sign meaningfully to differentiate itself from its different and meaningless else. This alleged ability to discern the presence of discernment impinges the truth-value of the distinction between worthy/unworthy lives. The resulting undecidability morally suggests the respect for otherness and promotes the moral value of the suspension of arbitrary judgment (epokhē) and, in so doing, de facto converges towards the praxis of the doctrine of the sanctity of life that embraces the ‘life is always quality’ argument.

9. The end of life

This chapter deals with key legal and ethical issues surrounding end-of-life decisions, with particular reference to physician-assisted death, such as euthanasia. Suicide and assisted suicide, administration of pain relief, and futility are considered. Relevant legislation such as the Suicide Act 1961 (as amended by the Coroners and Justice Act 2009), the Human Rights Act 1998, and the Mental Capacity Act 2005 are discussed. The chapter examines several bioethical principles, including sanctity-of-life and quality-of-life debates; autonomy, beneficence, and medical paternalism; personhood, palliative care, and the double effect doctrine. Finally, it considers human rights issues, treatment requests, incompetent patients, prolonged disorders of consciousness, and locked-in syndrome. Recent cases are considered.

Saint Nicholai Velimirovich: Understanding of War and Peace

The author addresses two important issues in this paper. First, what is a man, and what makes a man great and globally-historically important? In the light of this issue, he writes about Saint Nicholai. The author asserts that the attributes of a great man are intellectual depth, the width of knowledge, the ability to reach God and ontological depths of the world, vails of time and historical human destiny through his action, creation, and writing. All men who are great deal with the issue of man, meaning of life, and inevitability of death. Great men dreamt of immortality in their own glorious ways. What is left behind these giants are permanent unsurpassed deeds and the power of ideas accepted in all ages. The author aims to highlight what makes a man great for his people and for humanity in total, and to what extent does St. Nicholai meet these strict and demanding conditions and criteria to be viewed as a great man; is he great for his people or even outside of these limits. In the second, main issue and part of the paper, the author examines the understanding of war and peace in Bishop Nicholai’s work War and the Bible. The focal point of the examination is the phenomenon of war and peace, and especially the perception of the Bishop’s biblical study of war and peace which differentiates his approach from many other approaches to the phenomenon of war. The theological perspective of the phenomenon of war and peace always implies that good and evil clash in war and peace, and that this conflict is planetary and omnipresent; some individuals are on the side of justness, providence, light, and sanctity of life, while others side with the dark line of life which signifies the rule of evil in our world. According to the author, war is God’s will, just as peace among men. Conflict and peace between nations, as well as spiritual harmony and dissonance in human souls, depend primarily on faith in the Lord. If one is in God’s grace victory is secure. We ought to be reminded of the Christian understanding that the support of all people to one man is futile if he stands against God — on the other hand, he fears nothing if the will of God is on his side, even if all people are against him. In his book, War and the Bible, Bishop Nicholai claims that even in modern times the Lord of Armies decides the victor of every war, just as it was in ancient times. He claims that in modern war, just like in old times, the sinfulness of nations and national leaders and deviation from God’s Laws inevitably brings defeat; in today’s wars, just like in ancient conflicts, justfulness of nations and their leaders brings victory. Bishop Nicholai’s key conclusion is that all wars, both ancient and modern, can only be understood and explained in a biblical light. He devoted his entire very valuable and useful work to this idea, over a hundred years ago.

»Sanctity of life« as a familiological issue in the statements of Pope Francis

The article presents a theological analysis of Pope Francis’ statements on the sanctity of life with reference to familiological issues. The aim of the research undertaken is to show the value of human life resulting from the relationship between the elements that create the created reality and with God. According to Francis, holiness is closeness to God and the ‘divine space’ in which all creation exists and functions. The sanctity of »life« is shown by the Pope in the following aspects: 1) theological – as an expression of the integration of creation with God, 2) social – as the principle of existence and relations, and 3) defensive – as an imperative to defend the life of every human being. The family is presented by the Pope as a sanctuary of life, a place of sanctifying love and a school of holiness. The conclusions resulting from the theological analysis of papal statements indicate the need for a ‘familiological turn’ encompassing the space of culture and civilization of the contemporary world. Such a turn is necessary for the good of the man for whom the family is the first social circle. The sanctity of life in the familiological area is the principle that defines the sacredness of the family and the determinant of intra-family relationships that develop love.

Lord Sumption and the values of life, liberty and security: before and since the COVID-19 outbreak

Lord Sumption, a former Justice of the Supreme Court, has been a prominent critic of coronavirus restrictions regulations in the UK. Since the start of the pandemic, he has consistently questioned both the policy aims and the regulatory methods of the Westminster government. He has also challenged rationales that hold that all lives are of equal value. In this paper, I explore and question Lord Sumption’s views on morality, politics and law, querying the coherence of his broad philosophy and his arguments regarding coronavirus regulations with his judicial decision in the assisted-dying case of R (Nicklinson) v Ministry of Justice. In Nicklinson, Lord Sumption argued for restrictions on liberty given the priority of the sanctity of life principle and the protection of others who may be vulnerable, as well as for deference to policy-making institutions in instances of values-based disagreement. The apparent inconsistencies in his positions, I argue, are not clearly reconcilable, and invite critical analysis of his impacts on health law and policy.

A Survey Study of Recent Works on Nasr’s Eco-Religious Thought and Approach (Satu Tinjauan Terhadap Karya-Karya Terbaru Tentang Pemikiran dan Pendekatan Eco-Agama Nasr)

The current paper presents a brief survey study on recent works on Nasr's eco-religious thought and approach. The paper aims to analyse these works critically to focus how and up to what level their discussions can match with Nasr's original understanding. The research methodology is basically literature review with textual analysis. In so doing, the article attempts to enrich the present discussion on Nasr's eco-religious vision. Keywords: Eco-philosophy, Eco-spirituality, Perennial philosophy, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Sacredness of Nature, Sanctity of life. Abstrak Sebahagian cendiakawan berminat mempelajari pemikiran tradisional Seyyed Hossein Nasr mengenai persekitaran. Karya-karya mereka membantu tersebarnya pemikiran eko-agama Nasr secara penghargaan dan juga kritikan. Artikel ini mengkaji karya-karya terbaru mereka mengenai pemikiran dan pendekatan eko-agama Nasr untuk melihat sejauh mana karya-karya ini dapat disesuaikan dengan pemikirannya yang sebenar. Kaedah yang digunakan adalah menerusi tinjauan kajian-kajian lepas dan analisis teks. Artikel ini menyumbang kepada kepelbagaian karya-karya yang sedia ada mengenai pemikiran eko-agama Nasr. Kata Kunci: Eco-filosofi, eco-spiritual, falsafah abadi, Sayed Hossein Nasr, rahsia alam, kesucian hidup.

2. Euthanasia and Freedom

This chapter examines whether the state should permit an individual to end their own life. Physician-assisted suicide is only one way in which a doctor can hasten an individual’s death. In fact there are three ways in which a doctor may act. First, they can be passive by allowing an individual to die. Second, they can assist an individual by enabling them to bring about their own death. Third, they can be active in hastening an individual’s death by administering life-ending medication. The chapter argues that a doctor should be permitted to assist an individual to end their own life, as well as to intervene to hasten their death. It supports this view by appealing to the value of freedom, specifically the freedom to choose how to live and die. The chapter then considers the worry that it is wrong for the state to allow a doctor to assist an individual to end their life, since this is an affront to the sanctity of life. It outlines some implications of this argument for the design of public policy.