Catholics Themes (part 2)

Rights and Responsibilities

Every human has rights and responsibilities such as a right to life and the things required for human decency, such as:

•   Food
• Shelter
• Clothing 
• Employment
• Health care
• Education

And responsibilities to:

• One another
• Our families

·        The larger society

Human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved if human rights and responsibilities were protected.

Role of Government

The role of the government is to promote human dignity, protect human rights and build the common good. Also all people people have a responsibility and right to participate in political institutions so that the government can achieve its proper goals.

Questions

1.    What are every humans fundamental rights?
Every human has a right to food, shelter, clothing, education, health care and employment.

2.    What is the role of the government in maintaining human rights?
The government’s role is to protect human rights, promote human dignity and build the common good. They should make sure everyone in their state has rights.

3.    Who is responsible for assisting the government to achieve its goals?
The community and larger social society.

Economic Justice

All workers have the right to:

• Decent and fair wages
• Safe working conditions

The economy must serve people, not the other way around.

Stewardship of God’s Creation

How we treat the environment is a measure of our stewardship and a sign of our respect. ‘The goods of the Earth are our gifts from god...we have responsibility to take care of those goods as stewards and trustees.’

Questions

1.    What are the rights of the worker?
Every worker has rights to safe working conditions and decent and fair wages.

2.    What is a union?
“an organization of employees formed to bargain with the employer”

3.      What should peoples economic limitations be?
No one should have excessive amounts of money whilst others only have enough for basic needs.

4.    Who are god’s gifts intended for?
They are intended for everyone; to be shared.

5.    What is meant in this context by: Social Mortgage, Steward and Trustee?
Social Mortgage, guides our use of the World’s goods. We need to be good stewards and trustees , not consumers and users of the land and it’s goods.

6.    What is one measure of our stewardship?
How we care for the land and ‘god’s gifts.’

Promotion of Peace and Disarmament

Peace connects with justice and both are needed to keep order among human beings.

“peace is not just the absence of war. It involves mutual respet and confidence between peoples and nations.”  In the words of Pope John Paul II

Participation

It is wrong for a person or group to be excluded unfairly or to be unable to participate in society. All people have the right to be included in the economic, political and cultural life of society.

Global Solidarity and Development

We as humans are one big family, we have responsibilities to eachother which we must keep no matter what national, racial, economical and ideological differences there are. We must avoid underdevelopment and "superdevelopment.” We must also respect and promote economic, social, personal and political rights of people and nations.

Questions

1.    What are the catholic teaching regarding the requirement to maintaining peace?
Catholic teaching promotes peace as a positive, action- oriented concept.

2.    Why is it wrong to exclude people from participating in society?
No one should be excluded from society as all people have the right to participate in the economic, political and cultural life in society.

3.    What are global responsibilities to each other?
We as a community have the responsibility to respect each other’s rights and opinions.