Summary
"Man is called to a fullness of life which far exceeds the dimensions of his earthly existence, because it consists in sharing the very life of God."
Beginning with an overview of threats to human life both past and present, the encyclical gives a brief history of the many Biblical prohibitions against killing. The encyclical then addresses specific actions in light of these passages, including abortion (quoting Tertullian, who called abortion "anticipated murder to prevent someone from being born"), and euthanasia (which John Paul II calls "a disturbing perversion of mercy"). The encyclical also condemns the use of the death penalty in the world today, since the only potentially acceptable use of the death penalty (according to John Paul II and the magisterium) is when it would not otherwise be possible to defend society, a situation that--according to the encyclical--is rare if not non-existent today (ยง 56).
The encyclical then addresses social and ecological factors, stressing the importance of a society which is built around the family rather than a wish to improve efficiency, and emphasizing the duty to care for the poor and the sick.
The encyclical also deals with the proper uses of sex and the implementation of knowledge on adolescent teens of these behaviors.
Read more about this topic: Evangelium Vitae
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