The Fifth Commandment is more than You Think.

The Fifth Commandment, which states "Thou Shall Not Kill," has more than one meaning. You probably think of murder or violence when you hear "kill" right? That's what I did, until I took a deeper look into the meaning of this very important Commandment. It goes above and beyond the common interpretation. 3 examples of actions that fall under the "Thou Shall Not Kill" Commandment include abortion, substance abuse and human cloning. All 3 of these topics will surely have you thinking about the true meaning of the Fifth Commandment.

Abortion is one of the most important and serious sins against the Fifth Commandment. As stated on http://www.catholic.com/tracts/abortion  “The Catholic Church has always condemned  abortion as a grave evil. Christian writers from the first-century author of the Didache to Pope John Paul II in his encyclical Evangelium Vitae (“The Gospel of Life”) have maintained that the Bible forbids abortion, just as it forbids murder.” Abortion can easily be seen as a form of murder, as it is a grave sin. The only problem is that it is a sin not recognized by many due to the popularity and commonness of it. Being a teenager, I can relate to abortions as it is found a top choice to turn to in teen pregnancies. Not saying I have or ever will have an abortion, but seeing girls around my age going through with killing their unborn baby is just heartbreaking. According to my Catholic Morality textbook, "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." How could you not agree with that? God has a plan for every one of us, we are his creations. Taking that away due to some circumstances just doesn't seem like it could every be okay. Right?

Anti-Abortion ads like this one are quite common.

The Fifth Commandment strongly urges prudence and moderation regarding the intake of alcoholic beverages and other substances. The results from substance abuse, such as intoxication and inebriation violates human dignity. It might not seem like it should be consider "killing," but it is. Slowing and surely, you are killing your body physically, as well as you and your close loved ones emotionally and mentally. I have had personal experiences with family members and substance abuse, and it hurts to think that somebody would want to do that to themselves, even if they didn't mean to. There's a fine line between substance use and substance abuse.Learn it before its too late. 

All human cloning is gravely sinful and contrary to the moral law because it opposes the dignity of both the conjugal union between husband and wife and human procreation. It is believe that life deserves the highest respect and dignity from conception to natural death. If one clones, they are replacing God's natural ceration with science.It reduces human beings to objects that can be manufactured and manipulated according to what is wanted rather than unique and irreplaceable creations of God, each possessing his or her own integrity and identity. Human cloning is just another way of doubting God's ability to create something, no someone special and unique in his own image and likeness. When it is put like that, doesn't it sound wrong? Cause it is. Leave it up to God. He knows what he's doing, he's been doing it for a while now. 

Human life is supposed to be something special
created by God, not by science.