Various scholars' perspectives on biblical principles
Various scholars have come up with various references to biblical principles from different backgrounds. Some of them have preferred to examine developments across the world and only make a few comparisons to the Bible based on their places of concern, while others choose to do an in-depth study of the Bible's teachings. One such biblical dictation discussed by many scholars is the fifth commandment, 'Do not destroy.' This paper analyzes the methods used by some scholars in their main papers, including the opinion of the Catholic News Service and the opinions of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in discussing this command.Consequently, the paper offers an opinion which is anchored on the key areas that are evident in these articles.
Summary of the opinion piece
On 9th April Christians in Egypt were attacked as they celebrated the Palm Sunday in their churches. The attacks were orchestrated by the Muslims, who make up ninety percent of the total Egyptian population. This unfortunate incident took place at a time when the Pope is scheduled to pay a visit to the nation where he will have talks with the interreligious leaders and the government authorities as well. However, despite this heinous attack, the Pope will not postpone his visit. The Catholic News Service gives several reasons why the Pope's visit to Egypt is important at this time. To start with, the Pope will use the visit as an opportunity to condone with the grieving families (Catholic News Service, 2017). According to the Catholic News Service, this will also be the best moment for the Pope to take a message of peace to all the Egyptians. Finally, this will be the best moment for the Pope to ask all the Egyptians to embrace love and shun any acts of violence.
Comparison with the Catechism of the Catholic Church
Both the Catholic News Service and the Catechism of the Catholic Church agree that the human life should be treated with dignity and, hence, it is illegal for one to commit murder. The Bible dictates that blood is a sacred sign for life and, hence, no one should shed it under whichever circumstances (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n.d.). Therefore, the two articles (the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the opinion piece) acknowledge that the deliberate murder of innocent people shows that the murder has no respect for human life.
Nonetheless, there exists a difference between the opinion piece and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which is exhibited in the call for self-defense. The Catechism of the Catholic Church points out that societal members have a right to legitimate defense once they are attacked while the opinion piece overlooks self-defense and instead note that people can only live in peace if they shun evil and learn to treat each other with love.
My Opinion
Human life is sacred and cannot be equated to anything on earth and, thus, it should not be terminated by anyone. The Bible - in Exodus 20 verse 13 - dictates that 'You shall not murder' (Yonder, 1980), which implies that no person has any authority of bringing their life (or that of any other person) to an end. Therefore, all the terrorist activities taking place globally, which have led to the loss of many lives, are wrong and ought to be stopped (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2017). The Christian teachings also encourage people from all over the globe to avoid conflicts at all costs since they might lead to far-reaching consequences. In addition, nations should come up with favorable means of addressing any issue that may threaten the peaceful co-existence of the societal members amicably. By doing so, conflicts will be avoided, which implies that the loss of lives due to dissension will come to an end.
Conclusion
As illustrated through this paper, various scholars address the Biblical doctrines from varying perspectives though their major objective is to an emphasis on the essence of such teachings. Just like the Bible, which dictates that anyone should not terminate human life, the opinion piece summarized above condemns the attack on Christians in Egypt and argues that peoples should learn to live in peace and, thus avoid such heinous acts. On the other hand, the Catechism of the Catholic Church seconds the opinion piece by pointing out that the human life is sacred and, hence, should always be safeguarded.
References
- Catholic News Service. (2017). Egypt bombing won't stop Pope's visit for peace, says Vatican. Catholic Herald.
- Saint Charles Borromeo Parish. (n.d.). Catechism of the Catholic Church. Mississippi, USA.
- United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2017). Life and dignity of the human person. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
- Yoder, J. H. (1980). Exodus 20: 13—"Thou Shalt Not Kill.". Union Seminary Review, 034(4), 394-399.
