Human Dignity in the

Story of Creation
Lesson 1: Human Dignity in the Story of Creation
a. Human beings as the crowning glory of God’s creation
b. Human beings as stewards of God’s creation
c. Human beings and the talks on gender and sexuality

recall Thy1 Unit 1 lesson on Human Dignity

News article analysis
Genesis 1:26-27

Then God said: "Let us make man

in our image, after our likeness.
Let them have dominion over the
fish of the sea, the birds of the air,
and the cattle, and over all the
wild animals and all the creatures
that crawl on the ground." God
created man in his image; in the
divine image he created him; male
and female he created them.
"God created man in his own image, in the
image of God he created him; male and
female he created them" (Gn 1: 27). This
statement is the basis of Christian
anthropology, because it identifies the
foundation of man's dignity as a person in
his creation "in the likeness" of God. At the
same time, the passage clearly says that
neither man nor woman separately are the
image of the Creator, but man and woman
in their reciprocity. Both are equally God's
masterpiece.
- St. John Paul II in his General Audience
1999
Image of God (imago dei)

a. The divine image is present in every man.

b. Endowed with "a spiritual and immortal" soul,
c. Intellect (knowledge) and
d. Freewill (freedom)

CCC 1702-1711
Freedom and Responsibility

God created man a rational being, conferring on him the dignity of a

person who can initiate and control his own actions.
- CCC 1730

... but the exercise of freedom does not entail the putative right to
say or do anything.
- CCC 1747
"The State values the dignity of every human person and
guarantees full respect for human rights."
- Philippine Constitution, Article 2 Section 11
Lesson 1: Human Dignity in the Story of Creation
a. Human beings as the crowning glory of God’s creation
b. Human beings as stewards of God’s creation
c. Human beings and the talks on gender and
sexuality
Being an image of God also implies our responsibility to
His creation (Stewardship)

"In our day, there is a growing awareness that world peace

is threatened not only by the arms race, regional conflicts
and continued injustices among peoples and nations, but
also by a lack of due respect for nature, by the plundering of
natural resources and by a progressive decline in the quality
of life."
- St John Paul II during the Celebration of World Peace
January 1, 1990
Lesson 1: Human Dignity in the Story of Creation
a. Human beings as the crowning glory of God’s creation
b. Human beings as stewards of God’s creation
c. Human beings and the talks on gender and
sexuality
Genesis 2:22-23
The Lord God then built the rib that he had taken from the
man into a woman. When he brought her to the man, the
man said: “This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh
of my flesh; This one shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of
man this one has been taken.”
CCC 371
... man discovers woman as another "I", sharing the same
humanity.
What are the views of the Church on Homosexuality?
CBCP’s Pastoral Moral Guidance on the Anti-Discrimination Bill,
March 3, 2015

... to call on all pastors throughout the country to be as solicitous

of the pastoral welfare of all our brothers and sisters regardless of
sexual orientation and gender identity.
... In Catholic institutions, there should be zero-tolerance for the
bullying and badgering of persons in such personal situations.
... If “gay rights” movements, for instance, encourage free and
unbridled sexual relations between persons of the same sex, the
Church cannot lend its support, for in its view, they ultimately do a
disservice to our brothers and sisters. What gay rights can
legitimately champion is justice for all, fairness that must extend
to all persons regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Homosexuality refers to relations between men or
between women who experience an exclusive or
predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the
same sex...homosexual acts are intrinsically
disordered - CCC 2357
They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and
sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their
regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill
God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to
the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may
encounter from their condition.
- CCC 2358

Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the

virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at
times by the support of disinterested friendship, by
prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should
gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.
- CCC 2359
In demographic perspective,
same sex marriage,
abortions, divorce and
capitalistic tendencies can
pose significant problems to
countries' population. In
fact some nations have
problems with their low
birth rates affecting their
economy and pensions for
their senior citizens such as
European countries, Japan,
China, etc.
China will enter an “era of negative population growth,” warning that by
2065 numbers will return to the levels of the mid-1990s. Fewer people
means less domestic consumption, and thus rapidly slowing economic
growth. The ratio of young to old will be dramatically imbalanced by
the rising ranks of the elderly.

Propaganda now exhorts couples to “have children for the country.”

Women are vigorously discouraged to delay marriage for career, with
the derisive label shengnu, or “leftover women,” given to unmarried
women over 27. Abortions, once widely available, are beginning to be
controlled.

Registrations for marriage in China have declined annually since 2013;

the number of divorces has climbed every year since 2006. A rising
section of China’s middle class no longer see marriage as the only
path to security, and are choosing to forgo a traditional family life and
prioritize careers. “Marriage and children are becoming less
significant in young people’s lives.”
... a proposal by two Nanjing University professors to have adults
with fewer than two children pay into a “procreation fund” to
subsidize larger families.

Beijing now permits parents to have two children from 2016.

In South Korea, the birth rate dropped to a record peacetime low of

0.95 births per woman last year (2.1 births are required to maintain
a population), as economic growth slowed.

Japan’s current population of 127 million will shrink to 83 million by

2100, according to U.N. data, when over a third of its population will be
over 65. Already, more adult diapers are sold in Japan than infant ones.
Thus, the Church teachings on sexuality, marriage and
family promotes a concept of human dignity grounded on
the very principle ordered by God for the benefit of the
society.
Conclusion:

Lesson 1: Human Dignity in the Story of Creation

a. Human beings as the crowning glory of God’s creation
b. Human beings as stewards of God’s creation
c. Human beings and the talks on gender and sexuality