The term culture of life is used to describe a vision for human relationships

where every human life is recognized as a sacred gift from God, and worthy of
protection and care from the moment of conception until the time of its natural end.
The Church is called to build a new culture of human life:
Founded upon the Gospel of Life, the "good news" that every human being is
created in the image and likeness of God, and intimately loved by God (The Gospel
of Life, n.2);
which values people for who they are, not for what they have, do and produce (The
Gospel of Life, n. 23); &
where human life is always defended and promoted, especially when it is weak or
threatened (The Gospel of Life, n.77).
The Pope developed the concept of the culture of life primarily to illuminate Catholic
teachings on abortion, euthanasia, and the death penalty. But he does so by looking
at the various ways in which a culture itself does not support life. He sees
opposition to life, for example, in that which mutilates individuals and assaults their
dignity, including subhuman living conditions, arbitrary imprisonment, deportation,
slavery, prostitution, the selling of women and children; as well as disgraceful
working conditions, where people are treated as mere instruments of gain rather
than as free and responsible persons. All these things, he concludes, poison human
society.
He defines a culture of death as one in which the only goal is the pursuit of ones
own material well-being, with quality of life interpreted primarily or exclusively as
economic efficiency, inordinate consumerism, physical beauty and pleasure, to the
neglect of the more profound dimensions of existence. The Pope in turn calls for
governments and various agencies to create economic, public health, and cultural
conditions that ensure greater opportunities and a fairer distribution of wealth.

Expanding on the above teaching, the Holy Father notes "knowledge of humanity passes
through masculinity and femininity." In other words, we can't understand ourselves
individually as men or women if we don't have each other. When the author of Genesis
says that "the Lord God then built up into a woman the rib that he had taken from the man,"
and "brought her to the man," he revealed God's critical intention--man was to have a
partner like himself in dignity but also different from him in every way--especially on
a physical level. And the author tells us that the man himself recognized this as a good
exclaiming "at last, this is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh!"
This sacred story not only supplies a clear anthropology, but it serves as the foundational
teaching on the marriage relationship as willed by God. This relationship between a man
and a woman is a tremendous blessing, as are the children God entrusts to them. Indeed,

throughout scripture the marital relationship is so sacred that the prophets often use it as an
analogy to explain God's relationship with His people
Abortion
God loves each human life from the instant of his or her conception and entrusts this gift to
the protection of a mother and father. Abortion ends the life of a child and offends God. It
also deeply wounds the men and women involved.

A Consistent Life Ethic

A consistent life ethic means being pro-life across the board: opposing
abortion, capital punishment, assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Fundamentally each and every human being is unique and important. No
person is defined by someone else's choices. No one exists as a means to
someone else's happiness, therefore all choices we make, as individuals
and as a society, must be weighed in light of their impact on human life
and dignity.
The right to life is an inalienable one, as life is sacred. If human life is
sacred, then it must be protected. Human life is not more sacred at one
point than another. People of one race or nation are not more sacred
than others. The lives of the rich are not more sacred than those of the
poor. All people have an equal right to life.
This must be reflected in our constitution, our attitudes, and our
practices in every field. It translates into a coherent social policy which
seeks to protect the rights of the weakest and most vulnerable in our
society, the unborn, the infirm, the refugee, the homeless, and the poor.

Defining Your Family's Values

Susie Duffy, M.F.T
A family is defined as a social unit consisting of parents and the children they
raise.
Value is defined as the quality or worth of a thing. To combine the words together yields
a definition of: a traditional set of social standards defined by the family and a history of
customs that provide the emotional and physical basis for raising a family. Our social
values are often times reinforced by our spiritual or religious beliefs and traditions. Do
you have traditional family values? How do you determine your family values?

The values a family develops are traditionally the foundation for how children
learn, grow and function in the world.
Your family values definition consists of ideas passed down from generation to
generation. It boils down to the philosophy of how you want to live your family
life. Three traditional basic tasks in life have been described as work, play and
love. There are many activities that fall under these categories that define our
values. All of them are important and it takes work to balance these tasks. However,
we often get caught up in work and other activities and neglect play and love. Often
times we work hard because we are invested in our career goals, material things and
financial rewards. Yet without a balanced life of incorporating play and having loving
relationships, our lives become stressful, overwhelming and unsatisfying. Traditionally
people define their values as stating that the family comes first, yet they find themselves
with very little time or energy left over for spending time with the family.
What does family time mean to you?
This may mean something different to each member of your family. How about a family
meeting to determine what your family values? Family meetings provide an opportunity
for all members to come together and share their thoughts, perspectives and their
lives. It is easy to get caught up in activities and schedules which leaves little time for
the family. A family meeting is an opportunity to prioritize the things your family values
and establish traditions. Schedule a family meeting at least once a week to determine
your family values.
Traditional family values that fall under the love task include all our
relationships.
Things such as how you view marriage and commitment, what role religion/spirituality
plays in your family, how emotionally available you are to others, your beliefs about
sharing responsibility, the common interests shared by your spouse and family,
shared activities and hobbies, how family time is spent, how family decisions are
made, common beliefs shared by you and your spouse regarding spirituality and
religion, how family traditions are established, and so on. These are good topics to
discuss at a family meeting to help determine how these things are valued. Often time
assumptions are made about what another family member believes or
values. Misunderstandings and miscommunications can happen because of these
assumptions.