Dignity Essay

Dignity Essay

Eileen McGough

Rivier University

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB, 2005) Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching and Fr. Michael Himes Fenway video (2012) have both challenges and promising impacts. One major challenge that comes to mind is most people do not take the time to think about dignity. We have become a selfish society where we are focused internally and not on others.  A promising and hopeful impact from both sources is that if more people read the USCCB teachings or watch Fr. Himes video then society can learn to expand their view and think about others and in turn become more human.

The USCCB (2005) tell us that a person’s dignity does not come from their work but from the person within. A major theme is that every life is sacred and the life and dignity of everyone is something to be respected.  All of us should strive to work against things like subhuman living conditions and slavery since they insult human dignity. These indignities poison society and divide rather than unify us.  

Fr. Himes (2012) first reminds us that we have something in common with God; we’re both human. He states the core principle of Catholic education which is anything that helps us to become more human makes us more like God. He encourages us to not think of education solely in how it will benefit us. All of us need to think about how we can impact others which is the true measure of success.  

The US Catholic Bishops (USCCB, 2005) teachings and Fr. Himes (2012) video encourage people to take the time to think about dignity in a deep and meaningful way and not as a passing thought. They both illustrate the promising impact of expanding our view and focusing on others which makes us more human and brings us closer to God. Reading the Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching and watching Fr. Himes video should give us hope. A lot of things are wrong in the world but if we take the time to focus on others and give ourselves away than we can make it better.