On Dignity

Abortion, racism, discrimination, a lack of rights for illegal immigrants, torture, prostitution, unlawful detention, rape, child abuse - all these things concern the welfare of society. And atleast one antidote for them is simple: dignity.

This word isn't found much in scripture, depending on the translation you read you may or may not find it at all. But in Catholicism we've developed quite a bit of tradition and teaching centered on dignity. In the online catechism I did a search for dignity and found many references, including these:

The dignity of the human person is rooted in his creation in the image and
likeness of God...

The dignity of the human person implies and requires uprightness of moral conscience...

The dignity of the human person requires the pursuit of the common good...

The equal dignity of human persons requires the effort to reduce excessive social and economic inequalities...

It is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly...

In economic matters, respect for human dignity requires the practice of the virtue
of temperance, so as to moderate attachment to this world's goods; the practice
of the virtue of justice, to preserve our neighbor's rights and render him what
is his due; and the practice of solidarity...

The human body shares in the dignity of "the image of God": it is a human body precisely because it is animated by a spiritual soul...

The equality of men rests essentially on their dignity as persons and the rights that flow from it...

Social justice can be obtained only in respecting the transcendent dignity of man.
[Men's and women's] equal dignity as persons demands that we strive for fairer and more humane conditions...

Respect for the human person entails respect for the rights that flow from his dignity as a creature...

Abortion, racism, discrimination, a lack of rights for illegal immigrants, torture, prostitution, unlawful detention, rape, child abuse - all these things, in my opinion, are violations of a person's dignity. I'm sure others could add to this list too, but the point I want to make is that we are called to honor the dignity in others. It's an inseparable part of being a Christian - it's 'love your neighbor' put into action.

When a violation of dignity touches one of our buttons, it can be all too tempting to fire back in an undignified way. This can be seen on both sides of the issue of abortion. And sometimes we can be tempted to violate a person's dignity to justify another cause - immigrants' rights, torture and detention come to mind. Two wrongs don't make a right, but it sure can make you feel better for a while.

Recognizing that the 'dignity of the human person is rooted in his creation in the image and likeness of God' may require that we put a higher value on other people's dignity than on our own emotional comfort. Honoring a person's dignity is honoring God.