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The Gospel of Life: Evangelium Vitae

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The ideas, the laws in favor of abortion and euthenasia are examined briefly but intently in this small book. People of all religions and of no religion will learn views of life that are important to recall. All human beings of whatever health are shown to be important for all of us. People who have disabilities, even severe disabilities are shown to give to us all; the book shows us this concept that we have either forgotten or rejected. The concept of Evil is discussed and I believe that even the non-religious can find it hard to reject as simply an "outdate idea that we 'know' isn't real" after reading these pages. This book is written in for all people, in a style that caused me to re-read parts, not because I didn't understand it after the first time but because of the richness and wisedom I read the first time.

It's difficult to believe that this monumental encyclical has only had one reviewer! This is a life changing & culture changing masterpiece from the late Pope John Paul II.

The most complete summary of the main essence of the Gospel ever written - an appeal for a culture of life. It appeals to people of all religions and those that value reason and truth. To think of this book as only a Catholic Encyclical written in 1995 is far too narrow - it speaks to all people of all cultures from a universal perspective. It is a compelling argument that no living man or women will not want to read. John Paul II summarizes 2000+ years of teaching and makes it fully understandable for all who seek the truth. I challenge anyone to argue against the well structured positions that it demands we understand. If President Barak Obama believed questions answered in this Encyclical are beyond his pay grade - we should be so thankful that Pope John Paul gives to all such a gift freely.

Throughout his long tenure as the Supreme Pontiff, Pope John Paul II has been a tireless defender and advocate of the downtrodden, oppressed, and mistreated. This has especially been the case when it comes to the most severe form of oppression, the one where human beings are deprived even of life. In "The Gospel of Life" ("Evangelium vitae") John Paul II aims to give a coherent, assertive, and uncompromising account of the sacredness and inviolability of human life.

This is one of the most significant encyclicals of John Paul's pontificate. It builds on many of his other teachings, previous encyclicals, and "Of Human Life"("Humanae vitae") of Pope Paul VI. It spells out clearly what the Church has always proclaimed regarding the sanctity of the human life. It builds on the sacred Tradition, and gives numerous scriptural references that bolster its case. In particular, the encyclical makes a very strong case that at the heart of the Gospel proclamation is in fact the call for the fuller and more dignified life.

Today the human life is as precarious as it has been at any point in history. It is particularly sad to see it under the attack at its most vulnerable - in mother's womb and in the frailty of the old age. This is that much more outrageous when we know that the threats to the life at those stages are the most prominent in many of the highly developed countries. In many social circles life has become commoditized, and this attitude gives rise to what is rightly termed "the culture of death."

Many people who resort to evils of abortion and euthanasia do so out of weakness or fear, and do so under the duress of physical or psychological suffering. The Church fully empathizes with the personal struggles that those people are going through, but it can never condone intrinsically evil actions. This is something well worth emphasizing and reiterating.

The writing in this encyclical is thoughtful and far-reaching. This is a very well thought out extended argument for the sanctity of human life, and anyone who has an interest in such topic would greatly benefit from reading this encyclical. It is certainly destined to become a classic of Catholic thought.

This is an encyclical that focuses especially on abotrion and euthanasia from a biblical perspective. i find it to be intereting.