Ignorance of value of life is the cause of rising killing

Every person, whether born or unborn, is made in the image and likeness of God. This means that every life is sacred and worthy of respect, no matter who they are and spheres in which they live. We are called to care for all human life because humanity has inherent dignity to be observed and esteemed.

Uganda has in recent days been experiencing bloodshed without clemency in Greater Masaka area and in the other parts of the country. Assailants in possession of machetes and clubs are determined to eliminate the lives of many Ugandans without genuine rationale apart from selfishness. The resolve and ruthless statements  such as; “Even though you have killed that one, we shall come back for you’’ through unanimous letters to residents indicate the readiness to take people’s lives wantonly. These are all reflections of some citizenry with little concern for value of human life.

Uganda is a prayerful nation. The life of a nation is told by the lives of its people. Uganda has a rich and diverse history and culture reflected in her music and film, especially the national anthem and within the rich entertainment framework. The national politics also reflects so much about who we are. Thus, national identity is empowered by the presence of life, its full meaning and purpose.

The employability, dignity, integrity, security and self-esteem of individuals typically hinges on their instructive education. And the limits of the culture within which they were educated are also the limits of the world within which they can breathe.  

A man’s education confers his identity on him and it starts within the family and then through the entire social fabricCritical to the success of both people and their nations are the ardent values they adopt. Humane values such as charity, justice, clemency, and compassion influence actions and subsequently help determine life’s outcomes, both on individual and national facets. 

This is a recipe for a democratic and decent nation. It is, therefore, difficult to maintain a democracy in a nation if the underlying values necessary to sustain it are defunct to life and its preservation.

All humanity is equal because of certain inalienable natural rights. These are God-given and can never be revoked. Among these fundamental natural rights are life and liberty. Therefore, the basic human law of nature is the preservation of mankind. In order to serve that purpose, individuals have both a right and duty to preserve their own lives. Killers, however, forfeit their right to life since they act outside the law of reason.

Man is called to a fullness of sacred life, which far exceeds the dimensions of his earthly existence. This is because it consists of sharing the very life of God. The loftiness of this supernatural vocation reveals the greatness and the inestimable value of human life even in the temporal phase. Life in time, in fact, is the fundamental condition, the initial stage and an integral part of the entire unified process of human existence. 

It is a process, which, unexpectedly and unreservedly, is enlightened and renewed by the gift of divine life, with full realisation of eternity, writes Pope John Paul II, now a saint.

In consolidation, each citizen makes the future of the country substantive. In my conviction, every citizen can do something useful for the development of Uganda regardless of sphere. Citizenry are agents of change, development and state identity. Genesis 9:6 warns all of us (bloodshed). 

The people behind these massacres, therefore, should be taught the value of life in entirety (UN, article 10). The assailants must be reminded of the divine proposition of loving the neighbour (Rom 13:9). This is a national implore that they should value the lives of all citizens just as they would love their lives valued.   

Rev Fr Joseph Mukiibi,  Kansanga Kampala