The Times of Life
Luke Wahlen
October 27, 2011
Morality
Hotel Rwanda In the movie Hotel Rwanda, there were many situations where heroism and conscience where shown. In the movie there was a man named Paul who was almost always showing both of these characteristics. He had a very informed conscience, even with the brutal situation he was in. An informed conscience is a conscience that is educated and developed through constant use and examination. Paul shows this type of a conscience because he was never turning anyone away from the safety provided by the hotel and the few UN soldiers at guard there. Paul also a great hero because even though he knows there is a constant threat from the Hutu army, he keeps his cool and sticks with what he has been taught and what his conscience tells him is right. A hero is someone who follows his or her conscience in the face of difficulty. Lastly there is a character named George who has a very different view point about ongoing massacre, which gives him a lax conscience. He does not even think twice about killing the Tutsi people, or giving weapons to the Hutu army. A lax conscience is when a person does not employ a process of conscientious decision making, thereby not facing or thinking about the morality of actions that he or she performs. Also in this movie there were many of the themes of Catholic Social Teachings presented. I would say the main one that I could pick out of the movie was the theme about the life and dignity of the human person. The Catholic Church teaches that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the basis of a moral vision in society. This theme was definitely not portrayed in the movie, because the Hutus had no respect for the Tutsi people and they did not care about the basic human dignity everyone should receive. Another theme that relates to the movie was the call to family, community, and participation. It say that how we set up our society, with its laws and policies,
October 27, 2011
Morality
Hotel Rwanda In the movie Hotel Rwanda, there were many situations where heroism and conscience where shown. In the movie there was a man named Paul who was almost always showing both of these characteristics. He had a very informed conscience, even with the brutal situation he was in. An informed conscience is a conscience that is educated and developed through constant use and examination. Paul shows this type of a conscience because he was never turning anyone away from the safety provided by the hotel and the few UN soldiers at guard there. Paul also a great hero because even though he knows there is a constant threat from the Hutu army, he keeps his cool and sticks with what he has been taught and what his conscience tells him is right. A hero is someone who follows his or her conscience in the face of difficulty. Lastly there is a character named George who has a very different view point about ongoing massacre, which gives him a lax conscience. He does not even think twice about killing the Tutsi people, or giving weapons to the Hutu army. A lax conscience is when a person does not employ a process of conscientious decision making, thereby not facing or thinking about the morality of actions that he or she performs. Also in this movie there were many of the themes of Catholic Social Teachings presented. I would say the main one that I could pick out of the movie was the theme about the life and dignity of the human person. The Catholic Church teaches that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the basis of a moral vision in society. This theme was definitely not portrayed in the movie, because the Hutus had no respect for the Tutsi people and they did not care about the basic human dignity everyone should receive. Another theme that relates to the movie was the call to family, community, and participation. It say that how we set up our society, with its laws and policies,