We should respect all men of good will because man was created for God in His image and likeness; as a human being he possesses a special dignity and value. Man, having a spiritual soul and being a more perfect image of God, has dominion over all other earthly creatures. He has a free will and is immortal. For these reasons alone, all men are deserving of our respect. The Catholic Church rejects as un-Christian any unjust discrimination or injustice because of race, national origin, ethnic origin, color, sex, class, condition in life, or religion.

The story of the Good Samaritan teaches us that our neighbor is every man, not only those who belong to our race, our country, or our religion. We should love even those who hate us and injure us. The Divine Master gave us the example when He said, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12).