Tag: politics

The New Eugenics: How Abortion Disempowers Mothers

In his 2009 essay Her Choice, Her Problem, Prof. Richard Stith argues that, paradoxically, “the option of abortion actually makes sympathy and solidarity—and thus women’s empowerment—less likely.” As he explained: Anonymous, Pregnant Mary (detail) (1505) When birth was the result of passion and bad luck, some people could sympathize with a young woman who was going… Continue reading The New Eugenics: How Abortion Disempowers Mothers

Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King, and the Religion in the Public Square

Carl A. Anderson gave the Address at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast last month, and spoke eloquently on the place of religion in the public square. He cited to President Kennedy’s 1961 Inaugural Address, in which the president spoke of the rights for which “our forebears fought,” namely “the belief that the rights of man… Continue reading Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King, and the Religion in the Public Square

Gay Marriage, Incest, and Polygamy

One of the most often-mocked arguments in the debate over “gay marriage” is the argument that permitting gay marriage leads to permitting incestuous marriages, polygamy, and the like.  The  problem is, the argument is solid, and I’ve yet to hear a coherent answer for it.  For example, Jon Davidson evades the argument, rather than answering it: Jon Davidson Bringing up… Continue reading Gay Marriage, Incest, and Polygamy

HHS Rally Recap

Yesterday, I went to the HHS Mandate protest outside the offices of the Department of Health and Human Services here in D.C.  It was a great experience: upbeat, generally respectful of those on the other side, prayerful, and resolute.   The scene on my approach to the rally.  There were certainly a lot of women… Continue reading HHS Rally Recap

Women Against the HHS Mandate

The Catholic Information Center has been providing a space for women against the HHS Mandate to make their voices heard.  This particular woman, Gloria Purvis, did a spectacular job of giving voice to all of the things fundamentally wrong with both the HHS Mandate, and the worldview which gave rise to it.  It’s worth watching the… Continue reading Women Against the HHS Mandate

How Should We Treat Bishops and Politicians?

A couple months ago, Msgr. Charles Pope had an excellent post warning about a disturbing trend: namely, that conservative, otherwise orthodox Catholics were starting to treat the bishops with disdain: I am well aware of the (often legitimate) frustrations by some Catholics that the Bishops, either individually or collectively have not always shepherded in a… Continue reading How Should We Treat Bishops and Politicians?

“Post-Birth Abortion”: Ethicists Argue for the Right to Kill Newborns

It’s hard to believe that this is real, but it apparently is.  A pair of ethicists, Alberto Giubilini and Francesca Minerva, are arguing that infanticide should be legal for any reason.  And their paper on the subject has been accepted and published by the prominent Journal of Medical Ethics.  The entire piece is available on the… Continue reading “Post-Birth Abortion”: Ethicists Argue for the Right to Kill Newborns

Women Challenging the HHS Mandate

When the GOP-run House Oversight Committee held a hearing on religious freedom and the HHS Mandate, consisting of five male religious leaders, Congressional Democrats and Planned Parenthood quickly cried sexism, with two Democrats walking out in protest.  This struck me at the time as both clever and dishonest. The second panel Two facts are conveniently… Continue reading Women Challenging the HHS Mandate

Disingenuous Arguments for the HHS Mandate

I’ve more or less said my piece in response to the HHS Mandate — it’s about all I blogged about last week, and I’m pleased to move on to other topics, short of any major developments.  But I wanted to say one thing in passing: the arguments I’ve heard in favor of the HHS Mandate… Continue reading Disingenuous Arguments for the HHS Mandate