Category: Society & Politics

Conscientious objection becomes issue in Ireland

Enda Kenny, the Taoiseach (prime minister) of Ireland, has declared that all members of his Fine Gael party must support the new abortion law being proposed by the government.  All must follow the party line; none will be allowed to vote according to conscience.

“Conscience objection doesn’t absolve people from responsibility,” he said, saying members would be expected “to act and vote in accordance with the decisions of the party.”  [The Journal]

The proposed law is a response to world-wide controversy over the death of a woman at a hospital in Galway in October, 2012.  (See A “medical misadventure” in Ireland)

Related:

Irish archbishops appeal to freedom of conscience in abortion politics

The Irish parliament will begin hearings in January on legalization of abortion, and the Irish government promises to have a bill before the Dáil Éireann by Easter.  The new law will permit abortion in order to save the life of a mother, including those who threaten to commit suicide if they are denied the procedure [Global News].  In response to the announcement, and reports that Prime Minister Enda Kenny might force objecting members of his party to vote for the bill, Ireland’s four Catholic archbishops have protested the proposed changes, and insisted that the government must respect lawmakers’ freedom of conscience.

. . .on a decision of such fundamental moral importance every public representative is entitled to complete respect for the freedom of conscience. No one has the right to force or coerce someone to act against their conscience. Respect for this right is the very foundation of a free, civilised and democratic society. [Zenit]

Jefferson’s Robust Views of Religious Freedom

Public Discourse

17 December, 2012

Brian Walsh, T.J. Whittle,  and Garrett Bauman within Religion and the Public Square

Notwithstanding his unorthodox views of Christianity, Thomas Jefferson staunchly adhered to the rights of all religious believers, Christian and non-Christian alike, to free religious exercise.

Thomas Jefferson called the holidays the season of “greatest mirth and jollity,” but as Americans gather with friends and family this month, recent threats to religious liberty might dampen some of their holiday cheer. Fortunately, Jefferson’s thought also can give hope and encouragement to supporters of religious freedom. After a wearisome election year fraught with animosity and threats to religious freedom, it behooves us to reconsider Jefferson’s advocacy for religious liberty as a cornerstone of our fundamental rights.

Jefferson held deeply conflicted (some would say hostile) views of the religious beliefs of most of his fellow citizens. Despite this, he was devoted to the liberties of all religious believers. Examining his reasons for this might help even those who share his skepticism toward traditional, organized religion to appreciate the case for defending America’s historically broad protections for the free exercise of religion. Jefferson advocated religious freedom not out of any strict pious devotion, but out of his insights into human nature and the nature of good government. These include the view that religious pluralism in tandem with the exercise of enlightened reason is foundational to a well-ordered society.

But it is imperative to distinguish the long-simmering contention and disagreement over Jefferson’s beliefs on religion from his clear public support for religious liberty. When it came to religious freedom and rights of conscience, Jefferson was both a strong critic of official government establishments of religion and a staunch proponent of the free exercise of religion. . . [Read on]

American Cardinals speak forcefully on freedom of conscience and religion

Timothy Cardinal Dolan,  Archbishop of New York and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) addressed the John Carroll Society in Washington, D.C. on the theme of “Let Religious Freedom Ring.”  Cardinal Dolan stated that “freedom of religion has been the driving force of almost every enlightened, un-shackling, noble cause in American history,” and that defence of religious freedom is “the quintessential American cause, the first line in the defense of and protection of human rights.”[Zenit] [My Catholic Standard]  During thekeynote address at the Catholic Perspectives on Religious Liberty symposium at Georgetown University, Donald Cardinal Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, D.C. argued that to relegate religion to the private sphere and silence moral teaching in public is dangerous because religious belief is “the conscience of society.” [CNS]

Professors at Catholic university in Philippines support Reproductive Health bill

192 professors of the Jesuit Ateneo de Manila University from its Loyola Schools, School of Medicine and Public Health, Law School and School of Government have signed a declaration affirming support for the controversial Reproductive Health bill.  The declaration states that the bill “is a vital piece of legislation that needs to be passed urgently” and asserts that the key principles of the bill are compatible with Catholic social teaching.   [Declaration]