Pro-life: it’s not just for Catholics anymore!
Is anybody besides me tired of seeing all the news about the Catholic Church vs. Amnesty International? As soon as the Vatican weighed in, the fact that anybody besides the Catholic Church opposes abortion was completely forgotten in all press coverage.
I don’t want to say that the Vatican shouldn’t have weighed in, because they have both the right and responsibility to do so. It’s just unfortunate that their involvement in the controversy has made it all too easy for the usual suspects to dismiss any opposition to abortion as solely a religious issue.
August 14th, 2007 at 6:34 pm
Right-on as usual, Jen.
Glad you’re back.
August 15th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Thanks! I’m glad to be back.
August 22nd, 2007 at 6:56 pm
Correct me if I’m wrong- but wasn’t Amnesty started by a Catholic individual? If so, that may explain why the Church feels a special responsibility to speak out- even if that origin is now largely considered as simply a matter of historical record.
August 22nd, 2007 at 9:54 pm
Oh, you’re absolutely right. I don’t blame them for speaking out at all. I just lament the way it plays into the dominant media/pro-choice narrative that all opposition to abortion is religious (and most is Catholic).
In my dream world, the Vatican would have issued a statement in conjunction with several other non-Catholic organizations, and would have urged Catholics to contribute to other groups working for human rights and especially for the women who have been harmed by war.
August 23rd, 2007 at 4:41 pm
If you’ve been having trouble getting any answers from Amnesty officials about the new abortion policy and the dubious methods it used during the “consultation” process, go to Slugger O’Toole’s blog, where Patrick Corrigan, director of Amnesty Northern Ireland has popped up. You might want to put a question to him:
http://sluggerotoole.com/index.php/weblog/comments/ours-is-a-movement- dedicated-to-upholding-human-rights-not-specific-theolog/P25/
August 23rd, 2007 at 4:45 pm
Fantastic! Thanks for the information.
September 27th, 2007 at 7:00 pm
[...] The power of the Catholic Church to bring attention to abortion-related issues really is a blessing and a curse. [...]