Respect Life Sunday?

[friendofJPII]

Considering that there are so many threats to the sanctity of human life these days, which issue/s do you feel should receive the most attention from the pro-life movement?

Edited October 7, 2007 by friendofJPII

[chelsea]

Abortion, then Stem Cell research, then Death Penalty. I didnt vote because i think these three should get the most time and that wasnt an option.

[SaintOlaf]

I agree that Abortion, then Stem Cell research should get the most attention, at least here in the US. These are really the most prevalent to our society, so many people don't even understand what stem cell research entails, and that there are very viable alternatives without harvesting human life.

[Socrates]

I voted for the last option.

While this has already been debated to death elsewhere on the forum, the Church has always recognized that the state does in fact have the right to use the death penalty. Exactly when it should be used can be debated, but to put it on the same level morally as abortion and human euthanasia (which are NEVER permitted under any circumstances) promotes a false equivalency and muddies the debate.

Euthanasia is a growing concern, and should not be put on the back burner, as pro-lifers should deal with emerging assaults on the sanctity of human life, as well as current ones.

[kateri05]

i 110% agree with socrates. i just didn't feel like typing it all out although i personally don't agree with the death penalty, morally the other issues are MUCH more important

[CatherineM]

I voted for the death penalty because of the fact that it does get the least amount of coverage in pro-life arenas. It is the issue that more Catholics are going to be indifferent to, or actually support. I volunteered for 5 years reviewing trial transcripts for areas of appeal on death penalty cases. I never took a case that there was a chance that the person was innocent. I know that sounds bizarre, but the innocent always have people willing to come forward to help them. Just as it is a slippery slope to say you are against abortion except for incest or rape, it is also slippery to say you are against the death penalty for everyone except the Bundy's and Manson's of the world. I don't think anyone is for the death penalty of someone who is innocent. Just as to say you are truly against abortion in any situation means you have to even be against it in even the cases of incest or rape, to truly say that you are pro-life means you have to be against executing even the Ted Bundy's and Tim McVeigh's of the world. It's easy to say don't kill babies, but much harder to say we have no right to kill monsters.

[catholicinsd]

The day is 'Respect LIFE Sunday', not 'Respect Some Life Sunday'

[Socrates]

[quote name='CatherineM' post='1399893' date='Oct 9 2007, 11:09 AM']I voted for the death penalty because of the fact that it does get the least amount of coverage in pro-life arenas. It is the issue that more Catholics are going to be indifferent to, or actually support. I volunteered for 5 years reviewing trial transcripts for areas of appeal on death penalty cases. I never took a case that there was a chance that the person was innocent. I know that sounds bizarre, but the innocent always have people willing to come forward to help them. Just as it is a slippery slope to say you are against abortion except for incest or rape, it is also slippery to say you are against the death penalty for everyone except the Bundy's and Manson's of the world. I don't think anyone is for the death penalty of someone who is innocent. Just as to say you are truly against abortion in any situation means you have to even be against it in even the cases of incest or rape, to truly say that you are pro-life means you have to be against executing even the Ted Bundy's and Tim McVeigh's of the world. It's easy to say don't kill babies, but much harder to say we have no right to kill monsters.[/quote]
As I've said before, the Church has always taught that the death penalty can be permissable under certain circumstances.
The Church has never allowed abortion and euthanasia.
This is not a "slippery slope." Catholic countries have always practiced the death penalty. There is a huge difference between lawfully executing dangerous murderous criminals and murdering innocent babies.

As Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) explained:
[quote]Not all moral issues have the same moral weight as abortion and euthanasia. For example, if a Catholic were to be at odds with the Holy Father on the application of capital punishment or on the decision to wage war, he would not for that reason be considered unworthy to present himself to receive Holy Communion. While the Church exhorts civil authorities to seek peace, not war, and to exercise discretion and mercy in imposing punishment on criminals, it may still be permissible to take up arms to repel an aggressor or to have recourse to capital punishment. There may be a legitimate diversity of opinion even among Catholics about waging war and applying the death penalty, but not however with regard to abortion and euthanasia.[/quote]

Treating the death penalty as if it did have the same (or greater) weight as abortion and euthanasia would not be truthful.

[CatherineM]

Sorry, I never saw this quote from Benedict. I guess I was going on John Paul's from conception to a natural death. My point was not that the death penalty is more important, but rather that it is easier to overlook or turn a blind eye towards. I try to be very careful with things that I can rationalize a little too easy.