A MORE HUMAN SOCIETY Once upon a time, we were told to allow dissent from time-honored legal and moral norms in the name of “freedom of choice.” Politicians assured us they were “personally opposed” to abortion but couldn’t impose their values on others. Assisted suicide was advocated not as a way to demean the lives […]
Richard Doerflinger: Death without dignity in D.C.
A MORE HUMAN SOCIETY Recent partisan impasses in Congress raise the question: Can the two parties agree on anything? One issue they should agree on may come up this spring, as appropriations bills for the next fiscal year are debated. The Council of the District of Columbia and the mayor have approved a law allowing […]
Richard Doerflinger: A divided church?
A MORE HUMAN SOCIETY We sometimes hear that American Catholics are divided: Some advance the church’s teaching on abortion, others promote its teachings on peace and economic justice. And those factions are at war. I seldom saw this among the bishops or their national staff, where I once served. We each had areas of expertise, […]