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Life Issues Formation Program

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What is the consistent ethic of

life?

 Theologian Kenneth Overberg, SJ explains it thisa!"

# $omprehensive ethi$al s!stem that lin%s togetherman! &i'erent issues b! fo$using attention on thebasi$ value of life

It rules out $ontra&i$tor! moral positions on issuesinvolving human life ( e $annot be against abortionbut in favor of the &eath penalt!, e $annot or%against povert! but support euthanasia

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What is the consistent ethic of

life?It is not su)$ient to be pro*life on some

issues+ e must be pro*life on all issues

If e are $onsistent, e must spea% an& a$t$on$erning abortion an& euthanasia but also$on$erning elfare an& immigration, sexism

an& ra$ism, $loning an& health*$are reform,tra&e agreements an& seatshops, the bu!ingan& selling of omen for prostitution,geno$i&e an& man! other issues-.

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Formulation of a /onsistent

0thi$ of Life The i&ea of a $onsistentethi$ of life as 1rstarti$ulate& b! Joseph

/ar&inal 2ernar&in of/hi$ago in the 34567s-

2ernar&in as serving as

$hair of the Pro*Life/ommittee of the 8nite&States /onferen$e of/atholi$ 2ishops-

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/ar&inal 2ernar&inLet7s $onsi&er some highlights of

2ernar&in7s 9annon le$ture at For&ham8niversit!

   A Consistent Ethic of Life:

 An American-Catholic Dialogue

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/ar&inal 2ernar&in#t the time of this le$ture, the 8S 2ishops ha&

re$entl! issue& the pastoral letter TheChallenge of Peace: God’s Promise and OurResonse on ar an& nu$lear eapons

In this pastoral letter the same ethi$al

prin$iple that un&erlies the rongness ofabortion ** namel!, that the &ire$tl! inten&e&ta%ing of inno$ent human life is rong ** asapplie& to the $ase of ar

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/ar&inal 2ernar&in:the $onne$tion &ran beteen /atholi$ tea$hingon ar an& /atholi$ tea$hing on abortion- 2oth, of

$ourse, must be seen in light of an attitu&e of respe$tfor life- The more expli$it $onne$tion is base& on theprin$iple hi$h prohibits the &ire$tl! inten&e& ta%ingof inno$ent human life- The prin$iple is at the heart of

/atholi$ tea$hing on abortion- :the same prin$iple!iel&s the most stringent, bin&ing, an& ra&i$al$on$lusion of the pastoral letter" that &ire$tl! inten&e&atta$%s on $ivilian $enters are ala!s rong-.

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/ar&inal 2ernar&inThe use of this prin$iple exempli1es the meaning of a$onsistent ethi$ of life- The prin$iple hi$h stru$turesboth $ases, ar an& abortion, nee&s to be uphel& in

both pla$es- It $annot be su$$essfull! sustaine& on one$ount an& simultaneousl! ero&e& in a similarsituation-.

 The terminolog! seemless garment. is use& to

express the i&ea that respe$ting life is an attitu&e thate must have a$ross the boar&-

#n& 2ernar&in tal%e& about !et other life issues in hisle$ture 

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/ar&inal 2ernar&in#s%ing these ;uestions along the spe$trum of

life from omb to tomb $reates the nee& for a$onsistent ethi$ of life- For the spe$trum of lifeissues $uts a$ross the issues of geneti$s,abortion, $apital punishment, mo&ern arfare

an& the $are of the terminall! ill-.

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/ar&inal 2ernar&inWe

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/ar&inal 2ernar&in2ernar&in also establishe& a $onne$tion beteen theright to life. an& ;ualit! of life. issues"

If one $onten&s, as e &o, that the right of ever! fetus

to be born shoul& be prote$te& b! $ivil la an&supporte& b! $ivil $onsensus, then our moral, politi$alan& e$onomi$ responsibilities &o not stop at themoment of birth- Those ho &efen& the right to life ofthe ea%est among us must be e;uall! visible insupport of the ;ualit! of life of the poerless among us"the ol& an& the !oung, the hungr! an& the homeless,the un&o$umente& immigrant an& the unemplo!e&or%er- Su$h a ;ualit! of life posture translates

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/ar&inal 2ernar&ininto spe$i1$ politi$al an& e$onomi$ positions ontax poli$!, emplo!ment generation, elfarepoli$!, nutrition an& fee&ing programs, an& health

$are- /onsisten$! means that e $annot have itboth a!s- We $annot urge a $ompassionateso$iet! an& vigorous publi$ poli$! to prote$t therights of the unborn an& then argue that

$ompassion an& signi1$ant publi$ programs onbehalf of the nee&! un&ermine the moral 1ber ofthe so$iet! or are be!on& the proper s$ope ofgovernmental responsibilit!-.

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2e!on& /ar&inal

2ernar&in# $onsistent ethi$ oflife is not limite& to/ar&inal 2ernar&in-

It has been en&orse&

b! the bishops of the8nite& States-

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8S 2ishops on a /onsistent

0thi$ of Life#&opting a $onsistent ethi$ of life, the /atholi$ /hur$hpromotes a broa& spe$trum of issues >see%ing to prote$thuman life an& promote human &ignit! from the in$eption oflife to its 1nal moment-7 Opposition to abortion an&euthanasia &oes not ex$use in&i'eren$e to those ho su'erfrom povert!, violen$e an& inusti$e- #n! politi$s of human lifemust or% to resist the violen$e of ar an& the s$an&al of$apital punishment- #n! politi$s of human &ignit! mustseriousl! a&&ress issues of ra$ism, povert!, hunger,

emplo!ment, e&u$ation, housing an& health $are- Therefore,/atholi$s shoul& eagerl! involve themselves as a&vo$ates forthe ea% an& marginali@e& in all these areas-. Li!ing theGosel of Life: A Challenge to American Catholics  # Statementb! the /atholi$ 2ishops of the 8nite& States, no- AB-

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2e!on& /ar&inal 2ernar&in

# $onsistent ethi$ oflife has also beena&opte&internationall!, b! the/atholi$ 2ishops ofCe Dealan& Esee

rea&ings

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2ishops of Ce Dealan&Cote the range of issues in$lu&e& in their statementon a $onsistent ethi$ of life

Prote$tion of the environment

Gis$rimination

Povert! Ethe number one %iller in the orl&H

 The arms ra$e

War as a means of settling &isputes#bortion

0uthanasia

Geath penalt!

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 John Paul II an& E!angelium

"itae

While E!angelium"itae &oes not use thephrase $onsistentethi$ of life,. the$ontent of theen$!$li$al a)rms it-

***theologian KennethOverberg, SJ

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0vangelium itae#lthough exten&e& attention is given toabortion an& euthanasia, a i&e spe$trum oflife issues are also mentione&-

Other

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0vangelium itae#n& ho $an e fail to $onsi&er the violen$e against life &oneto millions of human beings, espe$iall! $hil&ren, ho arefor$e& into povert!, malnutrition an& hunger be$ause of anunust &istribution of resour$es beteen peoples an& beteenso$ial $lasses? #n& hat of the violen$e inherent not onl! inars as su$h but in the s$an&alous arms tra&e, hi$h spansthe man! arme& $oni$ts hi$h stain our orl& ith bloo&?What of the sprea&ing of &eath $ause& b! re$%less tamperingith the orl&7s e$ologi$al balan$e, b! the $riminal sprea& of

&rugs, or b! the promotion of $ertain %in&s of sexual a$tivit!hi$h:involve grave ris%s to life? It is impossible to $atalogue$ompletel! the vast arra! of threats to human life, so man!are the forms, hether expli$it or hi&&en, in hi$h the! appearto&a!H. Eno- 36

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0vangelium itae#lso &is$usse& are

#ssiste& repro&u$tive te$hnologies hi$h involvethe &eath&estru$tion of embr!os

0xperimentation on embr!os

/ontra$eption an& sterili@ation as responses to

expan&ing populationsGeath penalt!

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 The bottom line:

 To re$ogni@e the broad scopeof the /hur$h7s $on$ern ith

life issues-

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Our Proe$t Through the remain&er of this $ourse e

ill stu&! various issues hi$h form part ofthe /hur$h7s $onsistent ethi$ of life-

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#$%nole&gmentsPi$tures in this poer point ere obtaine& from thefolloing sour$es"

/ar&inal 2ernar&in -reneameri$a-$om 

8S//2 logo $on$or&pastor-blogspot-$om

Ce Dealan& 2ishops /onferen$e-$atholi$-org-n@ 

 John Paul II $atholi$%night-blogspot-$om

http://www.renewamerica.com/http://www.catholic.org.nz/http://www.catholic.org.nz/http://www.renewamerica.com/