Sunday, July 06, 2008

All People of Good Will Agree With Me

Dr. Henry Morgentaler, the single person most responsible for making abortion safe and legal in Canada, was recently given a national award, the Order of Canada. Not surprisingly, the Catholic hierarchy is outraged. But their outrage took a pernicious dimension when Archbishop Thomas Collins of the Toronto archdiocese said in interview that he called on "all people of good will, to protest this act of dishonour".

Archbishop Collins evidently believes that one cannot be a person of good will and still support the right to abortion. I've met a lot of anti-abortion activists. Most are sincere people who, though misguided, honestly believe that they are acting ethically. But so do people who argue for the right to abortion. It is really offensive for the Archbishop to suggest that the only way you can be a "person of good will" is to agree with the Catholic Church's position.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Most are sincere people who, though misguided, honestly believe that they are acting ethically.

How do you know they are misguided?

Jeffrey Shallit said...

Anonymous:

Because most of them base their objections to abortion on religious reasons, and there is no rational basis for their religion.

Anonymous said...

Because most of them base their objections to abortion on religious reasons, and there is no rational basis for their religion.

What about objections to abortion that have nothing to do with religion? Pro-life athiests exist. What are their objections?

Jeffrey Shallit said...

Yes, anonymous, it's possible to have non-religious arguments against abortion, but the overwhelming majority of people opposed to abortion base their arguments on religious grounds.

Those are the ones I was speaking of when I used the term "misguided".

Akilan said...

>>It is really offensive for the Archbishop to suggest that the only way you can be a "person of good will" is to agree with the Catholic Church's position.

This is what they have been suggesting for centuries.:(

truti said...

I am amused at the reactions among the anti-womens'-choice proponents. Among these is there even one who has criticised (forget condemn) nun Teresa of Calcutta who denied medical care to the few wretches in her custody, while she herself availed of the best medical care courtesy the Indian government. To this day the missionary order founded by this charlatan has not established a single medical facility - not even a primary care facility - with the millions upon millions it has raised from a gullible and fawning public.

Anonymous said...

As much as it pains me to side in any way, shape, or form with the Catholic church on anything... I do on this issue.

People use abortion as birth control, as an excuse to behave badly, as a means to make money at the expense of young women and unborn children... and it is unethical ANY way you look at it, whether you're religious or not and regardless of the excuses anyone uses.

Anonymous said...

I should have added, no "person of good will" thinks it's perfectly okay to kill a baby. The Archbishop didn't ask everybody to first become Catholic and then protest. He just wants people who understand that killing babies is wrong (aka people of good will in this case) to protest. So despite the fact that I think Catholicism is an absolute crock of bull... I'm not offended by this particular statement.

Jeffrey Shallit said...

So, ?, you evidently believe that I am not a person of good will, since I support the right to have an abortion. In so believing, you forfeit the right to post here. Goodbye!