Religion & Law

Richard S., thank you for linking to Cardinal Egan's column.  It moved me, and I decided to include the beginnings of it here:

The picture on this page is an untouched photograph of a being that has been within its mother for 20 weeks. Please do me the favor of looking at it carefully. [you can click on it to enlarge it]

Have you any doubt that it is a human being?

If you do not have any such doubt, have you any doubt that it is an innocent human being?

If you have no doubt about this either, have you any doubt that the authorities in a civilized society are duty-bound to protect this innocent human being if anyone were to wish to kill it?

If your answer to this last query is negative, that is, if you have no doubt that the authorities in a civilized society would be duty-bound to protect this innocent human being if someone were to wish to kill it, I would suggest?even insist?that there is not a lot more to be said about the issue of abortion in our society. It is wrong, and it cannot?must not?be tolerated.