The Consistent Ethic: Context and Controversy, Application, Misunderstandings, and Practical Considerations

January 14, 2020 | Published first in Chicago Studies Journal of the University of St. Mary of the Lake and Mundelein Seminary

Among the movements for social justice and equality, the pro-life movement is quite possibly the most diverse and inclusive. Mainstream organizations identifying themselves as “pro-life” include the Washington, D.C.-based March for Life, which organizes the annual largest pro-life event in the world, and Feminists for Life, whose mission is “shaped by the core feminist values of justice, nondiscrimination, and nonviolence,” inspired by the examples of the founding American feminists, like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Alice Paul and, most famously, Susan B. Anthony, who both publicly and privately opposed abortion. Yet other pro-life groups have names and mission statements that might surprise some, especially those who equate the term “pro-life” with stereotypically Catholic, male and anti-abortion organizations who hold the forefront of the pro-life movement, like the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops or National Right to Life.

Yet, those “in the know” have long been aware that the pro-life movement is centered around the rejection of laws, policies, and societal structures that undermine human dignity and flourishing…

Read the rest, here.