Readers Quiz

By Diogenes ( articles ) | Jun 22, 2005

In a public statement released on June 21, a spokesman for the US bishops' conference offered a reminder to federal legislators about their responsibility to be mindful of the poor.

Based on your knowledge of Catholic social teaching and current events (and your appreciation for English prose style), which of the following sentences would you consider most likely to open for a statement from the American hierarchy:

• "The poor and minority groups are deliberately targeted by the marketing strategies of the abortion industry."
• "Excessive levels of taxation make it particularly difficult for the poor to preserve a healthy family life, since mothers are under heavy pressure to join the work force rather than offer full-time care to their young children."
• "Poor families will derive the greatest benefits from programs that expand parental choice in public education."
• “The poor will experience most directly the possible harmful effects of climate change.”
• "The high costs of medical care make the poor particularly vulnerable to the blandishments of those who promote 'mercy killing' and assisted suicide."
• "The catastrophic breakdown in family life-- aggravated by divorce, contraception, abortion, and the legal acceptance of non-marital unions-- is the primary cause of poverty, crime, and the devastation of our inner cities."

Which of those statements actually emerged from the US bishops' conference? If you really can't guess, go ahead and peek.