Mississippi governor backs 'personhood' drive; Catholic bishops stay neutral
November 07, 2011
Governor Haley Barbour of Mississippi has endorsed a “personhood” initiative, which would amend the state’s constitution to specify that human life begins at conception.
In a heated contest leading up to state-wide elections, the personhood initiative has been endorsed by most major pro-life groups. But the state’s Catholic bishops have remained neutral on the measure, and the National Right to Life Committee has discouraged it, arguing that if adopted, the amendment would probably be subject to legal challenge and likely overruled by the US Supreme Court, thus causing a net setback for the pro-life movement.
Analyzing the political arguments, Christian Brugger of the Culture of Life Foundation questions whether the bishops’ hesitation is prudent, pointing out that it is based on questionable predictions about factors such as the future thinking of the Supreme Court. “For five years Catholic bishops have gone public in opposition to these initiatives,” he notes. “How many more years will they continue?”
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Further information:
- Mississippi Gets Closer to Banning Abortion (Christian Post)
- Mississippi Personhood Amendment Should be Supported (Culture of Life Foundation)
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Posted by: lauriem5377 -
Nov. 08, 2011 7:26 PM ET USA
When will the Bishops lead on the pro-life issues? And how many individual childrens' lives will be saved from gruesome deaths by abortion if this initiative passes? Isn't that worth more than some political 'net calculation'? I believe our Lord values and hold each child's life as sacred.
