Category: Opinion

Reproductive rights are ever more complex

“how can we demand ‘rights’ from nature?”, questions Mary Kenny Many campaigners aiming to dismantle the Eighth (Life Equality) Amendment to the Irish Constitution – protecting human life in utero – now march under the banner of “reproductive rights”. It sounds such a simple demand: who wouldn’t allow parents their “reproductive rights”? But how complex…

Spotlight needed on culture of deference

The Church, BBC and Rotherham abuse scandals all have a culture of deference in common, writes David Quinn Spotlight, the film about how the Boston Globe helped uncover clerical abuse scandals, won the Best Picture award at the Oscars last weekend. The film is aptly named because the Boston Globe did put a spotlight on…

Abortion on ‘British model’ unacceptable

Dear Editor, In the Trinity College Long Room lies an original copy of the 1916 Proclamation. As I read the words that helped establish a Republic (on the Irish model) I could not help but reflect on the deep irony of parties like Sinn Féin and in particular the Labour Party calling for abortion based…

When is a ‘clump of cells’ human?

Dear Editor, Many years ago I asked a group of boys to name their favourite television show. The vast majority named The Incredible Hulk as the one that most took their fancy. In order to satisfy my curiosity I had to sit and watch a programme. The essence of what was to come was spoken…

Death penalty against Catholic values

Dear Editor, Your news item about the death of US Supreme Court Justice, Antonin Scalia (IC 18/02/2016) gave the impression that he was an exemplary Catholic. If Catholic values are to be understood as trying to live like the compassionate Jesus of the Gospels, it is difficult to see how the late judge stood out…

We should never write off people with disabilities

Dear Editor, Mary Kenny’s piece on blind cricket commentator Dean du Plessis, of Zimbabwe, was very interesting (IC 18/02/2016). She says: “Mr du Plessis, aged 39, was born with serious tumours in his head, and it was predicted at birth that he could only live for a brief time. But he survived, had medical care…