Violence comes in a multitude of guises

Anger, intolerance, impatience, unfair judgments, aggression breed violence

A Shepherd Speaks

By BISHOP FRED HENRY
Calgary

I grew up marvelling at the wisdom of Mahatma Gandhi and have reflected many times on words such as: "Let our first act every morning be this resolve: I shall not fear anyone on earth. I shall fear only God. I shall not bear ill will towards anyone. I shall not submit to injustice from anyone. I shall conquer un-truth by truth, and in resisting un-truth, I shall put up with suffering."

Amnesty International

These words prompt me to challenge Amnesty International (AI), one of the world's best known human rights advocacy groups, which has proposed actively fighting against the right to life for unborn children by using its resources to promote a so-called "right to abortion."

For many years, to its credit, AI has opposed forced contraception, forced sterilization and forced abortion but now, regrettably, it feels obliged in the interest of stopping violence against women. It is intent upon addressing values, beliefs and attitudes that directly or indirectly support violence against women. This is code language for women's human rights (abortion); HIV/AIDS; and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights.

AI is currently consulting its worldwide membership on a possible new policy on sexual and reproductive rights. The Canadian, British, and New Zealand branches of AI have already voted to support abortion.

AI's plan is to decide by the end of August 2007 on adopting a position on three aspects of abortion: "decriminalization of abortion"; "access to quality services for the management of complications arising from abortion"; and "legal, safe and accessible abortion in cases of rape, sexual assault, incest, and risk to a woman's life. "

Such a move is an ill-conceived proposal and a gross betrayal of Amnesty's mission to campaign for human rights. AI's founding vision was of a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards.

In the interests of being politically correct, AI has now lost sight of "Article 3 - Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person." The defence of the inalienable right to life of the unborn is a civil rights issue, arguably the greatest civil rights issue of our time.

That the unborn child is a human being from the moment of conception is a fact that we know by logic and biological evidence. Nothing that will be a human being is ever anything other than a human being.

These logical truths are amply confirmed by modern science, which have demonstrated beyond dispute that every human being, from the moment of conception, is a unique human genetic package. If we exclude natural disaster or lethal intervention, the product of human conception will be what every sane person recognizes as a human being; it will not be a goldfish or beagle.

Protect the innocent

No combination of circumstances, intentions or consequences can ever justify the taking of an innocent human life. The direct and voluntary killing of an innocent human being is always gravely immoral.

It is the height of stupidity to suggest that in the name of stopping the violence against women, AI should adopt a policy that will lead to further violent destruction of female children in the wombs of their mothers.

Since part of the AI mission is to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of rights, a logical move on the part of AI would be to seek to change contemporary culture so that every child is protected in law and welcomed in life.

Violence is the most clear sign of our personal and societal failures.

We cannot ignore the underlying cultural values that help to create the environment where violence grows: a denial of right and wrong, an abandonment of personal responsibility, an excessive focus on our selfish desires, a diminishing sense of obligation to our children and neighbours, a misplaced priority on acquisitions, and media glorification of violence and sexual irresponsibility. In short, we often fail to value life and cherish human beings above possessions, power and pleasure.

Less obvious and visible is the slow-motion violence of discrimination and poverty, hunger and hopelessness, addiction and self-destructive behaviour. Economic, social and moral forces and issues can tear apart communities and families not as quickly, but just as surely as bullets and knives. Lives sometimes are diminished and threatened not only in our immediate neighbourhood, but also by decisions made in parliaments, boardrooms and courtrooms. An ethic of respect for life should be the central measure of all our institutions.

Non-violence = bravery

Gandhi would remind us: "If one does not practise non-violence in one's personal relations with others and hopes to use it in bigger affairs, one is vastly mistaken. . . . In non-violence, the masses have a weapon which enables a child, a woman, or even an . . . old (person), to resist the mightiest government successfully. If your spirit is strong, mere lack of physical strength ceases to be a handicap. Non-violence is the summit of bravery."

Not all violence is deadly. It begins with anger, intolerance, impatience, unfair judgments and aggression. It is often reflected in our language, our entertainment, our driving, our competitive behaviour and the way we treat our environment. These acts and attitudes are not the same as abusive behaviour or physical attacks, but they create a climate where violence prospers and peace suffers.

"Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal" are more than mere suggestions; they are imperatives for the common good. Violence is an unacceptable evil; a monstrous lie that goes against the truth of our common humanity.

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