Amnesty International;

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Amnesty International; ; abortion policy
Topic Started: Tuesday, 28. August 2007, 12:56 (130 Views)
Michael	Tuesday, 28. August 2007, 12:56 Post #1
Posts: 260 Group: Members Member #10 Joined: September 26, 2006	Note to Broadcasters: A 40s audio clip of Cardinal O'Brien explaining his decision is available in MP3 format from the Catholic Media Office - email requests to mail@scmo.org "The recent decision by the International Council of Amnesty International to “Support the decriminalisation of abortion and to defend women’s access to abortion” has forced me to reconsider my membership of this noble organisation. As a matter of conscience and with great sadness I have decided to resign from Amnesty International having first joined as a student and supported it over many decades. Throughout my priestly ministry and more recently as Archbishop and Cardinal I have shown my desire along with my Church to defend life in all its aspects. Along with the Bishops of Scotland in 2001 in guidance ahead of the Scottish elections we stressed the commitment of the Catholic Church to life but we wanted to be clear what that meant. It was not something narrow but something wide and all encompassing. And we said then that: “We believe in a consistent ethic of life. We are pro-life in the fullest sense of that term”. In recent years I have spoken out strongly on pro life issues including our necessity to ensure life for the poorest of the poor people of the world and have shown my care and concern by visiting some of those poorest countries especially in Africa and Asia and including also my visit to Darfur. I have also shown my high regard for life in consistently speaking out with members of other Churches here in Scotland against the renewal of the Trident Nuclear Weapon system which is based in Scotland. Even more recently I have spoken out strongly against abortion when I marked the 40th anniversary of the passing of the Abortion Act in the Westminster in 1967. With regard to abortion I have now had to examine my own conscience, realising that Amnesty International was approving proposals in support of abortion. I have listened to the teachings of my own Church in recent weeks in the form of a statement from Cardinal Renato Martino the President of the Pontifical Council for Justice & Peace said with regard to Amnesty International that it had “betrayed its mission” by abandoning its traditional neutral policy on abortion. Only a week ago Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone the Secretary of State of Pope Benedict XVI said on Vatican Radio that: “Men and women of the Church throughout the world have already made their stark opposition to this decision clear violence cannot be answered by further violence, murder with murder, for even if the child is unborn it is still a human person. It has a right to dignity as a human being”. I also realise the anguish suffered by Bishop Michael Evans of East Anglia who has been an active member of Amnesty for 31 years and who has also recently announced his decision to resign. He indicated that the recent decision made it very difficult for Catholics to remain members of Amnesty or to give it any financial support saying: “This regrettable decision will almost certainly divide Amnesty’s membership and thereby undermine its vital work” adding “among all human rights, the right to life is fundamental”. I am also aware that Amnesty International has previously criticised the Vatican for its stance against abortion and in 2005 described the refusal by America to pay for abortions overseas as “an attempt to stifle the evolution of the human rights framework”. I hope I act in a manner which is ‘pro-life’ following what I believe is the teaching of Jesus Christ and the teaching of my Church. That basic and most fundamental of all human rights, the right to life is recognised by the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the document upon which Amnesty International was founded. Sadly now Amnesty International seems to be placing itself at the forefront of a campaign for a universal ‘right’ to abortion in contravention to that basic right to human life. For me it is a matter of conscience that I have decided to resign from Amnesty International. Others must follow their own consciences. But I would suggest that any who do and who resign from Amnesty International, would put their previous contributions to Amnesty International to agencies which do indeed support the right to life of each and every human being wherever conceived and in whatsoever part of the world, and to help women who have suffered violence at the hands of others, particularly those who have endured rape. We are all members of the one human family and we must defend unborn children in our family however conceived, they may be seen as unwanted or inconvenient, but they have from moment of conception, been given the gift of life by Almighty God."



PJD	Tuesday, 28. August 2007, 18:17 Post #2
Posts: 2,416 Group: Members Member #11 Joined: September 26, 2006	Thanks for that Michael. I will make a copy onto my files. PJD



Rose of York	Tuesday, 28. August 2007, 19:42 Post #3
Administrator Posts: 14,517 Group: Admin Member #2 Joined: September 25, 2006	Cardinal O'Brien For me it is a matter of conscience that I have decided to resign from Amnesty International. Others must follow their own consciences. But I would suggest that any who do and who resign from Amnesty International, would put their previous contributions to Amnesty International to agencies which do indeed support the right to life of each and every human being wherever conceived and in whatsoever part of the world, and to help women who have suffered violence at the hands of others, particularly those who have endured rape. Was it a Scottish Cardinal who set up a fund give financial help and support to women who chose not to abort their babies?
	$Posted Image$ Catholic and proud of it! Talk to God before Mass. Talk to each other afterwards


pattif	Tuesday, 28. August 2007, 23:45 Post #4
Posts: 88 Group: Members Member #24 Joined: September 27, 2006	Yes. It was Thomas Cardinal Winning, former Cardinal ARchbishop of Glasgow.



Alan	Tuesday, 28. August 2007, 23:53 Post #5
Posts: 685 Group: Members Member #13 Joined: September 26, 2006	pattif Aug 29 2007, 12:45 AM Yes. It was Thomas Cardinal Winning, former Cardinal ARchbishop of Glasgow. the first English Bishop to do this was the Late Bishop Eric Graser of Shrewsbury who made the pledge in 1970. He also set up about 5 centres where women could go for assistance and he paid for staffing the centres. He also invited the Catholic Needlework Guild in his Diocese to provide for the needs of women in the form of layettes etc.
	God Bless all who visit this forum, Alan. Add Catholic CyberForum to your favourites


Shell	Thursday, 30. August 2007, 10:23 Post #6
Posts: 18 Group: Members Member #93 Joined: August 13, 2007	Good for the Cardinal. I hope more people will leave too. I stopped supporting Amnesty a while ago as they became more and more dishonest. The Terri Shiavo murder was the last straw for me. Amnesty refused to help her saying as she was disabled it was not discrimination to kill her. I felt like throwing my wheelchair at their heads! :angry:



KatyA	Thursday, 30. August 2007, 23:12 Post #7
Administrator Posts: 5,393 Group: Admin Member #6 Joined: September 26, 2006	I agree Shell, I cannot understand why the terrifying ordeal of Terri Shiavo doesn't seem to have woken up the people of this country to the dangers of any Euthanasia Bill Bishop Michael Evans has issued a statement "Catholic response to Amnesty International's decision on abortion" (He's also resigned) Quote: The International Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989, and became a binding treaty for those countries which ratified it. Its Preamble quotes from the 1959 Declaration on the Rights of the Child, that 'the child, by reason of his or her physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth'. This must surely be part of the body of international human rights law to which Amnesty International is committed. Quote: In time Amnesty may seek to develop this policy further, but even this current limited decision makes it very difficult for Catholics to remain members of Amnesty or to give it any financial support. Very regretfully, I will be ending my 31 year membership of Amnesty International, which included in the 1980s several years on the British Section Council and its Religious Bodies Liaison Panel. I remain deeply committed to Amnesty's original mandate: to work for freedom for prisoners of conscience, an end to torture and the death penalty, and fair trials for all. Independent Catholic News I notice that the Bishop intends to remain deeply committed to Amnesty's original mandate and I trust he intends to do this via other agencies. KatyA



KatyA	Thursday, 30. August 2007, 23:25 Post #8
Administrator Posts: 5,393 Group: Admin Member #6 Joined: September 26, 2006	Each year, up until now, my parish has supported the Amnesty International Greetings Card Campaign. Each parishioner is given the name of a "prisoner of conscience" or someone unjustly imprisoned and asked to send a non religious card to that person offering encouragement and hope. The cards are collected at Church and posted. It all seems a very worthy cause, but should it continue given that it offers support to AI? My feeling is that, whilst I appreciate that this is an effective and just campaign, the release of one or more prisoners of conscience will not compensate for the lives of the babies who will die thanks to AI's support for abortion and I no longer wish to support it. Nor do I believe that the parish should. Does anyone know of an organisation which operates a similar scheme? KatyA



Rose of York	Thursday, 30. August 2007, 23:29 Post #9
Administrator Posts: 14,517 Group: Admin Member #2 Joined: September 25, 2006	KatyA Aug 31 2007, 12:12 AM I agree Shell, I cannot understand why the terrifying ordeal of Terri Shiavo doesn't seem to have woken up the people of this country to the dangers of any Euthanasia Bill They will not wake up because they see nothing wrong in what they see to be relief from suffering, they think euthanasia is an act of kindness. Tell them about people starving to death, they think two weeks horror is better than years of coma. Better for whom? The next of kin? The Health Service, or abroad, the insurance company? NOT for the patient. If every person suffering with an incurable painful illness had been put down, there would have been little or no research. A doctor can observe the results of new treatments, by observing progress or deterioration of patients. Before drugs were developed,. for arthritis treatment, people suffered severely, constantly. If ever euthanisa is regarded as morally acceptable, research will diminish. At present, many say unmarried women who become pregnant, have their babies, and then draw benefits, should have aborted their babies, because mother and child are a "drain on the state". Heaven help decent people who refuse to encourage their suffering loved ones to volunteer for death, they will be regarded as social pariahs, for "costing the Health Service money". People who glibly advocate euthanasia, should bear in mind, if their kids get polio, treatments are available now, precisely there used to be a belief in preserving life at all cost. There is little hope of a change in general attitudes, unless people return to acknowledging God as creator, our Father.
	$Posted Image$ Catholic and proud of it! Talk to God before Mass. Talk to each other afterwards


Ned	Tuesday, 4. September 2007, 19:05 Post #10
Posts: 674 Group: Members Member #61 Joined: March 1, 2007	KatyA Aug 30 2007, 11:25 PM Each year, up until now, my parish has supported the Amnesty International Greetings Card Campaign. Each parishioner is given the name of a "prisoner of conscience" or someone unjustly imprisoned and asked to send a non religious card to that person offering encouragement and hope. The cards are collected at Church and posted. It all seems a very worthy cause, but should it continue given that it offers support to AI? My feeling is that, whilst I appreciate that this is an effective and just campaign, the release of one or more prisoners of conscience will not compensate for the lives of the babies who will die thanks to AI's support for abortion and I no longer wish to support it. Nor do I believe that the parish should. Does anyone know of an organisation which operates a similar scheme? KatyA On the other hand two wrongs never made a right. Cardinal O'Brien was right to resign from Amnesty, but he I think he was imprudent to have been in it in the first place. By and large anyone in the Church is better-off not belonging to any other organisation just in case there is a conflict. I understand that this is the reason for none of the Heirarchy belonging to the Pioneers. Incidently British lawyers belonging to Amnesty do magnificent totally-unpaid work, and all in their own time, for Amnesty. (I've seen it because I did a little post-retirement job with a firm of solicitors). It would be dreadful if any of that was curtailed. And they are often representing nasty people we all think should be dead or in jail. I remember the old song: I have no mother to weep for me. I have no father to plead for me. I have not even a sweetheart To lay the flowers on my grave. The trouble is that there are a lot like that in this country. I only hope that someone overseas is campaigning for them.



KatyA	Tuesday, 4. September 2007, 21:44 Post #11
Administrator Posts: 5,393 Group: Admin Member #6 Joined: September 26, 2006	Ned Sep 4 2007, 08:05 PM On the other hand two wrongs never made a right. That's exactly my point. Amnesty do good work, but they also support abortion. How can we support the former, without supporting the latter? KatyA



KatyA	Wednesday, 12. September 2007, 22:23 Post #12
Administrator Posts: 5,393 Group: Admin Member #6 Joined: September 26, 2006	Archbishop Wilson of Adelaide, president of the Australian bishops' conference, has added his voice to those urging Amnesty to reverse the policy change on abortion. Quote: "This decision has led some people, including some Catholic school groups, to withdraw from membership of Amnesty International and to seek other ways in which to pursue the same aims of fighting injustice, ending human rights abuses and standing in solidarity with the imprisoned and the oppressed. ...... "It is not too late," Archbishop Wilson concluded, "for Amnesty International to take stock of the damage being caused by this change of policy and to return to its former neutral stance on abortion. I would urge them to do so." http://zenit.org/article-20475?l=english KatyA



John Sweeney	Thursday, 13. September 2007, 09:49 Post #13
Posts: 1,834 Group: Members Member #68 Joined: March 20, 2007	KatyA In the case of the postcard campaign, I cannot see that by continuing it we would be supporting Amnesty International. We would be giving some comfort to unjustly held prisoners and putting pressure on their Governments. On the wider front, I do appreciate the strength of feeling about the change in direction on abortion and I think that AI's defence is a little disingenuous. However, the NHS carries out contraceptive and abortion services and I have not heard of anyone, Cardinal or otherwise, opting out of it for these reasons. Regards John



Clare	Thursday, 13. September 2007, 11:53 Post #14
Wacko Schismatic Traditionalist Woman Posts: 3,083 Group: Members Member #70 Joined: March 27, 2007	John Sweeney Sep 13 2007, 10:49 AM However, the NHS carries out contraceptive and abortion services and I have not heard of anyone, Cardinal or otherwise, opting out of it for these reasons. The NHS is not a charity that we contribute to voluntarily. We contribute to it whether we like it or not! And we might as well get our money's worth by making use of it when we can. Clare.
	S.A.G. My attempt at a blog.


John Sweeney	Thursday, 13. September 2007, 12:06 Post #15
Posts: 1,834 Group: Members Member #68 Joined: March 20, 2007	Clare That is encouraginlgy pragmatic of you! John



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