Focus On Abortion As Sole Catholic Voting Issue 'Disheartening,' Letter To Editor Says

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 24 Oct 2008 - 10:00 PDT

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"As a Roman Catholic, I am disheartened to once again see the church's broad pro-life message being narrowed to one single issue that some use to divide us," Stephanie Niedringhaus -- communications coordinator for NETWORK: A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby -- writes in Washington Post letter to the editor in response to a recent article on the growing rift among Catholics over the importance of abortion in voting decisions. "People of all political persuasions can agree on basic moral principles while disagreeing about how to apply them," Niedringhaus writes. Although the church's teaching "about the dignity of human life and the tragedy of abortion are clear," she writes, some Catholics believe abortion should be outlawed, while "[o]thers believe that a more realistic response is to ensure that all pregnant women have access to affordable health care and other support systems that encourage them to carry their babies to term." Niedringhaus concludes, "Meanwhile, too little attention is paid to poverty and violence, which are also fundamental life issues. When will we ever learn?" (Niedringhaus, Washington Post, 10/23).

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