by David Quinn I wonder what the main campaigners against the blasphemy provision of our Constitution think of a new ruling by the European Court of Human Rights which found that is it was permissible for Austria to prosecute someone for ‘disparaging religious doctrine’, in this case by insulting the Prophet Mohammed? What does Justice...
The abortion Bill presented by Minister Simon Harris contains a provision for conscientious objection that is too limited. It should be expanded so to include all medical professionals. It should take into account the profound changes that this Bill will introduce, which require more rigorous safeguards for healthcare workers who value the lives of both pregnant women and...
Iona Institute Director, David Quinn, was the recipient of a major pro-life award in New York earlier this month. The award was given by the Human Life Foundation, publisher of the Human Life Review, a major international pro-life journal for the last four decades. Called ‘The Great Defender of Life’, it is given at the...
We often hear that Christianity, or religion in general, is unappealing for women because religions tend to be ‘patriarchal’. However, in practice women are more religious than men, and this is particularly the case among Christians. It turns out that the bigger problem Christianity faces is in attracting more men to services. Pew Research Center...
After a long and costly battle, Ashers Bakery from Belfast, which is owned and operated by a Christian couple, has been vindicated. Ashers had refused to bake a cake that was to be iced with the words “Support Gay Marriage.” The ruling is a very important one for freedom of conscience. The case refers to...
Minister Simon Harris has presented his abortion Bill in the Dáil and has confirmed that it will allow only a limited form of conscientious objection. In the Bill, which is now being discussed in the Oireachtas, there is no provision for institutional conscientious objection, which means that hospitals with a religious ethos will be forced...
The General Assembly of the World Medical Association (WMA) is taking place in Reykjavik (Iceland) this week, starting today. Important topics such as the participation of doctors in assisted suicide and abortion will be discussed. The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) and Royal Dutch Medical Association (RDMA) will introduce proposed changes to the WMA policy against...
During the referendum campaign we were told, correctly, that the vote was not on the proposed legislation but only on the removal of the pro-life amendment. Among those telling us this was no less a person that the head of the Referendum Commission, Justice Isobel Kennedy. So, in theory, the abortion legislation proposed by Minister...
In front of a packed house in Dublin last night, Maria Steen of The Iona Institute discussed the recent abortion referendum, how it was covered by the Irish media, the legislation that will replace the Eighth Amendment, and the way forward for the pro-life movement in Ireland. An edited version of Maria’s talk follows. The...
There is a push underway to remove the proposed 72-hour waiting period before a woman can obtain an abortion. The matter came up before the Oireachtas Health Committee today. Among those questions it was Dr Peter Boylan, one of the most active pro-choice advocates during the recent abortion referendum. He said: “The proposed 3-day interval...
