The term ‘fatal foetal abnormality’ has become one of the most used ones in the debate over whether we should retain, repeal or amend the pro-life provision in our Constitution, that is to say, the ‘Eighth amendment’. The phrase ‘fatal foetal abnormality’ is controversial. It seems to dehumanise the child in the womb and it...
C.S. Lewis was one of the great popular Christian writers of the 20th century. His books still sell extremely well and the most popular of his explicitly Christian books remains ‘Mere Christianity’. ‘Mere Christianity’ is a fantastic introduction to Christianity and many people testify to how this book, and other writings of Lewis, either led...
Prof. Peter Singer of Princeton University, takes the pro-choice view to such an extreme that he even advocates infanticide under certain circumstances. Or does he? Recently he took part in a TV debate in his native Australia. During the debate Prof. Singer (PS) was challenged by a female audience member (AM) on his support for...
A draft proposal by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) to reduce the two and a half hours allocated by primary schools each week to the teaching of religion is another attack on the rights of denominational schools, The Iona Institute says today in a press release. The proposal is a response to...
Paschal Donohoe is interviewed in the current issue of Hot Press. He ranges over many issues, including abortion, euthanasia and same-sex marriage. He supports repeal of the 8th amendment, is ambiguous about euthanasia, and is enthusiastic about gay marriage and critical of the Catholic Church’s attitude to same. Let’s look at what he has to...
New data from the Court Services show that women are more likely to ask for a separation, or a divorce, than men. This is in line with figures from the US and the UK. It begs the obvious question; why are they more likely to ask for a divorce or separation? Let’s look at the...
It is increasingly the case that criticism – even if completely legitimate – is being denounced as “shaming”. The most obvious example is the viral use of the term “body shaming”. To label a particular body type as too fat, or too thin, etc., is to demean those with that body type, to belittle them. Obviously criticism can...
Two experts, Janet Bettle, a barrister at Trinity Chambers in England, and Jonathan Herring, a law professor at Oxford University, have co-written a piece on the legal possibility of marrying – wait for it – a human-like robot. You can access it here. The piece is not intended as a plea for law reform. Rather,...
By Dr Tom Finegan The public debate leading up to the Brexit vote was fascinating. Not so much for the substance of the arguments put forth by either side of the debate, but for basic messaging of the Remain side against the Brexit position. The messaging was encapsulated in those (in)famous PR images of couples...
Public debate on abortion mostly pits the “fully pro-life” view against the “partly pro-choice” view. So the campaign against the 8th Amendment is being spearheaded in part by those looking for so-called minor exceptions to the protection of unborn children, exceptions like abortion on the grounds of a child having a severe life-limiting condition. This...
