Category Archives: Ethics and Morality

The Basis for Morality

Posted on December 10, 2010 by Deacon Bob

I had an interesting conversation yesterday with a colleague about the Church and moral teaching. If I understood correctly his position, he thought the “rules” that the Church teaches about moral behavior, especially in regard to homosexuality, are the creation … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics and Morality | 4 Comments

More on the Pope’s Comments

Posted on December 6, 2010 by Deacon Bob

In my November 30 post on “Random Thoughts”, I commented on the Pope’s remarks about the development of conscience, using the example of a male prostitute’s use of a condom as a first sign of taking moral responsibility for his … Continue reading →

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Random Thoughts

Posted on November 30, 2010 by Deacon Bob

Can’t seem to find much I think is worth blogging about in the news recently. The big hubhub of course is the book that came out about Pope Benedict XVI, the result of an extensive and informal interview he gave … Continue reading →

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Update on NFP Post

Posted on November 30, 2010 by Deacon Bob

In case you haven’t read the comments on my recent post about doctors and NFP, Karen has provided us with the following  link to an expert in the field of the Lactational Amenorrhea Method of family planning.  www.sph.unc.edu/?option=com_profiles&Itemid=6388&profileAction=ProfDetail&pid=7123235232 Thanks again, … Continue reading →

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Papa Luciani on Role of Conscience in Moral Decisions

Posted on November 29, 2010 by Deacon Bob

Back on August 1, 1978, shortly before he was elected Pope, Cardinal Albino Luciani gave an interview in which he expressed his initial response to the then recent news of the birth of the first “test tube baby.” In it, … Continue reading →

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Why Do So Many Catholic Doctors Hesitate to Promote Natural Family Planning?

Posted on November 28, 2010 by Deacon Bob

It would seem that a great majority of Catholic physicians fail to promote Natural Family Planning (NFP) with their patients. Why? Perhaps for many reasons. The Catholic News Agency reports the following which they reprinted from NFP Outreach: Most doctors … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics and Morality, Marriage and Family | 3 Comments

Ignorance of Sin Damages Our Children

Posted on November 3, 2010 by Deacon Bob

Bishop Anthony Taylor of the diocese of Little Rock said this during his homily a couple of weeks ago: “Over the last 45 years our society has become very permissive — anything goes! This leaves us and especially our children … Continue reading →

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The Loss of Moral Vocabulary

Posted on October 18, 2010 by Deacon Bob

I spent most of the day today in a conference on ethics in clinical social work.  The presenter was a nationally known professor, clinician and author. To his credit, he did a wonderful job keeping us on track, presented some … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics and Morality, General Interest | 6 Comments

“The True Measure of Humanity….”

Posted on September 10, 2010 by Deacon Bob

Pope Benedict XVI wrote the following in his encyclical Spe Salvi, “The true measure of humanity is essentially determined in relationship to suffering and to the sufferer… A society unable to accept its suffering members and incapable of helping to … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics and Morality | 4 Comments

Wisdom of our Elders

Posted on August 30, 2010 by Deacon Bob

I was listening to a television rerun last night.  The scene was a room full of nursing home residents who had been essentially “dumped” into the facility by family. A few of them commented, “People treat animals better than us. … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics and Morality, Human Development and Life | 4 Comments

Marriage of One Man and One Woman — “Ideal” or Foundational?

Posted on August 16, 2010 by Deacon Bob

There seems to be an increase in the notion that the union of one man with one woman into which children are born and nurtured is simply an “ideal” and not fundamental to the definition of marriage. Proponents will be … Continue reading →

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Markets Created by Abortion

Posted on August 14, 2010 by Deacon Bob

I just received the latest Ethics and Medics. The entire issue is a partial reprint of Victoria Evans’ thesis, “Commercial Markets Created by Abortion: Profiting from the Fetal Distribution Chain,” presented to the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in Rome. Victoria … Continue reading →

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Quiz and Quote for the Day

Posted on August 11, 2010 by Deacon Bob

The quiz question is: “Who wrote this in November 1974?” The quote is: … abortion does not free the woman so much as it frees her partner, whether he be her husband or not, from nuisances and irritations, allowing him … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics and Morality, Marriage and Family | 2 Comments

50th Anniversary of “The Pill”

Posted on August 10, 2010 by Deacon Bob

My good friend Deacon Joe recently sent me a couple of links to a two-part article written by Michelle Bauman, a junior at the University of Dallas where she is studying politics and journalism. Despite its widespread use, the birth … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics and Morality, Human Development and Life, Marriage and Family, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

If You Haven’t Done So….

Posted on August 2, 2010 by Deacon Bob

If you haven’t had the chance yet to log on to National Catholic Bioethics Center, I would encourage you to do so. I know in my diaconate formation, I wished we would have had a longer course on bioethics, so this splendid … Continue reading →

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Quote for the Day

Posted on July 28, 2010 by Deacon Bob

“Our society permits everything, and forgives nothing.” –attributed to Francis Cardinal George by Fr. R. Simon (Perhaps a little hyperbole, but the point is well made. For some reason, we don’t like to let go of perceived or received hurts … Continue reading →

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The Human Body — Gift not Object

Posted on July 24, 2010 by Deacon Bob

Let me try to succinctly summarize one reason why pornography and contraception are wrong and destructive to the human person and the human community. Both are rampant in our society, and the mainstream media and perhaps most of society today … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics and Morality | 1 Comment

The Call to Celibacy

Posted on May 20, 2010 by Deacon Bob

Celibacy is a special vocation to live life without sexual intercourse and to integrate one’s sexuality completely into one’s life — into all that one does and says. All of us are called to live an integrated life, expressing our … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics and Morality, Fundamental Theology, General Interest, Human Development and Life | 2 Comments

The De-Professionalization of Healthcare

Posted on April 19, 2010 by Deacon Bob

One of the things that really bothers me in the field of contemporary healthcare has to do with Advanced Directives (AD) and their effect on the patient-professional relationship. At face value, one might say, ADs are an expression of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics and Morality | 1 Comment

On Being a Christian

Posted on April 13, 2010 by Deacon Bob

Deacon Gordon sent me a quote that I would like highlight.  Please read the first comment on yesterday’s “Quote of the Day”, or read on below. “Being a Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or lofty ideas, but the … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics and Morality, General Interest, Popes | Leave a comment