A Challenge to Engage

wlIn the June 8 issue of Our Sunday Visitor, editor John Norton issues the following challenge:

Here's a challenge -- and it's an important one. Read the following brief letter I received today, and come up with a succinct, convincing answer to it. The writer was referring to our full-page article about the Catholic governor of Kansas, who recently vetoed a bill regulating late-term abortions ("Catholic governor vetoes late-term abortion bill," May 11). Her spokeswoman told us that Sebelius was personally opposed to abortion, but was committed to "uphold[ing] current Kansas law."

Here's the letter I received, from a reader in Wichita, Kan.:

"I have no difficulty with our governor espousing her constituency's views publicly, while maintaining differing views privately. Politicians should not be expected to evaluate all proposed legislation according to their personal convictions.

"What if our governor were Islamic instead of Catholic?" the writer asks.

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So where do we draw the line? How comfortable can Catholic politicians or the rest of us be with our beliefs informing not only our personal, private lives but also our other daily interactions?

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Let me know how you see the answer, by writing, or emailing [email protected]. (And let me know if you're willing to let me publish your answer.) I look forward to hearing from you.

The question of the public nature of our faith seems a fitting one – one that we have addressed in various ways over the years on MOJ – for those interested in the development of Catholic Legal Theory.  In fact, if we don’t have answers to this question, can there be such a thing as Catholic Legal Theory?  If you feel so inclined, please email John Norton your answers.  Also, feel free to email them to me for posting on MOJ.