Informed conscience
SIR, As an Irish woman expecting my first baby, the debates on the upcoming referendum have taken on a new and personal dimension to me.
With a first pregnancy comes a lot of unknowns - excitement but also anxiety about things that might go wrong. What I don’t have to worry about as an almost ‘first time mum’, is the risk of my life being put in danger because of a misguided and deeply damaging paragraph in the Constitution. Nor do I have to worry about having to travel to another country, should something go wrong with my pregnancy. Why? Because I happen to live in Belgium, where women’s health comes first. My health is a right not a privilege.
Pregnancy, planned or not, is a deeply personal experience and women should be trusted to make decisions which are right for them, whatever their reasons. The people of Ireland are a compassionate people and I am hopeful that they will do the right thing and vote to repeal the ‘Eighth’.
Sincerely,
Stéphanie O’Keeffe, Brussels. SIR, Today is Sunday, April 15, and after a long spell without rain (two days!), we are getting a sprinkle again. A good thing too as we could have been heading into a drought situation. The days are also getting warmer with the external car temperature reading 15 deg. In fact, with the new warmth and moisture, you can almost see the grass growing.
As I drive along the roads I notice that the grass on the road edges is very high. In order for the fields to get growing again might I suggest that the farmers be given the right to graze the long acre for a month? Notices could be put in all of the newspapers so that traffic could be warned.
This action could well have several benefits. 1. Give the farmers time for their fields to recover from the severe winter.
2. Get rid of the grass on the roadside. 3. Get drivers to drive more carefully and slower.
Indeed if this is a success, as it well could be, perhaps the month of April might be designated ‘Grazing The Long Acre Month’ in future. Sincerely,
Michael O’Meara,
Faha,
Killarney. A Chara, With reference to a letter in your publication of last week “Catholic teaching allows us apply conscience to decisions on abortion”, I would like to point out that our obligation is to have an “informed concience”. Informed by scripture and the teachings of the church.
The church teaches the value of life from conception to natural death. Scripture, in the Fifth Commandment, teaches us not to kill another human.
Conscience will not provide the ‘get out of hell’ free card for those who choose to deliberately ignore God and the churche’s teachings.
The idea that Catholic teaching allows us apply conscience to decisions on abortion is not an excuse, but a deathly trap for any Catholic. Vote ‘no’, if you take Christ seriously.
Le meas, Pádraig O’Scolaí, Áth Treasna, Co. Corcaí.