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H H H
condition for all other personal rights, is not defended with
maximum determination. (
Christifideles Laici
, no. 38)
27. Two temptations in public life can distort the Church’s defense of human
life and dignity:
28. The first is a moral equivalence that makes no ethical distinctions between
different kinds of issues involving human life and dignity. The direct and
intentional destruction of innocent human life from the moment of concep-
tion until natural death is always wrong and is not just one issue among many.
It must always be opposed.
3
29. The second is the misuse of these necessary moral distinctions as a way of
dismissing or ignoring other serious threats to human life and dignity. The cur-
rent and projected extent of environmental degradation has become a moral
crisis especially because it poses a risk to humanity in the future and threatens
the lives of poor and vulnerable human persons here and now. Racism and
other unjust discrimination, the use of the death penalty, resorting to unjust
war, the use of torture,
4
war crimes, the failure to respond to those who are
suffering from hunger or a lack of health care, pornography, redefining civil
marriage, compromising religious liberty, or an unjust immigration policy are
all serious moral issues that challenge our consciences and require us to act.
These are not optional concerns which can be dismissed. Catholics are urged
to seriously consider Church teaching on these issues. Although choices about
how best to respond to these and other compelling threats to human life and
dignity are matters for principled debate and decision, this does not make them
optional concerns or permit Catholics to dismiss or ignore Church teaching on
these important issues. Clearly not every Catholic can be actively involved on
each of these concerns, but we need to support one another as our community
of faith defends human life and dignity wherever it is threatened. We are not
factions, but one family of faith fulfilling the mission of Jesus Christ.
30. The Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith made a similar point:
It must be noted also that a well-formed Christian con-
science does not permit one to vote for a political program
or an individual law which contradicts the fundamental