The phrase "culture of life" is a controversial term used in moral theology. It is described by its proponents as a philosophy that human life, at all stages from conception through to natural death, is sacred. As such, a "culture of life" is claimed to be opposed to practices seen by its proponents as destructive of human life, often including embryonic stem cell research, abortion, euthanasia, contraception, capital punishment, greed, degradation, sadistic humiliation, narcissism, selfishness, poverty and war. A "culture of life" is frequently supported in United States politics by social conservatives on moral issues (although commonly excluding opposition to capital punishment) and fiscal liberals on economic ones.
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Origins
The expression owes its origins to Pope John Paul II, who first used it in a tour of the United States in 1993. Speaking to journalists at Stapleton International Airport near Denver, Colorado, the Pope denounced abortion and euthanasia, stating that "The culture of life means respect for nature and protection of God's work of creation. In a special way, it means respect for human life from the first moment of conception until its natural end." Cardinal Bernard Law reiterated the theme, urging Americans to "spread the culture of life over the culture of death".
One possible source for this philosophy is the Didache, a first century Christian document which exposes the doctrine of two ways : the way of life and the way of death. This work is part of the Church's Magisterium and has often been cited by Popes.
The Pope returned to the theme in April 1995 through the encyclical Evangelium Vitae Gospel of Life:
- In our present social context, marked by a dramatic struggle between the culture of life and the culture of death, there is need to develop a deep critical sense capable of discerning true values and authentic needs.
Some of the issues that are included in the Catholic Church's description of the culture of life include:
- Opposition to abortion
- Opposition to capital punishment
- Opposition to cloning
- Opposition to contraception
- Opposition to embryonic stem cell and fetal research, coupled with support for adult stem cell research
- Opposition to euthanasia
- Opposition to unjust war
U.S. politics
Following the promulgation of the Pope's encyclical, The Culture of Life Foundation & Institute was founded in the United States to promote the concepts behind the Evangelium Vitae. It was recognized and blessed by the Pope in 1997.
The "culture of life" entered the mainstream of US politics on October 3, 2000, during the U.S. presidential election. It was cited by George W. Bush during a televised debate with Vice President Al Gore in which Bush expressed concerns that a newly-approved abortifacient pill would cause more women to have abortions, while his goal was to make abortions more rare and to "promote a culture of life." Bush went on to say:
- Surely this nation can come together to promote the value of life. Surely we can fight off these laws that will encourage doctors or allow doctors to take the lives of our seniors. Sure, we can work together to create a culture of life so some of these youngsters who feel like they can take a neighbor's life with a gun will understand that that's not the way America is meant to be. [1]
As the media pointed out, this was a direct borrowing from Pope John Paul II's language. His invocation of the phrase was seen as an attempt to reach out to moderate Catholics who dislike abortion, while not coming out so strongly against the practice that it would alienate voters. It was, however, criticised by some Catholics for being inconsistent with Bush's strong support for the death penalty and his repeated authorisation of executions while serving as Governor of Texas. He returned to the same theme on a number of other occasions during his campaign, stating that "I think the next president must talk about a culture of life."
The "culture of life" has repeatedly been invoked by politicians during Bush's terms as President of the United States. Notable instances included:
- The summer of 2001, when a major political controversy occurred over the federal government's position on stem cell research and President Bush faced accusations of backtracking on his earlier "culture of life" rhetoric;
- March 2003, when the US Congress passed a bill prohibiting partial-birth abortions which proponents cited as advancing the "culture of life";
- The Unborn Victims of Violence Act in April 2004, which defined a violent attack on a pregnant women as two distinct crimes: one against the woman, and the other against her fetus - this was promoted as improving the rights of the "unborn", hence advancing the culture of life;
- The US presidential election, 2004, when the phrase was incorporated into the platform of the Republican Party, referring to the party's opposition to abortion, stem cell research involving the destruction of human embryos and euthanasia.
- The Terri Schiavo controversy of March 2005, when the phrase was used in support of legislative and legal efforts to prolong the life of a brain-damaged woman.
Culture of death
Often, defenders of the "culture of life" compare their opponents to the perpetrators of the Nazi genocide, much like some pro-life advocates do.[citation needed] They claim their opponents share the same disregard for human life.[2] Cormac Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor argued, for example, that without morals, "it is the strong who decide the fate of the weak," and "Human beings therefore become instruments of other human beings. That way lies eugenics, and we know from German history where that leads. We are already on that road: for what else is the termination of six million lives in the womb since the Abortion Act was introduced, and embryo selection on the basis of gender and genes?”[3]
The opposing term "culture of death" was used first by Pope John Paul II in Evangelium Vitae and later by the Republican Party in the US political sphere.
Advocates of a "culture of life" argue that a "culture of death" results in political, economic, or eugenic murder. They point to historical events such as the Holocaust or the Great Purges in the Soviet Union as examples of devaluation of human life taken to an extreme conclusion. In the United States, the term is used by those in the pro-life movement to refer to support legalized abortion and/or euthanasia. [4]
In some cases, the culture of life has been applied to other issues such as a living wage, opposition to racism and invidious discrimination, and access to health care[citation needed]. On the other hand, the Catholic Church, while originating the term, regularly obstructs health care that it disapproves because it has to defend the right to life of persons from conception to natural death[5]. This can be verified in Humanae Vitae, the encyclical written during the papacy of Pope Paul VI.
Disputes surrounding the term
Like the term "pro-life," the term "culture of life" is not without its critics, who argue that religious conservatives do not have a monopoly on valuing life, or that they devalue it themselves, or that by emphasizing quantity of life they devalue quality of life. Two examples commonly raised are that politicians who say they endorse the culture of life are often supportive of capital punishment and war. Even the tenets of opposition to abortion and euthanasia as part of the culture of life are not undisputed. For example, Leonard Peikoff argues that "Sentencing a woman to sacrifice her life to an embryo is not upholding the 'right-to-life'"[6] Another example is Andrew Sullivan, once a self-professed Catholic who opposed the religious right on the issue of euthanasia for Terri Schiavo.[citation needed]
Culture of liberty
In 2005, NARAL Pro-Choice America responded to the "culture of life" arguments with its own "culture of freedom" campaign that championed abortion rights on the basis of personal liberty.[7] Bioethicist Jacob Appel has taken this argument one step further, advancing a comprehensive "Culture of Liberty" that embraces "the acceptance of abortion-on-demand, physician-assisted suicide, gay marriage and diversity in sexual practices"[8] In rejecting a "culture of life," which he compares to the modern myths of The Inquisition and The Crusades, Appel wrote, "In matters as intimate as reproduction and death, history favors freedom over the power of church and state."[9]
References
- "Pope ends visit with frank talk", State Journal Register, Springfield, Illinois (August 16, 1993)
- "Bush Woos Catholics On Abortion Nominee, Echoes Pope's 'Culture Of Life' Phrase", Boston Globe (October 9, 2000)
- ^ http://www.catholicsforchoice.org/new/inthenews/100900BushWoosCatholics.htm
- ^ http://www.startribune.com/stories/1519/5325588.html
- ^ http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=4314536
- ^ http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/0324thurlets244.html
- ^ http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_25071968_humanae-vitae_en.html
- ^ http://capmag.com/article.asp?ID=2404
- ^ Rosenberg, Debra. Roe's Army Reloads, Newsweek, August 8, 2005.
- ^ A Culture of Liberty.
- ^ A Culture of Liberty.
See also
External links
- White House statement on Terri Schiavo "It should be our goal as a nation to build a culture of life, where all Americans are valued, welcomed, and protected..."
- USCCB - The United States Council of Catholic Bishops Pro-Life site including many articles on the Catholic Church's varied aspects on the Culture of Life.
- The Culture of Life Foundation & Institute
- Schiavo and Republicanism: A Battle for the Soul of Conservatism by Andrew Sullivan
- A Culture of Liberty by Jacob M. Appel
- Bush Hails Progress Towards "Culture of Life" "President Bush told thousands of antiabortion marchers yesterday that his administration is making progress toward fostering a "culture of life" by enacting measures that limit abortion and stem cell research while expanding the legal definition of life."
- 2004 GOP Platform pg.84
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