The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1952-06-13

"punishments for disobedience"
the denial of the sacraments of
the Catholic Church, or the exclu-
sion from membership in any Prot
estant church. or the denial of priv
ileges in any Catholic, Jewish,
Christian Scientist, Adventist, or
other institution administered by a
religious organization:
First, the person who does not
wish to meet the requirements for
the sacraments, the membership,
or the privileges has lin a free
society no real grievance when he
is denied them.
Second, we in America could not,
as a result of Mr.. BlanShard's re
sistance movement" refuse to re-
ligious organizations the oppor-
tunity to conduct institutions, ac-
cording TO their own religious and
moral principles, for the service
of those who wish the services,
without destroying the personal
and religious liberty which all 10y
al Americans support.
To turn to the medical field, the
question of how best to perform
an abortion (for instance) is a
medical question. Whether an
abortion ought to be performed is
always moral question, regard
less of how it is answered.
The Catholic Church teaches
takes position on the moral
and theological questions only. II
Mr.. Blanshard had rallied against
the Catholic Church for having
moral theological doctrines, even
many of his most gullible readers
would probably have said, well
why not? Don't all religions do the
same thing?" What are they sup
posed to do?" So Mr.. Blansharo
attacks not the theological or phil
osophical basis of the moral doc
trines of the Church but denoun
ces the straw man" of "denomina
tional excursions into the field oi
practical medicine"
To Mr.. Blanshard the exercise oil
American freedom by Catholics in
such an area as the contest in Mass
achusetts over amendment of Law
concerning the spread of birth con
troll information is threat tC
American freedom.
A question which seems not Il
have occurred 10 Mr.. BlanShard ano
his supporters, but which should bt
constantly in the thinking of any
one dealing with social policies OIL
personal and religious freedom in
America is: Should not Catholic,
as we'll as Protestants, Jews, Chris
tian Scientists, secularists, anC
atheists have full freedom to be
lieve and teach what they believe
to be religious and moral truth
and even to seek in the demo
cratic process to influence legisla
ton on measures they hold to b,
good for our society?
Or may only others than Cath
olic citizens properly debate sucl
public questions as laws concern
ing: prohibition, religion in edu
cation, euthanasia, sterilization
betting on horse racing, fedora
aid to education, public heaItI
measures, birth control, and in
ternational relations? Is Freedom
Everybody's Business or onl.
the business of everybody excep
Catholics?
Mr.. BlanShard misrepresent
Catholic teaching and practice il
the field of social policies through
out his book. The chief theme O
his book is that the Catholic Churc
is an enemy of American freedor
because the hierarchy through tn
priests controls the thoughts an
actions of American Catholic la,
men; directs them how TO vote
controls the decisions of Catholic
in public life, and enforceS in d,
tail decisions made in Rome col
cerning the social policies whic
Catholics must support or must oI
pose. These positions are assume
and asserted always without proc
The evidence that they are false
abundant and unanswerable.
Take Mr.. Blanshard's CONNER