Perspective
Treasuring our future timelines
Twenty-nine-year-old Dom Brand of South Carolina, in an apparently random act in 2020, shot and killed an 80-year-old woman named Mary Ann Elvington. His action resulted in several tragedies unfolding […]
Perspective
Dehumanizing one another
A female sharpshooter nicknamed “Lady Death” has recently become a Ukrainian folk hero for defiantly attacking Russian soldiers undercover. The young markswoman fought for several years in eastern Ukraine against Kremlin-backed […]
Perspective
Too much morphine?
To help people navigate some of the complex decisions involved in end-of-life situations, the National Catholic Bioethics Center offers a free and confidential consultation service via e-mail or phone. Often […]
Columns
The ethics of pig to human organ transplants
Early this year, a Maryland man suffering from severe heart failure underwent a new experimental procedure, receiving a pig heart transplant. His medical team had determined he would be a […]
Perspective
Eugenics, forced sterilization and protecting the mentally challenged
Although most Americans today are unaware of it, the United States has a sad and extensive history of forced sterilizations, especially within the past century. In 1907, Indiana legalized forced […]
Perspective
New cures from embryonic stem cells?
A recent article in the New York Times by Gina Kolata chronicles the remarkable story of a patient who for many years suffered from Type 1 diabetes. After receiving a newly […]
Perspective
Sexual atoms and molecules
A major issue in bioethics today involves “informed consent,” but some try to make everything about consent. This is especially notable when it comes to ethical discussions around the exercise of […]
Perspective
Decisions of consequence
I recently watched a compelling video prepared by a group called “Heartbeat International.” They provide women who regret having taken an abortion pill the chance to reverse their decision through a […]
Perspective
The moral analysis of boxing
In 1996 when Muhammad Ali lit the Olympic flame on international television, the issue of sports-induced brain damage was raised to new prominence. One of the greatest boxers in history, […]
Perspective
What young people could most profit from hearing about marriage
Young people today experience various pressures and expectations that can make them anxious. In a recent essay, Professor Timothy P. O’Malley, of Notre Dame’s McGrath Institute for Church Life, crisply […]
Perspective
Challenging the establishment on childhood gender transitions
A 23-year-old woman named Keira Bell recently brought a pivotal lawsuit against the National Health Services Gender Identity Development Clinic in London, better known as the Tavistock Clinic. Keira experienced significant […]
Perspective
Countering Catholic misinformation about vaccines
A priest recently mentioned to me that he was not planning to get the COVID-19 vaccine. He told me he was concerned that RNA vaccines could alter our DNA and […]