Great News: United Nations Acts on Nuclear Weapons! The treaty to ban nuclear weapons entirely that we mentioned was in the works has now reached a milestone: the draft of the treaty has been negotiated. See more details in The Guardian.
Negotiations continue in June. There will be a Women's March and Rally to Ban the Bomb in New York City (men welcome too!) on June 17. Our member group Rehumanize International is planning to have a contingent there. Details to be announced. Our Advisory Board member John Whitehead is working on a having a vigil in Washington D.C. on that date. If you are interested in participating, email him.
Kicked Out Again
In our decades-long ongoing series of peace groups saying they want to expand the peace movement and then deliberately diminishing it: Rehumanize International (RI) was removed as a co-sponsor from the Pittsburgh March Against War because of their pro-life stand. This is sponsored by a coalition called Pittsburghers in Solidarity Against War. Its stated aim is to rebuild a mass anti-war movement. Aimee reports: “I was on the call on which it was democratically decided that Rehumanize International would no longer be allowed to participate as a co-sponsor of the march. I heard them go down the list and each organization was asked to respond with ‘remove,’ ‘stay’ or ‘abstain.’ I was the only to vote for ‘stay.’ And I remember, with abundant clarity, when they got to Thomas Merton Center and the response was, ‘remove.’ My jaw felt like it hit the floor. My stomach sank. An organization representing one of my Catholic social justice heroes had placed a vote that was entirely contrary to what Merton actually believed.” See quotation below. Later, Aimee heard that the Center denies having voted that way. Many of the representatives hadn’t consulted with their organizations’ boards, so there’s some sorting out to do. RI posted a video the same day as the vote explaining what happened. They will, of course, still have a friendly contingent in the march, as is consistent-life custom. Photo: Aimee Murphy and Rosemary Geraghty
Interview with Aimee
Crux magazine has published Charles Camosy doing an interview with Aimee Murphy (pictured above) of Rehumanize International, called "'Consistent Life Ethic’ needed to change attitudes on abortion.”
More on Our Conference "Creating a Holistic Culture of Peace: Bridging the Life/Peace Divide” is at Eastern University (near Philadelphia), Aug. 4-6. Registration open. More on some of the 16 workshops: ∞ Do you want to start writing or speaking out for the consistent-life movement, or improve your skills? John Whitehead and Sarah Terzo (writer for 'Live Action") will have a workshop for you. ∞ Maureen Swinger with Plough Publishing and Alex Schadenberg with the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition address "throwaway culture" – getting rid of pregnancies, disabled children, or sick elderly relatives. ∞ Peace, Pacifism, and Just War. Rob Arner, author of Consistently Pro-Life: The Ethics of Bloodshed in Ancient Christianity; Bill Hartman, with Catholic Peace Fellowship; and Rachel MacNair, author of several consistent-life books, are among the leaders of this workshop. Financial assistance is available for those who need it to be able to attend. For any questions, email Lisa Stiller.
Latest CL Blog: A Pro-Life Feminist Critique of the “Rape and Incest Exception” This week Rachel MacNair considers: What does making an exception do to the pro-life argument? What kinds of trauma are added to rape – including trauma for those women impregnated by rape who choose not to have an abortion – because people advocate for a rape exception? And what message does the availability of abortion send to potential rapists?
Quotation of the Week Thomas Merton Cold War Letters, p. 38 (to Dorothy Day, December 20, 1961)
It seems a little strange that we are so wildly exercised about the “murder” (and the word is of course correct) of an unborn infant by abortion . . . and yet accept without a qualm the extermination of millions of helpless and innocent adults [with nuclear weapons] . . . I submit that we ought to fulfill the one without omitting the other.
Responses/News tips/Questions to share are all welcome.
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