At the end of Archbishop O’Brien’s column (CR, Sept. 3) was a quote from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops stating their vision of health care reform “will take care to be abortion neutral.” There is no neutral. Current case law states that unless a law expressly forbids funding abortion, the presumption is that abortions are funded (my source: an accomplished trial attorney who has a pro-life record).
In the same vein, I am unable to see how seizing others’ wealth through the power of the state to do good works meets Christ’s criteria in Matthew 25. In both cases, our shepherds have to call for a personal commitment to virtue rather than being neutral or relying on the state to fulfill individual duties.