Consistently Opposing Killing - now shipping!

It's exciting to be reading my advance copy of Consistently Opposing Killing: From Abortion to Assisted Suicide, the Death Penalty, and War.

Over a year ago, Rachel MacNair remembered that I had done some research that organized an exploration of public opinion around the elements of the seamless garment of life, as described by Cardinal Bernardin. She was in the early stages of planning a multi-author book, and invited me to update that research and contribute a chapter. It appears as "Does the Seamless Garment fit? American Public Opinion."

Having learned a lot about the difficulties of getting a book from concept to publication (most of it by observing how Rachel dealt with it), it's a real delight to be able to read the entire book.

In her preface, Rachel MacNair presents the central idea: the consistent ethic of life is a powerful idea and dynamic - and that inconsistency has blunted the effectiveness of many social movements seeking to preserve life. Each author understands the consistent ethic, and applies it to particular situations of violence (war, the death penalty, welfare and poverty, racism) to highlight the problems. The second section of the book focuses on solutions - activism - grounded in the consistent ethic of life.

Until now, I've known my part and the general outline. I'll be writing about the contributions of others as I read through the book.

Endorsement From Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking: The societal wounds of racism, poverty, and a penchant for using violence to address problems are intimately connected to the death penalty, to war, to the killing of the old and demented, and to the killing of children, unborn and born. If more people were familiar with the consistent life ethic, as expounded in this book, then the voice of all unseen vulnerable people would be better heard.