Editing Consistent life ethic (section)

==History==
{{Integralism}}
The phrase "consistent ethic of life" was used as far back as a 1971 speech delivered by then-Archbishop [[Humberto Medeiros]] of Boston.<ref name="Gregg">{{cite news | last=Gregg | first=Samuel | title=The Consistent—and Not So Seamless—Ethic of Life | website=Catholic World Report | date=13 August 2015 | url=http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Item/4098/the_consistentand_not_so_seamlessethic_of_life.aspx | access-date=2 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170620215240/https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2015/08/13/the-consistent-and-not-so-seamless-ethic-of-life/ |archive-date=2017-06-20}}</ref>{{Christian Democracy sidebar}}

===Eileen Egan===
In 1971, the [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] pacifist [[Eileen Egan]] coined the phrase "seamless garment" to describe a holistic reverence for life.<ref name="Dear 2005" /><ref name=Leach>{{cite news |url=https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/soul-seeing/cardinal-bernardin's-gift-fits-all-sizes |last=Leach |first=Michael |title=Cardinal Bernardin's gift fits all sizes |work=National Catholic Reporter |date=6 November 2012 |access-date=25 July 2017}}</ref> The phrase is a [[Bible]] reference from John 19:23 to the [[seamless robe of Jesus]], which his executioners left whole rather than dividing it at his execution. The seamless garment philosophy holds that issues such as abortion, capital punishment, militarism, euthanasia, social injustice, and economic injustice all demand a consistent application of moral principles valuing the sanctity of human life. "The protection of life", said Egan, "is a seamless garment. You can't protect some life and not others."  Her words were meant to challenge members of society who divided their commitment to protecting and cherishing human life, choosing anti-war stances but not anti-abortion work, or  those members of the [[anti-abortion]] movement who were in favor of capital punishment.

===J. Bryan Hehir===
[[J. Bryan Hehir]], staff writer for the [[United States Conference of Catholic Bishops]] on political affairs, is credited by [[Charles Curran (theologian)|Charles Curran]] with coining the term "consistent ethic of life"<ref>{{cite book | last=Curran | first=C.E. | title=Loyal Dissent: Memoir of a Catholic Theologian | publisher=Georgetown University Press | series=Moral Traditions series | year=2006 | isbn=978-1-58901-363-6 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NiRok8QcSnoC&pg=PA103 | access-date=25 July 2017 | page=103}}</ref><ref>Other attribute the term to Bernardin himself, eg. {{cite book | last1=Cosacchi | first1=D. | last2=Martin | first2=E. | title=The Berrigan Letters: Personal Correspondence between Daniel and Philip Berrigan | publisher=Orbis Books | year=2016 | isbn=978-1-60833-631-9 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i5ycCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT13 | access-date=25 July 2017 | page=13}}</ref>

===Cardinal Joseph Bernardin===
Cardinal [[Joseph Bernardin]] of [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago|Chicago]] helped publicize the consistent life ethic idea, initially in a lecture at Fordham University, December 6, 1983.  At first Bernardin spoke out against nuclear war and abortion. However, he quickly expanded the scope of his view to include all aspects of human life. In that Fordham University lecture, Bernardin said: "The spectrum of life cuts across the issues of genetics, abortion, capital punishment, modern warfare and the care of the terminally ill."<ref name="ReferenceA">Overberg, Kenneth R. S.J.:"A Consistent Ethic of Life", Catholic Update, St. Anthony's Press, 2009</ref>  Bernardin said that although each of the issues was distinct, nevertheless the issues were linked since the valuing and defending of (human) life were, he believed, at the center of both issues. Bernardin told an audience in Portland, Oregon: "When human life is considered 'cheap' or easily expendable in one area, eventually nothing is held as sacred and all lives are in jeopardy."<ref name="ReferenceA" />

Bernardin drew his stance from New Testament principles, specifically of forgiveness and reconciliation, yet he argued that neither the themes nor the content generated from those themes were exclusively Christian.<ref name="Walter, James J 2005">Walter, James J. and Shannon, Thomas A.: ''Contemporary Issues in Bioethics: A Catholic perspective'', Rowan and Littlefeild Publishers, 2005.</ref> By doing this, Bernardin attempted to create a dialogue with others who were not necessarily aligned with Christianity.

Bernardin and other advocates of this ethic sought to form a consistent policy that would link abortion, capital punishment, economic injustice, euthanasia, and unjust war.<ref name="Bernardin, Joseph 1988" /> Bernardin sought to unify conservative Catholics (who opposed abortion) and liberal Catholics (who opposed capital punishment) in the United States. By relying on fundamental principles, Bernardin also sought to coordinate work on several different spheres of Catholic [[moral theology]]. In addition, Bernardin argued that since the 1950s the church had moved against its own historical, [[casuistry|casuistic]] exceptions to the protection of life. "To summarize the shift succinctly, the presumption against taking human life has been strengthened and the exceptions made ever more restrictive."<ref name="Bernardin, Joseph 1988" />

===Growth and present-day activity===
The non-profit organization Consistent Life Network, founded in 1987 as the Seamless Garment Network, promotes adherence to the ethic through education and non-violent action.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Vision & Mission|url=https://www.consistentlifenetwork.org/mission|access-date=2021-02-07|website=consistent-life|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Member Organizations|url=https://www.consistentlifenetwork.org/member-orgs|access-date=2021-02-07|website=consistent-life|language=en}}</ref> Individual endorsers belonging to the organization include Father [[Daniel Berrigan]], theologian [[Harvey Cox]], ''Village Voice'' columnist [[Nat Hentoff]], Father [[Theodore Hesburgh]], actress [[Patricia Heaton]], ''[[L'Arche]]'' founder [[Jean Vanier]], death penalty activist Sister [[Helen Prejean]], pastor and activist Patrick Mahoney, author [[Ken Kesey]], [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] [[Rowan Williams]] and Nobel Peace Prize laureates [[Mairead Corrigan Maguire]] and [[Adolfo Pérez Esquivel]].<ref name="endorsers">{{cite web|title=Consistent Life Individual Endorsers As of January 9, 2017|url=http://www.consistent-life.org/clsigners.pdf|website=Consistent Life Network|access-date=17 January 2017}}</ref> [[Rachel MacNair]], for ten years (1994–2004) President of [[Feminists for Life]], an anti-abortion organization, is the director of the Institute for Integrated Social Analysis, the research arm of Consistent Life Network.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.consistent-life.org/research.html |title=Institute for Integrated Social Analysis |publisher=Consistent Life Network |access-date=9 January 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last1=Derr | first1=M.K. | last2=MacNair | first2=R. | last3=Naranjo-Huebl | first3=L. | title=Prolife Feminism: Yesterday and Today | publisher=Feminism and Nonviolence Studies Association | year=2005 | isbn=978-1-4134-9577-5 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z35RPgAACAAJ}}</ref>

The Network also consists of member groups such as Rehumanize International, created under the name Life Matters Journal by Aimee Murphy in 2011.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Camosy |first=Charles |date=18 May 2017 |title='Consistent Life Ethic' needed to change attitudes on abortion |work=Crux |url=https://cruxnow.com/interviews/2017/05/18/consistent-life-ethic-needed-change-attitudes-abortion |access-date=20 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Graham|first=Ruth|date=11 October 2016|title=The New Culture of Life|language=en-US|work=Slate|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/cover_story/2016/10/the_future_of_the_pro_life_movement.html|access-date=10 April 2017|issn=1091-2339}}</ref>  Secular Pro-Life, [[Democrats for Life of America]], the Pro-Life Alliance of Gays and Lesbians (PLAGAL), and All Our Lives (a pro-contraception feminist group), [[New Wave Feminists]] (led by [[Destiny Herndon-De La Rosa]]), and the [[American Solidarity Party]], a [[Christian Democratic]] political party, are all additional members.<ref name="Hedges2020">{{cite journal |author1=James Hedges |author-link=James Hedges |title=Prohibition Platform incorporates a Consistent Life Ethic |journal=National Prohibitionist |date=June 2020 |volume=10 |issue=2 |page=4 |publisher=Mercersburg Printing |language=en |issn=1549-9251}}</ref><ref name="Hughes">{{cite news|last=Hughes|first=Mariann|date=30 October 2016|title=The search for a third way in U.S. politics|work=Our Sunday Visitor|url=https://www.osv.com/OSVNewsweekly/Article/TabId/535/ArtMID/13567/ArticleID/20947/The-search-for-a-third-way-in-US-politics.aspx|access-date=2 February 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Complete Platform|url=http://www.solidarity-party.org/complete-platform|access-date=2 February 2017|website=American Solidarity Party}}</ref><ref name="Halper 2016">{{cite news|last=Halper|first=Daniel|date=9 June 2016|title=WH Denies Endorsement Will Intimidate FBI Investigators|work=Weekly Standard|url=http://www.weeklystandard.com/wh-denies-endorsement-will-intimidate-fbi-investigators/article/2002757|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610140434/http://www.weeklystandard.com/wh-denies-endorsement-will-intimidate-fbi-investigators/article/2002757|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 June 2016|access-date=11 February 2017}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite web|title=About|url=https://www.newwavefeminists.com/about|access-date=11 February 2017|website=New Wave Feminists}}</ref> These organizations collaborate with Consistent Life Network for activism and volunteer outreach efforts.

Along with the [[American Solidarity Party]], the [[Prohibition Party]], a [[minor party|minor political party]] in the United States, endorses a consistent life ethic.<ref name="Hedges2020"/>

The [[USCCB|United States Conference of Catholic Bishops]] promotes the [[culture of life]], which their endorsers also claim to mean the consistent ethic of life, through publications, volunteer efforts, and declarations. Several Catholic dioceses have groups created with the aim of promoting the consistent life ethic in their communities and putting it into practice.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Culture Of Life {{!}} USCCB|url=https://www.usccb.org/committees/pro-life-activities/culture-life|access-date=2021-02-07|website=www.usccb.org}}</ref> The [[Catholic Worker Movement]], established by [[Dorothy Day]] and [[Peter Maurin]], is an organization primarily aimed towards grassroots organization and volunteer work to serve the poor, marginalized, and those facing unexpected pregnancies.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Catholic Worker Movement|url=https://www.catholicworker.org/cw-aims-and-means.html|access-date=2021-02-07|website=www.catholicworker.org}}</ref>

Other prominent authors who have written in support of the consistent life ethic include [[Frank Pavone]],<ref>{{cite web |last=Pavone |first=Frank |url=http://www.priestsforlife.org/columns/4378-the-consistent-ethic-of-life-myths-and-realities |title=The Consistent Ethic of Life: Myths and Realities |website=Priests for Life |date=1 January 1999 |access-date=25 July 2017}}</ref> [[John Dear]],<ref name="Dear 2008">{{cite web | last=Dear | first=John | title=The Consistent Ethic of Life | website=FatherJohnDear.org | date=15 July 2008 | url=http://www.fatherjohndear.org/articles/the_consistent_ethic.html | access-date=9 March 2017 }}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref name="Dear 2005">{{cite book | last=Dear | first=J. | title=The God of Peace: Toward A Theology of Nonviolence | publisher=Wipf & Stock Publishers | year=2005 | isbn=978-1-59752-112-3 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xE5LAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA158 | access-date=9 March 2017 | page=158ff}}</ref><ref name="endorsers-web">{{cite web | title=Consistent Life Network Endorsers | website=Consistent Life Network | url=http://www.consistentlifenetwork.org/endorsers | access-date=9 March 2017}}</ref> [[Ron Sider]],<ref>{{cite book|last1=Sider|first1=Ron|title=Completely Pro-Life|date=1987|publisher=Intervarsity Press|isbn=978-0-8308-1706-1}}</ref> [[James Hedges]],<ref name="Hedges2020"/> [[Tony Campolo]],<ref>{{cite news|last1=Campolo|first1=Tony|title=Who is Really Pro-Life?|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tony-campolo/who-is-really-prolife_b_31947.html|access-date=13 January 2017|work=Huffington Post|date=18 October 2006}} (revised 25 May 2011)</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Merritt|first1=Jonathan|title=Tony Campolo hits hard on abortion, gay marriage, Israel and more|url=http://religionnews.com/2013/12/17/tony-campolo-hits-hard-hot-button-issues/|access-date=13 January 2017|work=Religion News Service|date=17 December 2013}}</ref><ref name="Pally" /> [[Joel Hunter]],<ref name="Pally">{{cite news|last1=Pally|first1=Marcia|title=The New Evangelicals: How Christians are rethinking Abortion and Gay Marriage|url=http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2011/12/28/3399068.htm|access-date=13 January 2017|work=Australian Broadcasting Commission|date=28 December 2011}}</ref> [[Wendell Berry]],<ref>{{cite letter |last=Berry |first=Wendell |date=22 June 1986 |subject=The consequences of treating a fetus as a human being: Reader survey on abortion |work=Whole Earth Review |url=http://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/users/rauch/nvp/consistent/whole-earth.html |access-date=8 August 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Berry |first=Wendell |title=The failure of war}}</ref><ref name="endorsers-web" /> and [[Shane Claiborne]].<ref name="Pally" /><ref>{{cite web|last1=Claiborne|first1=Shane|title=A Dialogue on What it Means to be Pro-Life|url=https://www.redletterchristians.org/a-dialogue-on-what-it-means-to-be-pro-life/|website=Red Letter Christians|access-date=13 January 2017|date=22 January 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Claiborne|first1=Shane|title=The Irresistible Revolution|year=2006|url=https://archive.org/details/irresistiblerevo00clai|url-access=registration|publisher=Zondervan|isbn=9780310266303}}</ref>