Monthly Archives: December 2010

But will they listen?

Posted on December 24, 2010 by Quentin

Quentin writes: Let’s suppose you have a young friend or relation who is clearly becoming more and more involved in a relationship which may well lead to marriage. Suppose you advise your friend that, if your instructions are followed, he … Continue reading →

Posted in Bio-ethics, Moral judgment, Uncategorized | 10 Comments

Death and friendship

Posted on December 16, 2010 by Quentin

Take a moment to think about the best and worst incidents in your life. Was it perhaps getting, or not getting, an important promotion? Or perhaps you won, or failed to win, a coveted award. In fact, the overwhelming odds … Continue reading →

Posted in Catholic Herald columns, Church and Society | 5 Comments

The long and slippery slope

Posted on December 9, 2010 by Quentin

This week I want to start from a comment (no. 53) which Vincent made under “The hole in the dyke?”. It includes the phrase “When the Pope talks about the prostitute taking a step towards moral responsibility, he has moved … Continue reading →

Posted in Bio-ethics, Moral judgment, Quentin queries | 52 Comments

No ghost in the machine

Posted on December 2, 2010 by Quentin

When Luigi Galvani discovered, in the late 1700s, that the application of electricity to a frog could make its limbs contract and twitch, he would have been unlikely to conclude that the whole bodily function was controlled by electricity. Yet … Continue reading →

Posted in Bio-ethics, Catholic Herald columns, Church and Society, Moral judgment | 18 Comments