Irish Vote to Give State Nearly Unbridled Power to Seize Children
The Irish approved an amendment to their national constitution on Saturday that will bring it into compliance with mandates of the United Nations that govern the state’s seizure of children. The margin was 57 percent to 43 percent.
The Alliance of Parents against the State campaigned against passage of the referendum on the measure, which APS says will diminish the rights of parents and give the Irish government nearly unbridled power to seize children. Even worse, APS charges, Irish law will come under the control of the United Nations. The APS and other opponents will likely challenge the result.
The amendment’s key words that pertain to the power the state are “best interests” — meaning the “best interests” of the child. Supposedly the state must always keep the “best interests” of a child uppermost in its decision to seize him. Problem is, APS says, the state determines what those “best...
"The Irish approved an amendment to their national constitution on Saturday that will bring it into compliance with mandates of the United Nations that govern the state’s seizure of children. The margin was 57 percent to 43 percent."
What parent of conscience and love for the child would obey this? There is no moral authority obligating parents to cede control of their children to the state. That some ignorant souls have done so hardly implies all should do so. The Irish have gone to war over less.
Sounds to me like even the original constitutional language is problematic. What is "common good?" What are "natural rights?" If I walk outside & study nature, will I find any such thing? I bet such questions would never occur to Irish Catholics for centuries accustomed to sucb slippery Thomistic language from their priests.
Thus, so far as I'm concerned, Irish parents were already on thin ice. No surprise to me either that the bishops sided with the revision.
This is not surprising. Why is this presented as shocking? The church, especially in Europe and the US, has whored herself out. We are in the spiritual wilderness. We have not heeded the warning of our modern prophets (Francis Schaeffer comes to mind) and have followed the world. Repent and cleanse thyself. God be merciful and gracious, grant us repentance and wisdom.
Dr. Alan Cairns | 2/8/2009
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