More Debate Club at Auschwitz

Ed Mechmann takes on Live Action’s tactics at his blog for the Archdiocese of New York.

“Another response to [Christopher] Tollefsen’s argument [against the tactics of Live Action] . . . is less legitimate under Catholic teaching, and is actually quite dangerous.  This claims that Live Action’s tactics are necessary to serve a higher purpose — exposing the evil of Planned Parenthood.  These proponents cite the analogy to the need to lie in order to effectively engage in activities like undercover police work or in spying.

“While this argument is superficially compelling, there are several problems with it. . . . the most significant problem, is that this argument is openly consequentialist (“end justifies the means”) and proportionalist (“the good outweighs the evil”) — neither of which is an acceptable Christian position.  Indeed, both of these approaches have been specifically condemned by the Church, most clearly in Pope John Paul II’s encyclical on moral doctrine, Veritatis Splendor.”

Read the rest.