| Abortion has always been a controversial issue in the United States.The ruling of legalization of abortion made by Roe v.Wade case in 1973 has caused a serious split in the position of the whole American society on the issue of abortion.As the leading body of American Catholics in the United States,National Conference of Catholic Bishops(NCCB)has always adhered to the anti-abortion concept of supporting the right to life,and also played a great role in the anti-abortion movement.However,the efforts of NCCB can only slow down the process of legalization of abortion in the United States,Roe v.Wade’s decision has not been overturned by anti-abortion forces.In this paper,by analyzing the anti-abortion movement of NCCB from 1973 to 1992,the author discusses and summarizes the attitude and measures of NCCB and the influence of the religious power represented by Catholicism on American social problems.This paper makes an investigation of the anti-abortion movement of the NCCB during the period of 1973-1992,specifically analyzes the emergence and development of the debate between the "right to life" and the "right to choose" in America,the attitude of the NCCB in support of the right to life and its anti-abortion measures,as well as its final effect.The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of American Catholicism on American social affairs in this period,and to discuss the underlying reasons and whether the influence of other religious factions on American social affairs has common characteristics.In addition to the introduction and conclusion,this paper is divided into four parts:The first part introduces the social background of the large-scale anti-abortion campaign carried out by NCCB.In the 1960 s,many states in the United States carried out the reform of abortion law and relaxed the restrictions on abortion.The 1973 Roe v.Wade judgment further extended the abortion debate to the whole American society.In this social atmosphere,the "right to life" and "the right to choose" are also battling and tit for tat.The second part introduces the reasons why NCCB support the right to life and their specific attitudes on abortion.After the Roe v.Wade case,NCCB actively issued pastoral letters and speeches from the theological point of view,repeatedly stressed the importance of the right to life,enhanced the voice of supporting the right to life inAmerican society,and provided a theoretical basis for other "right to life" groups to carry out their activities.The third part analyses the specific anti-abortion measures of NCCB.By actively disseminating the thought of right to life to both the people inside and outside the church and the government,further expanding the influence of the "right to life" in American society.NCCB has set up various "right to life" organizations and issued "Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities".Starting from the general public,NCCB has expanded the dissemination of the concept of supporting the right to life,made it penetrate into the daily life of the American people,and provided them with advice and help.At the same time,NCCB also planned to set up a National Committee for A Human Life Amendment,emphasized anti-abortion attitude in the presidential campaign,and made the "right to life" faction reach the core policy-making level from the leadership.In the 1980 s,Cardinal Bernardin also put forward the theory of "seamless garment",placing anti-abortion in a broader bioethics,reiterating the importance of the right to life for Catholicism.The fourth part summarizes the influence of the anti-abortion movement of NCCB.It can be divided into three aspects: the influence on Catholic community,feminism and abortion policy in the United States.With the help of abortion,a controversial topic,NCCB not only accumulated experience for its participation in social affairs in the future,but also provided a more clear analysis and explanation of Catholic morality.In this period,although the anti-abortion movement has made specific achievements in some fields,feminism has developed under the stimulation of the anti-abortion movement,and the goal of NCCB trying to overthrow the Roe v.Wade case has never been achieved.The influence of the religious power represented by Catholicism can not be compared with its own peak period,and its influence is obvious being weaken. |
