Church Teaching Civil Rights & Obligations
Each member of society is invested with a certain number of rights. With them come responsibilities.
Each of us, for example, is called to use all the time, talent and resources entrusted to us during our lifetime – including all the circumstances and advantages of our birth(s) – to accomplish the Lord’s work of seeking the truth and leading others to it. Because others very often do not all enjoy the same benefits entrusted to us, a large part of our work for the Lord is to ensure that all within our reach are able to care for themselves and fulfill their own duties to the Lord, within the limits of the capacities entrusted to them. See, for example, Matthew, Chapter 25.
Racism & Discrimination
The unity of the human family is not yet becoming a reality. This is due to obstacles originating in materialistic and nationalistic ideologies that contradict the values of the person integrally considered in all his various dimensions, material and spiritual, individual and community. In particular, any theory or form whatsoever of racism and racial discrimination is morally unacceptable. -433, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
Conscience & Religion
The Catholic Church emphasizes, among other rights, the right to religious freedom. Emphasis is given to the paramount value of the right to religious freedom: “all men are to be immune from coercion on the part of individuals or of social groups and of any human power, in such wise that no one is to be forced to act in a manner contrary to his own beliefs, whether privately or publicly, whether alone or in association with others, within due limits”. The respect of this right is an indicative sign of “man’s authentic progress in any regime, in any society, system or milieu.” -320, 321 Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
With euthanasia and medically-assisted death and abortion legalized, it is critical that healthcare providers whose deepest moral convictions tell them that such procedures are wrong, not be forced to participate. Catholic teaching says workers should be safeguarded from suffering any affront to conscience or personal dignity.
It is a grave duty of conscience to avoid cooperating, even formally, with practices contrary to the Law of God.
Freedom of Speech: truth, the press & the media
Information is among the principal instruments of democratic participation. Participation without an understanding of the situation of the political community, the facts and the proposed solutions to problems is unthinkable.
It is necessary to guarantee a real pluralism in the dissemination of information, ensuring that there are many forms and instruments of information and communications. Special attention must be given to the phenomenon of the news media being controlled by just a few people or groups. This has dangerous effects for the entire democratic system… The media must be used to build up and sustain the human community in its different sectors: economic, political, cultural, educational and religious. Society has a right to information based on truth, freedom, justice and solidarity. The essential question is whether the current information system is contributing to the betterment of the human person; that is, does it make people more spiritually mature, more aware of the dignity of their humanity, more responsible or more open to others, in particular to the neediest and the weakest.
A further aspect of great importance is that new technologies must respect legitimate cultural differences. In the world of the media the intrinsic difficulties of communications are often exacerbated by ideology, the desire for profit and political control, rivalry and conflicts between groups, and other social evils. Moral values and principles apply also to the media…. 414-416, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
Gender Equity
The feminine genius is needed in all expressions in the life of society. The first indispensable step in this direction is the concrete possibility of access to professional formation. The persistence of many forms of discrimination offensive to the dignity and vocation of women is due to a long series of conditioning that penalizes women, who have seen themselves relegated to the margins of society and even reduced to servitude… An urgent need to recognize effectively the rights of women in the workplace is seen especially under the aspects of pay, insurance and social security. –295, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
Property
Private property and other forms of private ownership of goods “assure a person a highly necessary sphere for the exercise of his personal and family autonomy and ought to be considered as an extension of human freedom … stimulating exercise of responsibility, it constitutes one of the conditions for civil liberty.” -171, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
The Church’s social doctrine requires that ownership of goods be equally accessible to all, so that all may become, at least in some measure, owners. The world exists for everyone, because all of us were born with the same dignity. Diff1erences of colour, religion, talent, place of birth or residence, and so many others, cannot be used to justify the privileges of some over the rights of all. As a community, we have an obligation to ensure that every person lives with dignity and has sufficient opportunities for his or her integral development. -176, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
Not to share our wealth with the poor is to rob them and take away their livelihood. The riches we possess are not our own, but theirs as well… Other rights having to do with the goods necessary for the integral fulfilment of persons, including that of private property or any other type of property, should in no way hinder [this right], but should actively facilitate its implementation. Fratelli tutti, -188-120
Human Rights
The Church also recognizes a number of Human Rights, including “the right to life, an integral part of which is the right of the child to develop in the mother’s womb from the moment of conception; the right to live in a united family and in a moral environment conducive to the growth of the child’s personality; the right to develop one’s intelligence and freedom in seeking and knowing the truth; the right to share in the work which makes wise use of the earth’s material resources, and to derive from that work the means to support oneself and one’s dependents; and the right freely to establish a family, to have and to rear children through the responsible exercise of one’s sexuality. The Church also emphases rights to adequate housing; clean water, and secure, nutritious food; education and access to culture, transportation, basic health care. – 151-166 Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
Individual Responsibilities
“In human society to one man’s right there corresponds a duty in all other persons: the duty, namely, of acknowledging and respecting the right in question.” “Those, therefore, who claim their own rights, yet altogether forget or neglect to carry out their respective duties, are people who build with one hand and destroy with the other. -156 Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
Subsidiarity
Subsidiarity is the principle that each element of society should serve its proper purpose, and support others in serving theirs. One consequence of this principle is that each individual, and smaller groups of people, should be allowed to make for themselves all the decisions that can responsibly be left to them, rather than to larger groups or greater authorities. This is one of the fundamental social teachings of the Church, since it helps to ensure that each individual is empowered to find his or her own way to God.
Families, Individuals, and Civil Society
It is impossible to promote the dignity of the person without showing concern for the family, groups, associations, local territorial realities; in short, for that aggregate of economic, social, cultural, sports-oriented, recreational, professional and political expressions to which people spontaneously give life and which make it possible for them to achieve effective social growth. This is the realm of civil society… This network of relationships strengthens the social fabric and constitutes the basis of a true community of persons, making possible the recognition of higher forms of social activity.
The political community is established to be of service to civil society, from which it originates… This vision is challenged by political ideologies of an individualistic nature and those of a totalitarian character, which tend to absorb civil society into the sphere of the State. The political community and civil society are not equal in the hierarchy of ends. The political community is essentially at the service of civil society and, in the final analysis, the persons and groups of which civil society is composed.
The State must provide an adequate legal framework for social subjects to engage freely in their different activities and it must be ready to intervene, when necessary and with respect for the principle of subsidiarity, so that the interplay between free associations and democratic life may be directed to the common good. -185, 417, 418 Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
Subsidiary governments: provinces, municipalities, territories, & Aboriginals
The principle of subsidiarity is opposed to various forms of centralization, bureaucratization, and welfare assistance, and to the unjustified and excessive presence of the State in public mechanisms… Just as it is gravely wrong to take from individuals what they can accomplish by their own initiative and industry and give it to the community, so also it is an injustice and at the same time a grave evil and disturbance of right order to assign to a greater and higher association what lesser and subordinate organizations can do. -185, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
Alberta Party The party undertakes to:
– defend the rights of all Albertans regardless of race, religious belief, colour, sex, gender identity, physical disability, mental disability, age, ancestry, place of origin, marital status, source of income, family status or sexual orientation.
Alberta Green Parry The party states that the six principles of the Global Green movement include:
– a commitment to participatory democracy, and that in a healthy democracy all citizens have the right to express their views and are able to directly participate in the environmental, economic, social and political decisions which affect their lives
– respect for diversity, for example, racial, linguistic, ethnic, sexual, religious and spiritual, within the context of individual responsibility toward all beings
Human Rights
Food Security
The party advocates:
– enforcement of the legal right to food as set out in the international covenant on economic, social and cultural rights
– increasing food security by supporting small and medium-sized agroecological mixed farms, encouraging the diversification of food crops and farm animals, stewarding nature on the farm, and fostering a culture of growing, eating and preserving healthy local foods
– amending the school curriculum to ensure that every child has the knowledge and skills to grow food to feed themselves, and understands the current global food system
Non-discriminatory hiring
The party states that respect for human dignity and individuality lies at the heart of human rights, and it advocates:
– robust legal protection for the human rights of all Albertans, including ensuring that the Alberta Human Rights Commission functions effectively to promote respect for human rights in the province
– amendment of the Alberta Human Rights Act to require prospective employers to eliminate names, gender, and age from initial hiring and application processes in order to reduce discrimination
– amendment of the Alberta Human Rights Act to make it illegal to discriminate in employment on the basis that a person has been convicted of a criminal or summary conviction offence that is unrelated to the employment, or to the intended employment, of that person
– amendmento f the Alberta Human Rights Act so that a. it is illegal for an employer to ask for a criminal record check until a job offer has been made, and b. where an offer is made and a criminal record is shown to exist, it would be illegal for the employer to withdraw the job offer, unless the offence for which there is a conviction is related to the intended employment of that person
Gender Identification
The party advocates mandating that all governmental departments and agencies include an option to specify “other” wherever gender is to be specified in forms or other procedures.
Independence Party Civil Liberties
Responsible Gun Ownership
The party advocates:
– reform of existing firearms legislation to provide Albertans with fairer, safer, and simpler gun laws,. i. including elimination of the restricted firearms list and greatly reduced numbers of prohibited firearms, migrating these firearms to the non-restricted list
– harsher penalties for the possession of illegal firearms
– penalties for violent and organised criminal activities
– free, mandatory mental health screenings upon the renewal of a license
– educating licensees on the complications of mental illnesses
– ensuring that Albertans suffering from mental illnesses receive the care they need. If it is found that the individual’s mental health could pose a danger to themselves or society, ownship licenses will not be issued or renewed. The license holder will be required to surrender his firearms or produce proof of appropriate disposal of them
– striving to greatly reduce license processing times for new licenses and renewals, capping the period at one month
– ensuring that Albertans who use firearms defensively are not punished unfairly. The party believes that it is deeply immoral to deprive Albertans of the ability to defend their own lives and property and will strive to ensure that mentally sound Albertans retain that ability, and that it is not reasonable to expect Albertans to sacrifice their own life or the lives of their loved ones for the sake of a criminal’s actions
Alberta Liberal Party The party states that among its core values are commitments to:
– create a tolerant, inclusive and free Alberta
– stand with the LGBTQ2S+ community
– give dignity and freedom to people trapped in poverty, including a hand up, not a hand out
– protect human rights at all costs
– boost equality of opportunity for all Albertans
Civil Liberties
The party states that a just society provides equal opportunity to all citizens, letting them succeed or fail on their own merits
Gender Equality
The party states that:
– Canada has the largest gender pay gap among OECD Nations, and that Alberta has the largest gap in Canada
– Alberta is the province in Canada without pay equity legislation
The party advocates:
– implementation of Pay Equity Legislation that requires companies to prove they are paying men and women equally and fine those who are not
– boosting funding for women’s shelters in Alberta to address the 10% increase in crisis calls to shelters over the last two years – 54% of women who enter shelters face “severe” or “extreme” danger
– enactment of budgets that have a special focus on examining and assessing their impacts on women and minorities, to ensure policies, programs, initiatives and funding support the goal of equality of opportunity for all
– introduction of free birth control for women, because birth control is important to a woman’s health, freedom and happiness and access to birth control creates significant savings in healthcare, boosts the economy and improves health outcomes for women
– ensuring support for female politicians and their childcare responsibilities, and ensuring rules and procedures are updated to ensure women can participate as fully as men in our Government
– because there have been some glaring instances where some police officers and judges have shown that they do not understand issues pertainng to sexual assault, sexual harassment, or sexual consent, mandating appropriate training for all police officers and judges
– exploring portable housing as a tool to help women fleeing domestic violence, including direct financial assistance to women seeking a home while fleeing violence.
Universal Child Care
The party states that:
– providing subsidized child care improves labour participation for women, injecting billions into our economy annually
– when you invest in child care, you invest in women; and when you invest in women, you invest in Alberta
So that every parent has an opportunity to participate in the workforce and be a parent, the party advocates:
– implementing universal subsidized child care for all Albertans
– testing the system to make it cost-effective and ensure the Albertans who need it the most will pay the least. Families earning $40,000 and under will pay $0 a day, scaling up to $45 a day for high-income families
– creating an income-tested Refundable Child Care Tax Credit for low- and middle-income families who have a stay-at-home parent or pursue other child care options
– providing funding to create new child care spaces to address space shortages
Reproductive rights
The party advocates:
– making sure all women have full access to abortion
– making sure abortion procedures are more easily available in rural communities
– funding one cycle of in-vitro fertilisation treatment for women and families who have infertility issues and want to start a family
Transgender supports
The party states that it is committed to funding medical procedures for transgender Albertans, including elimination of gate-keeping and fully funding hormone treatments for trans women
Human Rights
The party states that:
– it believes in the equality, autonomy and worth of every individual, and has led the charge on these issues in the past
– it will continue to fight for the freedom and dignity of every human being
The party advocates:
– since the last comprehensive review of Alberta’s Human Rights Act was over 22 years ago, modernizing the legislation with a comprehensive review and expanding it to prevent discrimination on the grounds of pregnancy, social condition, Indigenous heritage, political belief, language, addiction, HIV-positive status, physical size or weight
– guaranteeing non-discrimination in employment through financial and administrative support for those bringing complaints
Socially-Assisted Death (SAD)
– requiring all health facilities, including Covenant Health facilities, to provide MAID services on site. Individuals have conscience rights, facilities do not. Public health facilities must provide this service to prevent undue suffering for MAID patients and respect their constitutional right to MAID
Racism
The party states that:
– it is committed to a safe and inclusive Alberta, and will work with Albertans from all backgrounds to fight against racism and hate groups.
– diversity is Alberta’s strength, and it stands with the province’s multicultural communities.
Inclusion
The party states that:
– it sees inclusion as a universal human right
– the aim of inclusion is to embrace all people irrespective of race, gender, age, disability, medical or other characteristic. It is about giving equal access and opportunities and eliminating discrimination, intolerance and barriers to full participation in society, and affects all aspects of public life
The party advocates:
– ensuring that policy decisions are made with an inclusive lens, and engaging with citizens, families and stakeholders on policy that affects their lives, and defend and support inclusion and accessibility
LGBTQ2S+
The party advocates:
– updating the Alberta Curriculum with age-appropriate content about the history of LGBTQ2S+ populations in Canada and the world, and their struggles to achieve equality
– as the the first party in Alberta to support GSAs and introduce GSA Legislation, it supports mandatory GSAs in all schools where they are requested, and it fundamentally opposes informing parents that their child has joined a GSA without their consent
– ensuring that the hateful and medically-reckless practice of conversion therapy is banned in Alberta imediately, based on initial legislation on that in place in other provinces
Alberta NDP Civil Liberties
The party states that during its term in office it:
– developed a comprehensive anti-racism strategy and created an anti-racism advisory council to lead this important work
– began creation of a Provincial Hate Crimes Unit that will work with police and law enforcement, including Crown prosecutors, to improve the specialized training they receive to fight hate crimes
– created new community grants for grassroots organizations working to combat racism
– worked to ensure Alberta students learn about racism and about the modern, diverse make-up of the province through the curriculum review
– passed An Act to Support Gay Straight Alliances into law to protect a student’s right to form a gay-straight alliance at their school without fear of being outed
– produced LGBTQ Youth Housing and Shelter Guidelines to help ensure youth feel safe when accessing housing and homeless shelters and services
– added gender identity and gender expression to the list of prohibited grounds for discrimination in the human rights code
– made changes so Albertans can now choose Female, Male or “X” on their driver’s licences, ID cards and vital statistics records, such as birth certificates and death certificates
– announced a Conversion Therapy Working Group that will make recommendations to the Minister of Health on how to most effectively ban this dangerous and harmful practice
– raised the Transgender Pride flag at the Alberta Legislature for the first time in Alberta’s history
The party advocates:
– reforming government hiring practices to eliminate bias
– creation of a Ministry of Multiculturalism to educate and promote diversity, inclusion and mutual respect among all Albertans
– working with communities that have experienced hate crimes at their places of worship to increase security and to restore a sense of safety
Responsibilities, participation and subsidiarity
The party advocates:
– reviewing and modernizing grants to community groups and non-profit organizations, giving consideration to multi-year, sustainable funding arrangements, reducing the time between funding decisions and money flowing, and flexible forms of funding to allow a broader range of organizations to be eligible
Prolife Alberta The party has provided no official statement regarding its policies or positions regarding:
– civil liberties
– human rights
– responsibilities, participation and subsidiarity
United Conservatives The party states that:
– a full life includes work that provides not only a living, but dignity. Therefore its first priority is to boost the economy and bring quality jobs back to Alberta
– however, “the good life” includes much more than material well-being
– while government can’t guarantee a good life, it has a central role in establishing many of the conditions for it like health, safety, education, and support for the vulnerable
To make life better for Albertans, the party advocates:
– partnering with Non-Profits, Charities, and Volunteers will help create a brighter future for Albertans who need a hand up by assisting the groups best positioned to help Albertans in their communities
– promoting municipal autonomy and predictability while ensuring transparency for voter
– providing thorough protection for Albertans’ property rights through new legislation and a review of all existing legislation
Civil liberties
Freedom of Speech
The party advocates:
– requiring all universities and colleges to develop, post, and comply with free speech policies that conform to the University of Chicago Statement on Principles of Free Expression
Property Rights
The party states that within the Canadian Constitution there exists no explicit right to private property, and that this has led to government abuse of property owners, including:
– false premises for expropriation
– low compensation offers and devalued property
– compensation offers that do not account for improvements, and
– government “freezing” part or all of a private property with regulation but offering no compensation
The party advocates ensuring just compensation when necessary public projects require access to, or use of, private property, including compensation when a government imposes regulatory costs or takes action that significantly devalues property through passage of a new Alberta Property Rights Protection Act that will further entrench the right not to be deprived of enjoyment or use of property without due process of law, including:
– proposing an amendment to the Constitution to enshrine property rights in Alberta
– amending the Land Titles Act to bar adverse possession claims so that Alberta no longer allows squatters to make legal claims to someone else’s property
– treating government regulation of real property the same as government expropriation for the purposes of compensation
– allowing private property owners to convert government attempts to regulate property into an expropriation action if desired
– preserving the right of governments to expropriate and regulate for the public good
– tasking a Legislature Committee with reviewing relevant legislation and government policies to determine what changes are needed to ensure compliance with property rights
– ensuring government departments and agencies, boards, and commissions account for any potential costs and/or loss of value to private property in new regulatory proposals
– creating a Property and Farmer’s Rights Advocate Office out of the existing two offices to reduce duplication of roles and operations and to provide more support for Albertans
Participation and subsidiarity
In view of difficulties faced by organizations trying to aid society in the face of administrative and infrastructure problems, the party advocates:
– adopting a Freedom to Care Act that allows for charitable and non-profit groups to apply for a “common sense exemption” from regulations that are designed primarily for commercial application where those regulations have the unintended consequence of preventing a social good from being performed
– creating a Premier’s Charities Council to advise the government on how best to assist the efforts of civil society groups
– creating a weekly Points of Light Award to recognize outstanding groups or individuals who exemplify Alberta’s spirit of volunteerism
– creating a $20 million Civil Society Fund supported by the Alberta Lotteries Fund to support innovative cost-shared programs delivered by community groups
– wherever possible, partnering with civil society organisations to deliver government programming and services where they can achieve results more efficiently and effectively
– ensuring that faith-based charities and non-profits have equal access to government grants and contributions
– supporting projects like the Alberta Social Venture Initiative, and the Trio Foundation’s Social EnterPrize, a national award that celebrates the best and brightest of Canada’s social entrepreneurs
– reducing bureaucratic burdens such as renewal obligations for proven civil society groups that deliver results for Albertans, including moving to five-year funding agreements if and where possible
– maintaining the most generous charitable tax credit of any province in Canada to incentivize charitable giving
Points to Ponder Consider asking your local candidates, elected representatives, and the parties the following questions, and discussing their answers with your family, friends, neighbours, coworkers, and fellow parishioners:
Civil Rights & Liberties
Privacy
As we continue with COVID recovery and related economic uncertainty, phase:
– concerns have been raised regarding federal and provincial tracking, retention, and use of private information, including for example information required for vaccine passports. To what extent is the collection and use of such information by governments appropriate, and to what extent should it be limited? How important is the right of privacy during a time of perceived emergency such as a pandemic, and to what types of personal information does it apply?
Freedom of Thought and Expression
At least some of the parties have expressed concern about the possible suppression of free speech and thought, particularly in the contexts of post-secondary education, academia, and legislative processes, citing principles of expression published by the University of Chicago as examples to be applied. These principles are copied below.
– are the University of Chicago principles fair and equitable?
– are the principles adequate to protect freedom of speech and thought?
– should application of the principles be limited to academia, education, and legislation?
– should the principles be subject to any limitations? If so, to what extent, and by whom?
[The University of Chicago] guarantees all members of the University community the broadest possible latitude to speak, write, listen, challenge, and learn. Except insofar as limitations on that freedom are necessary to the functioning of the University, the University of Chicago fully respects and supports the freedom of all members of the University community “to discuss any problem that presents itself.”
Of course, the ideas of different members of the University community will often and quite naturally conflict. But it is not the proper role of the University to attempt to shield individuals from ideas and opinions they find unwelcome, disagreeable, or even deeply offensive. Although the University greatly values civility, and although all members of the University community share in the responsibility for maintaining a climate of mutual respect, concerns about civility and mutual respect can never be used as a justification for closing off discussion of ideas, however offensive or disagreeable those ideas may be to some members of our community.
The freedom to debate and discuss the merits of competing ideas does not, of course, mean that individuals may say whatever they wish, wherever they wish. The University may restrict expression that violates the law, that falsely defames a specific individual, that constitutes a genuine threat or harassment, that unjustifiably invades substantial privacy or confidentiality interests, or that is otherwise directly incompatible with the functioning of the University. In addition, the University may reasonably regulate the time, place, and manner of expression to ensure that it does not disrupt the ordinary activities of the University. But these are narrow exceptions to the general principle of freedom of expression, and it is vitally important that these exceptions never be used in a manner that is inconsistent with the University’s commitment to a completely free and open discussion of ideas.
In a word, the University’s fundamental commitment is to the principle that debate or deliberation may not be suppressed because the ideas put forth are thought by some or even by most members of the University community to be offensive, unwise, immoral, or wrong-headed. It is for the individual members of the University community, not for the University as an institution, to make those judgments for themselves, and to act on those judgments not by seeking to suppress speech, but by openly and vigorously contesting the ideas that they oppose.
Civic & Individual Responsibilities
It is clear that the nation and our provinces owe their citizens great respect for each of a broad range of human rights. But with rights come responsibilities. What responsibilities do individuals have toward others, including their communities, provinces, the nation, and the world? For example, to what extent are citizens called to:
– live sustainable lifestyles, for example by conserving energy, avoiding waste, and ensuring that they minimize their impact on future generations?
– participate in society, for example through informed voting, continued engagement with candidates and elected representatives, and keeping up responsibly with the news?
– lend a hand to their neighbours, for example by volunteering at home or within the community, in addition to paying taxes?
In addition to human and civil rights, many parties speak of things Canadians and others “deserve.” How do the parties determine what citizens do or do not deserve? Do they apply predictable, objective criteria in making such determinations, or can such determinations sometimes seem arbitrary and unfair, or, in the context of elections, opportunistic? What criteria should be applied?
– as lists of our defined rights expand, how do we reconcile conflicts between them? And how should they be enforced, and by whom?
Government, Civil Society, and other Social Institutions
– The Church teaches that each of us is a lost child of God, whose mission in life is to find our way home to our Creator; and that the purpose of all social institutions, including government, schools, health care, media and the press, and cultural institutions is to support and enable us in doing so, primarily by enabling and encourage us to see the truth. To what extent is necessary for a society to have an agreement on the purpose(s) of social institutions, and by extension the meaning of life, in order to define the roles of those institutions. To what extent should that agreement be expressed in its national culture?
– to what extent, if any, should powers or responsibilities of federal, provincial, or local governments be expanded, reduced, or redistributed in order to ensure that individuals, public interest groups, and service organizations have opportunities to employ their lives and talents in the service of others, and the common good? To what extent should those powers be shared with non-governmental entities? What roles should other social institutions – for example, the Church, schools, and civic organizations – play in increasing social and civic equity and caring for all?
Social Health Care
– to what extent is it appropriate for federal, state, or local governments to provide taxpayer-supported health care to citizens? Is it appropriate to give any medical services to anyone, any time they ask? If not, how can one properly and even-handedly determine which needs should be met at public expense?
– to what extent is it appropriate to rely on private service providers, including non-profit and community organizations, such as church-supported hospitals, to provide health care services? For example, it can sometimes seem that care for the whole person – including for example spiritual care – is lacking when care is provided by various institutions. Would it be beneficial to make spiritual and other sorts of specialized care, in addition to general health care, available through institutions such as religious organizations? What are the costs and benefits of providing services through the government, private businesses, charities, or other community organizations?
– in a publicly-funded healthcare system, is it fair for governments – and taxpayers – to expect individuals to make any efforts to maintain their own health? As a recent example, is it fair for those who spurn recommendations of responsible health authorities during pandemics, and become sick as a result, to look to society at large to carry the burden of their health care?
– under what conditions, if any, is it just to require health care providers or practitioners to participate in morally questionable practices such as abortion or assisted death, when it is contrary to their understanding of morality or their religious beliefs?