Jon A. Shields

Matthew Franck offers two criticisms of my commentary on the Gosnell scandal by way of “mild dissent.” Matt’s criticisms are important and point to larger questions that deserve reflection by all pro-lifers. First, Matt observes that “the most up-to-the-minute philosophers . . . . Continue Reading »

Dr. Kermit Gosnell was convicted yesterday by the long-suffering Philadelphia jury on three counts of first-degree murder for killing abortion survivors. Next week, jurors will consider whether Gosnell deserves the death penalty. While there are many good reasons to defend Gosnell’s . . . . Continue Reading »

In response to recent claims (including my own in First Things) that Roe aided pro-lifers in unexpected ways, Daniel Williams argues that such views are mistaken. The decision, according to Williams, neither hurt pro-choice momentum nor breathed new life into a fledgling right-to-life movement. Instead, it cut off public discussion over competing constitutional claims regarding the rights of women and unborn human organisms. In other words, Roe has no pro-life legacy… . Continue Reading »

Roe v. Wade did far more than create a constitutional right to abortion—it crippled the pro-choice and energized the pro-life movement, creating one of the largest campaigns of moral suasion in American history. Even while nationalizing abortion politics, the Supreme Court’s decision also . . . . Continue Reading »

Nearly twenty years ago, the judicious James Davison Hunter noted that journalistic reporting on abortion is “remarkable for its superficiality” since it rarely explores the “deeper issues and implications of the abortion controversy.” Maybe it is simply the partisan heat generated by a close presidential contest, but abortion coverage appears to be getting worse, not better… . Continue Reading »

Although Jerry Falwell’s legacy will remain a contentious issue for some time to come, partisans on all sides agree that he helped launch the Reagan revolution by mobilizing disaffected evangelicals. As the New York Times put it after his death in May, the Moral Majority was the . . . . Continue Reading »