Progress, as I see it, is when a legal, governmental, cultural, or religious institution acknowledges the error of the past and tries to correct itself.
Recently, the Catholic Church released a document called the Infinite Dignity. It states the following:
Every human person possesses an infinite dignity, inalienably grounded in his or her very being, which prevails in and beyond every circumstance, state, or situation the person may ever encounter.
But it is far from perfect. The flaws were discussed on an episode of The Brian Lehrer Show last week. The problem is how it views transgender people and surrogacy.
“It follows that any sex-change intervention, as a rule, risks threatening the unique dignity the person has received from the moment of conception.”
“A child is always a gift and never the basis of a commercial contract,” the document says. “Every human life, beginning with that of the unborn child in its mother’s womb, cannot be suppressed, nor become an object of commodity.”
Obviously, I am not Catholic. But understanding and respecting another’s humanity applies to everyone, regardless of religion (or lack thereof). I take the statement about transgender folks personally because I have beloved family members who identify as such.
The thing about surrogacy is that it allows people to become parents who otherwise would be childless. While some might wish to bring the next generation into the world the old-fashioned way, it is not always possible. So why not take advantage of the scientific breakthroughs that make dreams come true?
So close, but no cigar.
Writergurlny 