Church of England, Disestablish Thyself
The Church of England has always been a hybrid entity. Since its establishment by King Henry VIII in 1534, the church has adroitly juggled piety with politics to conserve its role as Britain's moral center. Yet last week Parliament passed two policies so rebarbative to the Christian principle of human dignity—the decriminalization of self-administered abortion at any time, for any reason, and the legalization of assisted suicide for the terminally ill—that even this adaptable church will struggle to reconcile them with its mission.
Christian doctrine prizes the dignity of all and the duty to care for the vulnerable. Early Christians were noted for rescuing unwanted babies, routinely abandoned in Roman times. Through European history the establishment of hospitals and houses for poor relief was associated with the Christian faith.
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