The Iona Blog

A new study shows lower graduation rates for children from gay and lesbian families

A new study from Canada has found that High School graduation rates among children raised by same-sex couples are considerably lower than among children raised by opposite-sex married couples. The study is much bigger and more robust than studies claiming that children raised by same-sex couples turn out no differently than children raised by their...

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How divorce and remarriage can alienate children from their aging parents

An aspect of divorce that is little talked about is the difficulty remarried people can encounter when trying to persuade their grown-up step-children children to help look after their aging parents. It shows how the way in which divorce and remarriage can alienate children from their parents, even to the point where they won’t help...

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Architect of Britain’s abortion law horrified at sex selective abortions

The architect of Britain’s abortion law, Lord David Steel, is horrified by the fact that sex selective abortions take place on the strength of it. It was widely assumed that sex-selective abortions were illegal under Lord Steel’s 1967 Abortion Act. However, the British DPP has deemed otherwise. The sex of a child is not a ground for...

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Your signature is needed to stop EU funding of embryo research

Some years back, with the support of Ireland, the European Union agreed to fund embryonic stem cell research. Now a petition is about to the sent to the European Commission that will oblige it to reconsider this funding. The petition is called One of Us. Signatures are being gathered by hand and electronically. Already more...

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David Quinn discusses the Iona Institute with Sean Moncrieff

On Wednesday, Iona Institute director David Quinn went on Newstalk to discuss the work of the Institute and some of its key concerns, including the health of marriage with presenter Sean Moncrieff. You can listen to the discussion in full here.  (The discussion begins after 5 min 30 sec.)

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The media’s huge double think about the importance of the natural ties

There is a huge double think going on in the media about the importance of the natural ties. When it comes to adoption, they seem to think they are very important, but when it comes to assisted human reproduction they seem to have a completely different view.   This double think became apparent again back...

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The ever more elastic grounds for abortion and euthanasia

When abortion and euthanasia are first introduced in a given country, we are usually told that the grounds on which they can take place are very limited. But over time those grounds become ever more elastic.   For example, earlier this year the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service decided not to prosecute doctors who performed sex...

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We should value marriage if we value fatherhood

This week the CSO issued a report on marriage in Ireland. One fact it revealed is that the rate of marriage in Ireland wasa very low 4.3 people per thousand in 2011. In his column in The Irish Independent this week, David Quinn says this is just one more piece of evidence showing how marriage...

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How a strong pro-life ethos saves both the mother and her child

Reacting to the decision by the Mater to comply with our new abortion law, a nurse tutor at the hospital, Sr Eugene Nolan, made a very interesting comment that reveals the contrast between a pro-life hospital and one that is not. Referring to the fact that five seriously ill pregnant women were transferred for treatment...

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Why do same-sex and opposite sex couples settle down ten years apart?

It’s interesting that in most jurisdictions that have introduced same-sex civil partnerships/marriage it is most men who avail of them at first. I wonder why that is. More interesting, however, is the average age of those entering civil partnerships. New CSO data tell us it is in the mid-forties. For opposite-sex couples the average age...

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