Ignatius Press publishes Jesuit Fr. Robert Spitzer's work on principles governing life issues
Contact: Kevin Wandra, 678-990-9032, KWandra@MaximusMG.com
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 26, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Life -- and life issues -- challenge everyone.
How do we make sense of it? How should we treat others, and how should we reasonably expect them to treat us? Are there reasonable principles -- regardless of religious belief -- that can guide our actions, especially when human life is at stake? What should we use to base our perspectives on and actions about life issues like abortion, euthanasia and embryonic stem cell research?
Jesuit Fr. Robert Spitzer offers a look at such standards in Ten Universal Principles: A Brief Philosophy of the Life Issues. The book is available now from Ignatius Press.
"The evolution of culture and civilization has arisen out of the development of ten fundamental principles," Fr. Spitzer writes in the book’s introduction. He note that three of them deal with evidence and objective truth; three deal with ethics; three deal with the dignity and treatment of human beings; and the tenth represents what is generally known as "The Golden Rule."
He asserts that failure to teach and practice any one of the principles can lead to a variety of wrongs. "Failure to teach several of these principles," he adds, "will most certainly lead to widespread abuse and a general decline in culture."
In a truly concise and easy-to-read format, Fr. Spitzer transcends religious beliefs to offer sound, "lynchpin" reasoning that can guide our thoughts and actions … our laws and public policies.
The former president of Gonzaga University, Fr. Spitzer is Founder and President of the Magis Institute -- an organization dedicated to public education on the relationship among the disciplines of physics, philosophy, reason and faith. He also heads the Ethics and Performance Institute, and the Spitzer Center of Ethical Leadership, which delivers ethics-education curricula to corporations and individuals, and nonprofit organizations, respectively.
Ten Universal Principles offers an intelligent outline for thinking and talking about human life and life issues. It's a powerful tool for persuasively discussing a pro-life philosophy -- and a major reason is because it's not founded in Catholicism or any other religion or spiritual belief.
Rather, in Ten Universal Principles, Fr. Spitzer explains an approach to logical discernment and discussion that anyone -- of any faith -- can and, in his opinion, should use in formulating their outlook on some of the most serious issues of our time.
Fr. Spitzer will be available for interviews between Nov. 6 and Nov. 23. For more information, or to request an interview with Fr. Spitzer or review copies of Ten Universal Principles, please contact Kevin Wandra with The Maximus Group (678-990-9032 or KWandra@MaximusMG.com).
