Quotessence
Home / Authors / Bruce Babbitt
Bruce Babbitt

Bruce Babbitt Quotes

Former Governor of Arizona

Filter quotes by topic

AllThinkingCatholicMoralKindNaturalNatural LawReligiousTraditionChurchConsciencePresidentWellsAbortionBeliefCenturyConsensusCountryCreationDifferentEconomy

Famous Bruce Babbitt Quotes

“I think there has been an unfortunate tendency for a lot of different groups to forget that distinction between natural law and revealed truth and to say: Our complete agenda is to be enacted into laws governing the entire society. Many different religious groups claim that authority, not only Catholics. A lot of different Protestant groups as well are stepping forward to say: Here is our agenda, it is a moral agenda, ergo it must be enacted into law. I think that the distinction between natural law and more ultimate kinds of doctrine is being lost.”

ThinkingKindDifferentNaturalReligiousForgetMoralAuthorityUltimateCatholicUnfortunateNatural Law
Author:Bruce Babbitt
Create image

“I think it is important that religious leaders of all kinds consciously attempt to distinguish between issues of natural law on which there is consensus among Catholic, Protestant, and Jew and those issues on which there must be a greater degree of tolerance of other peoples' opinions and of the diversity that is characteristic of American society.”

ThinkingKindImportantNaturalReligiousLeaderOpinionDiversityCatholicJewToleranceAll KindsConsensusNatural Law
Author:Bruce Babbitt
Create image

“On areas like abortion where there is major disagreement among the mainstream religious groups in the Judeo-Christian tradition, I believe that requires a lot more caution. The Jewish position on abortion is very different from the Roman Catholic position. That is reason to be cautious about enacting laws rather than saying to the religious group: instruct your followers on these matters as matters of personal religious belief.”

BelieveDifferentReasonBeliefI BelieveReligiousTraditionCatholicAbortionCautionDisagreementCautiousReligious BeliefRoman CatholicBe Cautious
Author:Bruce Babbitt
Create image

“I have no question that the Roman Catholic Church teaches that abortion in virtually all circumstances is wrong. I think the church's position at all times in modern history has been that it is unequivocally opposed to abortion.But that's not the question for a Catholic who is a public official. I happen to subscribe to the church's position as a person. Still the question, as Governor Mario Cuomo suggested, is: what is your obligation as a civic leader? I agree entirely with John F. Kennedy. I answer only to my conscience in my public life and that's that.”

ThinkingChurchLeaderTeachModernCircumstancesConscienceCatholicAgreeObligationAll TimeAbortionRoman Catholic
Author:Bruce Babbitt
Create image

“I was nurtured in the church; I went to a Catholic school; I was an altar boy; I went to a Catholic university; I was steeped in the moral tradition of the Catholic Church. My Catholicism plays a very strong role. But I thought President John F.Kennedy answered rather well when he said that ultimately my conduct as a public official does not come ex cathedra from Rome; it comes from my conscience.”

SchoolStrongPresidentChurchMoralBoysConscienceTraditionCatholicCatholicismVery StrongCatholic School
Author:Bruce Babbitt
Create image