Join Dr. Scott Gaylord for an in-depth exploration of the scientific, legal, philosophical, and moral dimensions of some of the most important battleground issues regarding the Culture of Life:

Redefining "life" Abortion and contraception Embyronic stem cell research In Vitro fertilization And more!
The threat to the Culture of Life that these issues pose has intensified in recent years due to at least three ongoing developments:

Advances in scientific research and technology, which enable us to control the creation (and destruction) of human life in unprecedented ways The ever-increasing reliance of our society on the courts to legislate what is right or wrong regarding these scientific advances The loss of a moral dimension to the scientific and legal discussion that determine how society treats the most vulnerable among us at the beginning, as well as at the end, of life.

A complete understanding of these pressing life issues requires an understanding of the interrelation between science, law, and morality. This interconnectedness is all too often ignored in public debate about these life issues. Professor Gaylord highlights Catholic teaching which considers law, science, philosophy, and morality to be part of a unified whole, rooted in the essential and inviolable sanctity and dignity of the human person.

In a statement titled Right to Life and the Dignity of the Human Person, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops affirmed: "Every social decision and institution must be judged in life of whether it protects or undermines the life and dignity of the human person." Professor Gaylord takes this statement and makes it the basis for examining seven threats to the Culture of Life--judging them based on Catholic teaching and the dignity of every human person, no matter their age or size.

Professor Scott Gaylord holds a Doctorate in Philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a summa cum laude graduate of Notre Dame Law School. He currently teaches as Associate Professor of Law at Elon University School of Law. He has written several articles and opinion pieces on recent legislation in the United States, including most recently a paper defending the "Right to Know" acts proposed across the country which would require a mother to view an ultrasound before receiving an abortion.