Who can I support besides Amnesty International

[phil8888]

As you know, Amnesty International now supports abortion. Many Vatican officials say Catholics should not support them. But I really want to do everything I can to stop torture. I think torture is one of the worst things in the world. It is just so horrible. I saw a movie the other day and in movies sometimes people will be tortured. Even watching it in a movie just makes me see how incomprehensible it is. It’s just too much. Sometimes I will wash my hands and the water will be really hot and I will jerk away and I wonder what it would be like to be forced to keep my hands under the scalding water. I just want to do everything I possibly can to stop torture.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[DebChris]

Pax Christi.

 

[Lancer]

First, you mention Vatican officials…correct, but the USCCB has some pretty tough and strong words for Amnesty International’s switch to support abortion.

WASHINGTON (August 24, 2007)— The U.S. bishops decried Amnesty International’s recent decision to support abortion, calling the change in the organization’s longstanding position divisive and an affront to “people in many nations, cultures and religions who share a consistent commitment to all human rights.”
usccb.org/comm/archives/2007/07-136.shtml

Second, here are two international organizations I really admire and support…for your consideration…especially C-FAM…who fights at the highest policy levels and CRS who delivers the social support (“boots-on-the ground”) to those who are in great need…in some of the toughest countries and situations. They don’t get into the policy/politics…but they are intensely focused on the dignity of each human person.

Third, there are many Catholic Missionary religious orders (priests, brothers, sisters) who would love support…e.g., Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae…CICM Missionaries. In the USA, the Congregation is known as Missionhurst Missionaries.
missionhurst.org/
or
the*** Societas Verbi Divini***…Society of the Divine Word [Divine Word Missionaries) http://www.divineword.org/”]http://www.divineword.org/

Catholic Relief Services

Catholic Relief Services was founded in 1943 by the Catholic Bishops of the United States to serve World War II survivors in Europe. Since then, we have expanded in size to reach more than 100 million people in more than 100 countries on five continents.
Our mission is to assist impoverished and disadvantaged people overseas, working in the spirit of Catholic Social Teaching to promote the sacredness of human life and the dignity of the human person. Although our mission is rooted in the Catholic faith, our operations serve people based solely on need, regardless of their race, religion or ethnicity. Within the United States, CRS engages Catholics to live their faith in solidarity with the poor and suffering of the world.

crs.org/

Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute (C-FAM)

 C-FAM was founded in the summer of 1997 in order to monitor and affect the social policy debate at the United Nations and other international institutions. 
  
 C-FAM is a non-partisan, non-profit research institute dedicated to reestablishing a proper understanding of international law, protecting national sovereignty and the dignity of the human person.

 C-FAM personnel have participated in every major UN social policy debate since 1997 including the Rome Statutes of the International Criminal Court, the Convention on Disabilities, Cairo+5, Beijing+5 and dozens of others. 

 C-FAM publishes and promotes scholarship related to the proposition that the UN and other international institutions harm a true understanding of international law and in the process undermine the family and other institutions man requires for a just, free and happy life. 
 
 C-FAM regularly interfaces with diplomats, policy makers, academics, activists and office holders from around the world.

c-fam.org/

Lastly, here is a parish website with a nice graphic on Catholic Human Rights from* Pacem in Terris*
**
SUMMARY OF ROMAN CATHOLIC RIGHTS
enumerated in Pacem in Terris, Pope John XXIII**
ihmsjc.org/roman_catholic_human_rights.htm

All offered for your consideration…
Pax Christi

P.S. if you search under the generic “human rights” title…you will get a lot of organizations…many, and I mean many, who are diametrically opposed to Catholic theology and teachings…so be cautious if you search for some others.

 

[phil8888]

Thank you very much for the information. I am seeking a specifically anti-torture organization. I know many of these organizations would support that indirectly or as part of their mission, but I want one that is primarily focused on that. Also, I’m not really sure what you meant in your first point, you said I am correct that Vatican officials have denounced Amnesty, “BUT”… the usccb has condemned them also. it almost makes it sound like the Vatican officials are a secondary source and the USCCB is primary? I’m not sure what you mean…

 

[ptozzi]

Thanks for the plug above for C-FAM.

Re organizations whose mission is similar to that of Amnesty but who do not support abortion, there are at least 2 that have emerged since Amnesty took a wrong turn on life: the Benenson Society, based in Australia, and Consistent Life, based in the US. We blogged about them recently: c-fam.org/blog/

In addition, I believe Human Right First (not to be confused with pro-abortion Human Rights Watch) maintains neutrality on abortion.

I hope this helps…
Piero Tozzi
Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute (C-FAM)

 

[Shin]

Abortion is torture and death…

So, if there is not a suitable specific organization that is anti-torture as their primary purpose that is otherwise involved only in acceptable causes…

There’s the pro-life movement.

The Cardinal Kung foundation supports the underground Church in China, where they imprison and torture Catholics.

There’s a book by Rose Hu going up chapter by chapter online about her experiences in prison because she belonged to the Legion of Mary.