For me Christ was not to be bought for thirty pieces of silver but with my heart's blood. We buy not cheap in this market.
Dorothy DayRead
We're living in an age of genocide. ...And we do believe that there is not only the genocide of war, and the genocide that took place with the extermination of the Jews, but the whole program....of birth control and abortion is another form of genocide.... [T]hey claim the poor are bringing forth tremendous numbers of children and so the solution is to kill them off.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Dorothy Day critiques societal attitudes towards the poor and vulnerable, equating abortion and birth control with genocide.
In this quote, Dorothy Day emphasizes the severity of addressing the issue of genocide, extending the term beyond traditional definitions to include systemic oppression through birth control and abortion. She argues that societal solutions to perceived overpopulation among the poor are reminiscent of genocidal ideologies, highlighting a moral obligation to protect the lives of the disenfranchised rather than eliminate them.
Themes
GenocideAbortionBirth ControlSocial JusticePovertyHuman Rights
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on social justice, one could use this quote to highlight the importance of protecting vulnerable populations.
More from Dorothy Day
All quotes →The mystery of poverty is that by sharing in it, making ourselves poor in giving to others, we increase our knowledge of and belief in love.
Dorothy DayRead
As we come to know the seriousness of the situation, the war, the racism, the poverty in our world, we come to realize that things will not be changed simply by words or demonstrations. Rather, it's a question of living one's life in a drastically different way.
Dorothy DayRead
I do not know how to love God except by loving the poor. I do not know how to serve God except by serving the poor.... Here, within this great city of nine million people, we must, in this neighborhood, on this street, in this parish, regain a sense of community which is the basis for peace in the world.
Dorothy DayRead
The biggest mistake sometimes is to play things very safe in this life and end up being moral failures.
Dorothy DayRead
Men are beginning to realize that they are not individuals but persons in society, that man alone is weak and adrift, that he must seek strength in common action.
Dorothy DayRead
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