TO: John XXIII College administration We, the undersigned, are disappointed and concerned that Bettina Arndt has been granted permission to speak at John XXIII College on Friday, October 24, 2008. Ms Arndt is a well-known Australian sex-therapist and journalist whose commentary has been published in many prominent Australian newspapers and magazines; she has also featured on television and radio. In her role as a social commentator, Ms Arndt has been an outspoken supporter of abortion and euthanasia. It is this which concerns us. As a Catholic residence, John XXIII College has a duty to promote a Culture of Life, and this duty is incompatible with hosting speakers who publicly advocate positions that undermine respect for human life and dignity. We consider it a scandal and a grave insult to the college patron for John XXIII College to host Ms Arndt, whose stance on life issues is incompatible with Catholic teaching, and it is our hope that the college administration will exercise greater prudence in future decisions to host controversial speakers, so that this regrettable situation does not arise again.

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