GOVERNING
WITH MORALITY

Topics: Ethics; Government; Law; Morality

Reference: Romans 2:28–29

In the ultimate analysis of what moral forces govern a society, it must generally be concluded that law alone is a feeble instrument. Laws will not be enacted or enforced unless there is a moral consensus to support them. Underlying every enforceable law there has to be a clear understanding of its moral objective and a willingness to accept it.

—Father Robert F. Drinan, St. Mary’s Law Journal, 1998