In today's Gospel we read that Jesus says He is "the way and the truth and the life" (Jn 14: 1-6). Those concepts-- truth, life and the way-- go together. We can't ignore truth and say that we are following Jesus. Nor can we ignore truth, and say we support life. We've been reading a lot about the new abortion restrictions that were enacted into law in Alabama. According to the law, abortion is now allowed in Alabama only when the life of the mother is seriously threatened or the unborn baby has a fatal disease. Supporters of the new law have defended it by drawing from traditional Catholic moral thinking, and argued that "from conception to natural death, every single human life deserves to be protected by law." Great-- if only that were the case in Alabama. Alabama is a state where the death penalty is zealously upheld and enforced. The Alabama government devotes substantial resources to fighting appeals or motions for a new trial that might undue death sentances. even if those sentances were arrived at as a result of racial bias in jury selections or prosecutorial overreach. So I find myself amazed that folks in Alabama can be so stridently in favor of life "from conception to natural death" and still be so in favor of the most unnatural death of all-- lethal injection. If we're in favor of life, we have to be in favor of truth as well. And the truth is that you can't uphold all life while you are affirming the death penalty. Pope Francis has made that abundantly clear, if it wasn't already clear. It will be interesting to watch the Alabama law work through the courts, although I predict other new abortion restrictions from other states will be the first cases to see if the new composition of the Court has any interest in modifying Roe v. Wade. But whatever happens with the abortion restrictions, wouldn't it be great if people could try to think with consistency on pro-life issues? Life and truth go together, after all.