The right to life

The Iona Institute NI believes in the inherent dignity and right to life of every human being from conception to natural death. We believe this right should be upheld and supported in law and practice. We believe social policy should strive to protect and promote the well-being of the most vulnerable members of our society including women in crisis pregnancy, the unborn, the disabled, the terminally ill and the elderly.

Marriage

We believe in retaining and promoting the benefits of marriage between a man and a woman as a social institution in law and practice. This means it receives certain rights, benefits, obligations as well as a unique recognition. This is because marriage is uniquely pro child and has evolved mainly for the benefit of children. This is not the same as saying marriage exists only for children or that people marry simply in order to have children. But children are the main reason why marriage receives special support and recognition from the state and the vast majority of couples will have at least one child during their lives together.

Freedom of Conscience

We believe that freedom of conscience and thought is a fundamental hallmark of a democratic and pluralist society. These freedoms should be protected in law and practice in N.Ireland.

Freedom of religion

The Iona Institute NI believes in democracy and pluralism. The separation of church and state however should not mean the separation of religion from society. We oppose the growing tendency to try and exclude religious voices from public debate.

Christianity has a lot to say about the just ordering of society and the common good. It is not acceptable to try and exclude the religious voice from public debate simply because it is religious. This, in fact, would be undemocratic and anti-pluralism.

See our personnel here.