Respect for the dignity of others includes treating them as rational creatures capable of being persuadad by rational argument, even in the face of frequent evidence to the contrary.

In 1960 he was ordained a Lutheran minister later serving as pastor of St. Louis Missouri. He is the originator of "Neuhaus's Law" which states that "Where orthodoxy is optional orthodoxy will sooner or later be proscribed".

Richard John Neuhaus (May 14 1936 – January 8 2009) was a prominent Christian cleric (first as a Lutheran pastor and later as a Roman Catholic priest) and writer. Born in Canada Neuhaus moved to the United States where he became a naturalized United States citizen. He was a staunch defender of the Roman Catholic Church's teachings on abortion and other life issues and an unofficial advisor of President George W.