Brownback, who is opposed to embryonic stem-cell research, indicated that he believes the issue “boils down to one question: What is the youngest of humans -- is it a person or property?”

“What we’re doing with this is treating the youngest of humans as property,” he said. Alluding to the slave trade, Brownback added, “We’ve been down this road in human history before and we’ve always regretted it.”

Rather than support embryonic stem-cell research, Brownback believes the government should support adult stem-cell research, which has already been credited for treating 73 different diseases, most recently juvenile diabetes.

In addition, Brownback said he believes allowing same-sex marriage would weaken heterosexual marriages, noting that in European countries where same-sex marriages have been legalized, heterosexual marriages have sharply decreased.

On the abortion issue, Brownback, who is pro-life, rhetorically asked the crowd, “Is the youngest of humans entitled to the dignity of human personhood?”

Despite their differences, Dodd stressed the need for our nation’s leaders to “come together” to discuss ways to move beyond their ideological differences.

“The country is not as divided as we think on these issues,” he said.

“We’ve got to do a much better job than get into our respective corners, screaming at each other,” he said. Otherwise “the country sits there and wonders in disbelief what’s going on.”

The forum was presented by the Church in the 21st Century Center, which seeks to be a catalyst and resource for the renewal of the Catholic Church in the United States by engaging critical issues facing the Catholic community.

The center was formed in 2002 in response to the clergy abuse crisis, “to help the Catholic community in the United States move from crisis to renewal,” according to Boston College president Father William P. Leahy, SJ.

“I have to say [the Church in the 21st Century Center] has been successful beyond our hopes.”