The Mark of McCain and Un-Able

Today, in many Catholic churches - the focus of the Mass was to be the commemoration of "Respect for Life." Fortunately, in the Parish that I attend, this topic was used to address the broader view of reflecting on how well we are caring for each other as a community and questioning ourselves as to our actions as stewards of the world that God has entrusted to us.

In other Parishes though, the homily was used as a subtle tool of political influence, as a veiled endorsement for the so-called "Conservative" Republican party candidates. You see, for some very strange reason, there is a perception that if a candidate voices support for banning abortions, or for legislative reform to reverse the decisions of the Supreme Court on the 1974 ruling from the "Roe Vs. Wade" case, which signed into law the legal right for a woman to choose to terminate her pregnancy, that candidate is the right choice for the leadership of this nation.

Don't get me wrong - I am PRO-LIFE.

However, Pro-Life is not a single issue position!!!

To me, being Pro-Life means to be FOR LIFE in ALL CASES.

Pro-Life to me is:

• To desire that all children should be wanted, and that every effort should be made to enable people to become more responsible for their decisions and to help them overcome circumstances and obstacles that might make having children a difficult choice. i.e. Financial insecurity, lack of resources, lack of proper health care and education. I firmly believe that there are no women who willingly choose to abort their babies. It is a painful experience - physically and emotionally. I feel strongly that the decision to abort is always a choice that is made from a position of hopelessness or fear.

• To seek the universal end of torture techniques as a means of gathering intelligence.

• To seek the abolition of the death penalty as a legal punishment.
  

• To be opposed to war as a means of establishing peace. War, is not a good choice - but I do have to admit that in cases of threats against the innocent, a defensive war is the lesser evil. Likewise, Abortion is a bad choice, but the lesser of two evils when two lives are at stake.
  

• To be just as sensitive to prolonging life artificially, as much as trying to create life artificially.
  

• To take the position that a truly civilized society does not consider the willful beating of one human being by another for money as sport. Therefore, to be Pro-Life is to seek the end of all boxing, extreme-fighting and any other so-called "Blood" sports.
  

By now, I know that I've hit a nerve!!!

You see, if Christians are truly followers of Christ, and they wish to impact the world. It is by being an example of right behavior; by demonstrating the virtues of good morals. It is not a matter of demanding legislation against certain behavior. The law does not make someone moral. The law only punishes the lawbreaker. The whole central message of the Gospel reveals how God accepted the punishment of the lawbreakers upon himself so that he might offer full unconditional forgiveness and restore the nature of the lawbreakers to their full citizenship in his kingdom.

Jesus said "Love your enemies."

If a Christian is in favor of preemptive war then they cannot be said to be obedient to Christ.

So - when considering who to vote for in this next election. Please do not look at just one issue. Look into the long-term strategies of the candidates. Look beyond their media talking points and see if they represent the people in general by their views - not just a particular group.

Those of you that maintain that Republicans are Pro-Life might ask yourself the following questions. (Answers at the bottom of the page)

1. Which President was in office during the "Roe Vs. Wade" ruling?
2. What party did he belong to?
3. What religion did he claim to belong to?
   
4. How many times since "Roe Vs. Wade" have the Republicans been in office versus the Democrats?
5. How many Supreme Court justices currently serving on the bench were appointed by the Republicans?

Answers:

1. President Richard M. Nixon (1969 - 1974)
2. Republican Party
3. Quaker Christian
4. See Below:

37	Richard M. Nixon	Spiro T. Agnew Gerald R. Ford	1969-1973 1973-1974	Republican
38	Gerald R. Ford	Nelson A. Rockefeller	1974-1977	Republican
39	Jimmy Carter	Walter F. Mondale	1977-1981	Democrat
40	Ronald W. Reagan	George H.W. Bush George H.W. Bush	1981-1985 1985-1989	Republican
41	George Herbert Walker Bush	Dan Quayle	1989-1993	Republican
42	William J. Clinton	Albert Gore Jr.	1993-1997 1997-2001	Democrat
43	George Walker Bush	Richard B. Cheney	2001-	Republican

Total:

Republicans have held office for 24 years
Democrats have held office for 12 years

In 24 years since "Roe Vs. Wade" the ruling has not been reversed. What makes you think it will be this time??

5. Supreme Court Justices

Name	Appt. by
John Roberts (Chief Justice)	G.W. Bush
John Paul Stevens	Ford
Antonin Scalia	Reagan
Anthony Kennedy	Reagan
David Souter	G.H.W. Bush
Clarence Thomas	G.H.W. Bush
Ruth Bader Ginsburg	Clinton
Stephen Breyer	Clinton
Samuel Alito	G.W. Bush

Of the nine justices on the bench of the Supreme Court - 7 of them were appointed by Republican Presidents.

So - I ask again - if the Republicans are "Pro-Life" (i.e. Anti-Abortion) How come they haven't changed the law???

So - think again Catholics - think outside of the box and look at the facts on Pro-Life and Pro-Choice.

So make a wise choice - PLEASE.

Games of Chance and Circumstance

PRO-LIFE DOESN'T JUST BEGIN AT CONCEPTION

"Where have all the children gone?
Who will hear their silent song
Many never cry the tears nor learn the infant dance
Mother, won't you keep your young
or are they in the balance hung
on games of chance and circumstance?
O, save the children!

And a cry of desperation is rising up in all the land
When the cold wind blows the helpless suffer the sin.

Some will only see the grave
Who will care enough to save?
Or is the heart become too hard to love the little ones?
Mother, won't you keep your young
or are they in the balance hung
on games of chance and circumstance?
O, save the children!

And a cry of desperation is rising up in all the land
When the cold wind blows the helpless suffer the sin.

Mother, is your blood running cold?
You don't care to pay the price
The innocent have never been told
They will be the sacrifice.

And a cry of desperation is rising up in all the land
When the cold wind blows the helpless suffer the sin.

Some will end in tragedy
Some will never be set free
from games of chance
and circumstance
O, God, save the children!"

- by Mike Gleason, from the Album "Art of The State" by Kerry Livgren/AD

SIGNS OF THE TIMES

From time to time several churches in my neighborhood put up prominent signs and placards requesting that everyone "PRAY TO END ABORTION!"

Now, as noble an idea as this represents - I can't help but express my strong feelings that campaigning and pleading for this cause is an attempt to solve the wrong problem.

If you'll bear with me - I think that praying to end abortion is like praying to end hangovers or sexually transmitted diseases in that these are all symptoms of a much greater and deeper problem.

With abortion we are not just dealing with the termination of unwanted pregnancies, or the disposal of unwanted children. The problem word in the sentence is not "abortion" - it's "UNWANTED."

I'd like to suggest that we do pray about this issue. But let's pray that all children would be wanted - that they would be loved and cared for in the manner that they deserve as gifts of God. So many children that are born in the world are seen as burdens, or status symbols, or as a means for parents to live vicariously.

PRO-LIFE IS TO BE PRO-CHOICE

I stand dangerously close to offending people on both sides of the Pro-Life/Pro-Choice argument. I am not pro-abortion - but I cannot bring myself to condemn someone who makes the choice to terminate their pregnancy because of fear or unfortunate circumstances. It is not any human beings position to judge another. That is God's business.

It would be far better to give those unfortunate people who feel that they have no other choice some good reasons to change their minds - and not just a heavy dose of guilt or condemnation.

To abort something is to end it's existence. This can happen at any time from conception to maturity - physically it can occur in the womb to an unformed or early stage fetus - but it can also occur, and perhaps more painfully to the child, spiritually and emotionally, when the child is outside the womb. Whenever a child is told that it is unwanted or unloved, or experiences abuse or neglect from a trusted parent or guardian his or her life is gradually "aborted." The world has too many embodied but "aborted" children living in the world, who grow up to be broken human beings.

THE WAY OF LIFE

As I read, in the New Testament, Jesus' reported conversations with those in his society that were considered the sinners and the low-lifes of his day, I don't see a model of harsh judgment - they come to him with their own condemnation and he forgives unconditionally and often gently sends them on their way, with his blessing and firm request that they not get themselves into the situation again ("sin no more," in the biblical vernacular.)

So, let's pray - not for the end of a symptom - but for the transformation of hearts, minds and circumstances that would make it possible for every child to be wanted.