Guess what? He doesn't.
John McCain does NOT accept ALL the teachings on protecting the unborn. He is in favor of embrionic stem-cell research which regards life in the womb as disposable at best--a far worse crime in my opinion than the woman who is shuddering in fear at the prospect of an unwanted pregnancy and finds no support anywhere around her--even from us Catholics at times. McCain also supports abortion rights in cases of rape or incest.
Now that being said--it's bad on the other side too. Obama certainly does not support a life position in favor of the unborn. Unlike McCain however, he does support other aspects of a life platform outside of the womb. He's against the death penalty and also wants to fight to keep abortion rare (which is a much better statement than what democrats usually espouse).
I think anti-abortion people are right when they say that we have to regard life in the womb as holy in order to have peace--however...
The sad tragedy is that we are so far removed from that possibility that it's sad.
We're so far away from even being able to convince anyone that a life within the womb--invisible to human eyes without a sonogram--is something worth protecting. How many of us took in a pregnant teen this year? How many of us convinced a woman to keep her baby and promised to financially help her even if it inconvenienced us or made it hard for us to pay the bills (or even just made us give up cable for a month or two)? How many of us REALLY cared?
The truth is that we don't.
What's worse?
We can't even get people to know--never mind care about--their next-door neighbors. People don't see citizens of Iraq or any other Middle Eastern country as valued members of the body of Christ either. We don't do a good job of praying for our enemies for the most part and many of us are more than apt to agree to put grandma and grandpa in a home because it is inconveinent for us to care for them ourselves. And to top it all off, we don't understand the committment involved in being married and we play compromising games with our spouses instead of putting 100% into being in a mutually beneficial relationship that leads to unity and creates life.
What's our big sin these days? It's not relativism--not even close. It's being selfish.
We might talk a good game about abortion but until pregnancy crisis centers are shrines, until Catholics are lining up to be foster parents, until we tithe 10% to pregnant unwed mothers and until we do it all with a smile on our face...we've got no shot at ever ending abortion--not by a longshot.
In short, we've got our work cut out for us.
That's WE...have got our work cut out for us. And we must all start there--with ourselves, with our families, with our neighbors and parishioners and friends and colleagues. We have to live OUR lives as if all of this matters...or simply put---none of it ever will.
What we really need to do is to change our own hearts and let in those who deserve our utmost protection.
And that has nothing to do with voting for President--or changing a law, or electing someone to the Supreme Court. All of that is "helpful" but it doesn't mean a damn thing if we're not really committed.
So before you pull that lever or punch a chad--know that you have a very complex decision to make. Not one that exonerates you from playing a part in making abortion illegal simply by voting for who you consider the lesser of two intrinsic evils. Rather, the decision you make today is to make sure that whoever gets elected sees YOU as a mover and a shaker in making sure that the unborn are protected. YOU...not elected officials...not judges...not even Bishops. YOU.
And ME too.
So I leave you today with far better words than I could muster up. They come from the greatest man to ever walk this earth--our God. Jesus.
Matthew Chapter 7
"Stop judging, that you may not be judged.
For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.
Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?
How can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove that splinter from your eye,' while the wooden beam is in your eye?
You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye.
"Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread,
or a snake when he asks for a fish?
If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him.
"Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets.
"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many.
How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few."
It's time to put our money where our mouths are and removing the planks from our own eye. Start today...Here's one guy who did just that.
http://www.maltahouse.org/
What did you do today?
4 comments:
It seems to come down to what size person you wish to protect. Small, medium, or large? I'm working as a high school teacher at the moment so I am partial to the medium size people....
Good column, one of the few that took a dose of sense with the issue! Thanks.
Obama is not fighting to keep abortions "rare" with the Freedom of Choice Act. We have to pray he does NOT sign that.
Lisa--
It doesn't matter whether he signs it or not--even if we hope he doesn't. What matters is what YOU AND I do to combat abortion today--or more importantly to support women who are considering. It seems to me that the law may never be overturned and we spend way too much time on wishful thinking hoping that it might be. I don't think we should completely stop working to change the law of course--but shouldn't we spend MORE time and energy on supporting women who may turn to abortion because they feel unsupported (the largest demographic of women who seek abortion)?
What thinkest you?
A woman walks into an abortion clinic and asks if she can volunteer to helped women make informed decisions. Was told they have have social workers. "Right, professionals, I am not a professional," she says. Woman walks out with her tail between her legs. We all have to our part to make things rare, the non-professionals. Woman will try again.
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