February 28, 2010
A decent New York Times article explains why blacks are now becoming more involved in pro-life activities; I suggest reading it. The reason: black babies are aborted far more than babies of other races. Check out Too Many Aborted for more information.
And by the way, I am glad opposition to abortion is becoming more diversified. Let’s face it, Republicans have talked a lot about ending abortion, but have not done very much about it, so if we can start to see some pro-life Democrats and Independents rise up, maybe something will actually happen.
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Abortion, Pro-Life Issues | Tagged: Abortion, african american, News | 
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Posted by David Bennett
January 22, 2010
Be Open to Life!
Most people in the world are quite aware of the problems that afflict mankind. Put more colloquially, people know that “something is wrong with the world.” Yes, indeed, peoples around the globe are facing terrible crises: personal, social, economic and political. It is all over the media: hunger, poverty, underdevelopment, terrorism, etc. Evidently, these obstinate challenges and afflictions are immense barriers that stand in the way of necessary integral human development, they are obstacles, really, to the vocation that every man and woman is called to bring to fulfillment.
To be sure, there are many who have courageously “stood up” against said atrocities. For their courage, they are to be commended and thanked for. It must also be admitted, however, that there many among those who are committed to human development who, without necessarily questioning or judging their zeal or intentions, have approached the problem of human development with the help of bad philosophy and, consequently, harmful ideologies that either inevitably inhibits development or actually further accentuates underdevelopment. Prominent among such harmful ideologies is what we may call an “Anti-life ideology”; that is, an outlook which underestimates or denies the value of human life from conception to natural death.
A rampant anti-birth and anti-life ideology (or mentality) has seemingly taken over many individuals and institutions committed to, quite ironically, human development. Worldwide movements and organizations such as Amnesty International and the Institute of Development Studies (IPPF), human rights activists and politicians such as Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and Nancy Pelosi are among those who have been infected, as it were, with an anti-life mentality. And of course, some of you might be thinking that I am exaggerating when I say that these organizations and individuals have embraced an anti-life mentality; after all, you might be wondering, aren’t they all, in some way or another, human rights activists? Haven’t they spent practically all their lives fighting for equality, social justice and human development? To a certain extent, I must admit, you are right. They have spent much of their lives fighting for freedom and liberty, for human rights. At the same time, however, I also contend that their beliefs regarding human life issues have in fact been a great disservice to integral human development, to making the world a “better” world.
Take, as an example, Hillary Clinton. In her remarks on the 15th Anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development, the current Secretary of State lamented that “More than 215 million women worldwide lack access to the modern forms of contraception, and this contributes to the nearly 20 million unsafe abortions that take place very year.” At first sight this might seem like an innocent remark. But, when examined closer, and taking the overall context of this remark into consideration, we see that it actually communicates a deep lack of respect for life and an erroneous concept of human progress. [Artificial] contraception, contrary to what Mrs. Clinton would like to have us believe, is not conducive–nor is it constitutive–of human progress! Rather, artificial contraception, being intrinsically contrary to the natural law, has greatly contributed to the deterioration of the human family (Please visit: Contraception: Why It’s Wrong). And what can we say about what Mrs. Clinton calls “unsafe abortions”? Unsafe abortions? Is there such a thing as a safe abortion? Well, apparently, according to the Secretary of State, suction abortions and dismemberment abortions are considered to be safe simply because they are carried out by a physician and because they take place at an abortion clinic! What’s even more appalling is that Mrs. Clinton apparently considers the availability of “safe abortions” to be a sign of human progress. Human progress? How can anyone consider the killing of millions of unborn babies a sign of progress, of international development? Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta said that “It is a poverty to decide that a child must die [through abortion] so that you may live as you wish.” The Venerable Pope John Paul II said that “It is impossible to further the common good without acknowledging and defending the right to life, upon which all the other inalienable rights of individuals are founded and from which they develop.” Pope Benedict XVI wrote in his Encyclical Letter Charity in Truth:
“If there is a lack of respect for the right to life and to a natural death, if human conception, gestation and birth are made artificial, if human embryos are sacrificed to research, the conscience of society ends up losing the concept of human ecology”.
If integral human development is to take place, if society hopes to make authentic progress, if the world is to be a better world, then openness to life must be acknowledged as the very center of true development. There will be no progress unless more individual human beings are enkindled by charity and are led by truth. Openess to life needs to be promoted and cultivated. The time for mankind to embrace and respect the fundamental right to life of every people and every individual is now!
5 Comments | Abortion, Benedict XVI, Pope, Catholic Social Teaching, Catholic, General, Culture Wars, Family and Domestic Church, Marriage, Morality and Moral Issues, Natural Family Planning, Papal Encyclicals, Politics, Pro-Life Issues, Science | Tagged: Barack Obama, Charity, Development, Hillary Clinton, Humanity, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Nancy Pelosi, Pope Benedict XVI, Pope John Paul II, Progress, Truth | Permalink
Posted by Jorge Flores
January 21, 2010
Why attack one of the few members of Congress who has actually tried to do something about abortion instead of just talking about it, as most other pro-life politicians have done?
Apparently because Paul believes states should determine abortion laws, American Right to Life thinks he is pro-choice. I have news for those of us who are pro-life: overturning Roe v Wade with a constitutional amendment isn’t going to happen anytime soon, and even if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v Wade, abortion laws go back to the states anyway, correct? Taking action to return abortion legislation to the states, which many, including Ron Paul, believe can be done by Congress right now, is far more realistic than an amendment. Such an action would greatly reduce the number of abortions immediately, and allow states such as mine, to outlaw abortion (the laws are already on the books). However, when Republicans have been in power, the bills that Paul introduced to take away jurisdiction from the Supreme Court in this matter have stalled.
I pray for an end to abortion, and believe the right is not in our Constitution, but I will not be played by so-called Pro Life politicians and groups attacking a guy like Paul, who, as a doctor, has actually saved the lives of the unborn, even delivering many babies for free to prevent abortions. Maybe someone should start rating politicians on actions that they have taken to concretely and immediately reduce abortions, instead of simply rating them on rhetoric and promises.
5 Comments | Abortion, Pro-Life Issues | Tagged: Abortion, Right to Life, Ron Paul | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett
September 24, 2009
A recent poll suggests that Americans do not want government sponsored health care to cover abortion, and Americans also support the right of doctors and nurses to refuse to be involved in abortion, either directly or indirectly. 68% also said they don’t want any insurance policy of theirs to cover abortion. In other words, even if Americans somehow support a vaguely defined “freedom of choice,” most Americans don’t want to be involved in actually funding an abortion (either by taxes or insurance premiums). And, not surprisingly, Americans still support the right of health care workers not to act contrary to their consciences. While we have a long way to go, this is good news.
4 Comments | Abortion, Pro-Life Issues | Tagged: Abortion, Health Care, Pro-Life | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett
August 31, 2009
I wish for Ted Kennedy’s soul what I wish for all people: eternal rest and that he may enjoy the beatific vision. However, I do not think there is any way he could be considered a model Catholic or even human being. He had a lot of flaws, mixed with a lot of talent. In other words, he was a pretty typical human being, but certainly not a saint. I desire neither to canonize nor excommunicate the guy, which I guess puts me in the minority.
Thus, I was a little bothered that Liturgical Training Publications (of the Archdiocese of Chicago) issued the following prayer as a part of the prayers of the faithful this past weekend:
“For those who have given their lives to service to their country, promoting values of peace, justice, equality, and liberty; especially, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, that he may find his eternal reward in the arms of God….We pray.”
Here are the problems I have with this:
1) I don’t know if Kennedy can be said to promote all of those values according to Church teaching. Sure, he did a lot to try to help the little guy and generally stood up for peace. But, his unflinching and total support for abortion rights remains hugely problematic when assessing the appropriateness of using him as an exemplar in a prayer.
2) Ok, he’s famous. I understand. But, should Kennedy, just by virtue of being a politician (and from a Catholic perspective, a suspect one) and a Kennedy, get a special shout out in an entire archdiocese?
I have always thought the Kennedy family was more style over substance and sadly many Americans, even Catholics, have bought into that mentality. It’s a shame some folks at the archdiocese of Chicago did as well.
Source: California Catholic Daily via Rich Leonardi
5 Comments | Abortion, Catholic, General | Tagged: Abortion, Archdiocese of Chicago, Catholic, Edward Kennedy, Liberal, liturgical training publications, politician, Prayer, prayers for the faithful | Permalink
Posted by Jonathan B
July 20, 2009
That quote begins yesterday’s Old Testament reading in the lectionary. My pastor preached on that verse, using it to address a number of controversial topics, especially contraception, abortion, and sexuality. He noted that all too often priests refuse to teach their flock about these and other hard issues, preferring not to make waves. I think it’s a temptation we all experience. Fr. Jay did, however, give the Church’s teaching on each topic and did so with charity and kindness. Standing up for what we believe in articulately and accurately with love should be a goal for every Catholic.
4 Comments | Abortion | Tagged: Abortion, Catholic, Contraception, homily, Homosexuality, Priests, shepherds | Permalink
Posted by Jonathan B
June 6, 2009
Information about the religion of Scott Roeder, the man charged with killing abortionist Dr. George Tiller, has recently come to light. It turns out his was a very Old Testament type religion. One commentator thinks he was essentially looking for a theocracy. But, I doubt it; that is too simple. Roeder would not do any activity on the Sabbath, for example. He was probably a so-called Messianic Christian, which in my experience is a mix of fundamentalist Protestantism and Jewish ritual and practice. They believe in Jesus (but only to a point and largely neglect Paul), but also emphasize Old Testament laws, holidays and rituals. From a Catholic and orthodox Christian standpoint, they are essentially Judaizers.
I may be wrong of course, but a Christian keeping the Sabbath and describing his church as based on the Old Testament make me very suspicious. Oh, and I don’t think that his actions represent his group (whatever it may be) at all, just pointing out what I think he may have been involved in.
Leave a Comment » | Abortion | Tagged: Abortion, Dr. George Tiller, law, Messianic Christianity, murder, Old Testament, religion, Scott Roeder | Permalink
Posted by Jonathan B
June 1, 2009
For those who don’t check the Drudge Report every hour like I do, you may not have heard yet that heinous late-term abortionist George Tiller was gunned down, in church of all places. As a Christian I am bothered that this act may set back the legitimate pro-life movement. The Christianity-haters are all over this, claiming Christians support murdering people. However, I think Mark Shea offers some excellent thoughts on this issue that are worth reading:
George Tiller was shot to death in church this morning. He was a monster who justified what he did by the good ends he claimed he was aiming for.
In that, he was a kindred spirit with the person who murdered him.
In our present cultural climate, it is quite possible that the man who did this just murdered the pro-life movement. It won’t take much more for Caesar to decide that not all terrorists are Islamic and begin to strip prolifers of the protections of law “to keep us safe”. He would be wrong, of course, to do it. But fools who are inclined to cheer for (or, more commonly, makes excuses for) this act of evil should bear in mind the fact that it doesn’t much matter if Caesar is wrong when he owns all the guns, police, and prisons.
I sometimes fear that one of the only consolations of my old age will be sitting in a jail cell as a “suspected prolife theocratic extremist” with other innocent Christians who formerly cheered for consequentialism and saying, “Toldja so.”
“If anyone has an urge to kill someone at an abortion clinic, they should shoot me. … It’s madness. It discredits the right-to-life movement. Murder is murder. It’s madness. You cannot prevent killing by killing.” – John Cardinal O’Connor
Leave a Comment » | Abortion, News | Tagged: Abortion, George Tiller, murder | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett
April 20, 2009
I was reading through some of the Early Church Fathers volumes I own, and I came across some quotations of the Apocalypse of Peter contained in the writings of Clement of Alexandria (d. 215 AD), specifically his Eclogae ex Scripturis Propheticis. The Apocalypse of Peter is a non-canonical apocalyptic work that enjoyed some popularity in a few churches, particularly those in the Palestine area (parts of it were apparently read aloud in churches there, as late as the fifth century, during Good Friday services). While not canonical, the work gives us a glimpse into early Christian opinions and perspectives. It is quite vivid, and available online for reading (at least some of it).
According to Clement, the Apocalypse of Peter entrusts exposed infants and aborted babies to the care of special angels, who raise them to be faithful. Methodius of Olympus (d. 311), using the Apocalypse of Peter as a source, attests to the same belief. Below is an English translation of Eclogae ex Scripturis Propheticis 41, which mentions exposed infants. I don’t have a translation of chapter 48, which mentions abortion in a similar context, but if you want to read the Latin and Greek, you may do so here (pdf). I am traveling and away from my Latin resources, and I am too lazy at this moment to translate it myself using online resources…mea culpa!
The scripture says that infants that have been exposed [to the elements to die] are delivered to a care-taking angel, by whom they are educated and so grow up, and they will be, it says, as the faithful of a hundred years old are here (41).
Of note, the Apocalypse of Peter strongly condemns the act of abortion, and places those who get them in hell, being punished by the spirits of the children they aborted.
Leave a Comment » | Abortion, Pro-Life Issues | Tagged: Abortion, babies, clement, peter | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett
February 11, 2009
Lent encourages us to let the Word of God penetrate our life and thus to know the fundamental truth: who we are, where we come from, where we must go, what road to take in life. And thus, the Season of Lent offers us an ascetic and liturgical route which, while helping us to open our eyes to our weakness, opens our hearts to the merciful love of Christ. BENEDICT XVI, GENERAL AUDIENCE, 1st March 2006.
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
The liturgical season of Lent is fast approaching. The Lord is giving us yet one more opportunity to work on ourselves, on our souls. For this, I thank Him!
As you are well aware we are living in a very tumultuous time; a time of financial distress, war, and a time in which radical politicians –and presidents–boldly undermine the sanctity of life. This time in which we live demands conversion, a radical turning away from sin to God. But unless we ourselves begin this conversion process, the world will continue getting worse and worse by the minute.
I warmly encourage each and everyone reading this post to take advantage of Lent, to make it the best Lent you ever had, the most spiritually fruitful. Let us enter into this holy season with a deep desire “to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,” so that we “may be filled with all the fullnes of God” (Ephesians 3:19).
Please realize that God has given us everything we need to experience the conversion of our own hearts and minds, if we but humbly accept His Divine Grace. Let us ask our Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary, to plead our cause before the Lord, to teach us how to be good sons and daughters of the Most High, to protect us from all harm. Let us also ask our Brothers and Sisters who dedicated their lives to the fulfilment of the Christian vocation, and who now enjoy the Beatific Vision, to come to our aid in times of temptation so that we may be strengthened and may come off unharmed after the battle. Finally, let us be mindful that, through Baptism, we are members of the Mystical Body of Christ, and so we all have the responsibility to look out for one another, especially for the poor (Philipians 2:4; Matthew 25:40). Let us, then, pray for one another during Lent!
Lenten Resources:
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Posted by Jorge Flores
February 3, 2009
Most of Obama’s executive orders have been fairly popular, but his decision to allow funding for overseas family planning services that provide abortion (reversing a Reagan and Bush order) is only supported by 35% of Americans.
Interesting.
2 Comments | Abortion, Pro-Life Issues | Tagged: Abortion, Obama | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett
January 26, 2009
For my Topics in the Philosophy of Religion (Philosophy 441) class, we have to write an informal, one page, reaction paper for each of the reading assignments. I would like to share it with you.
Here is my second reaction paper for you to read and critique! Read the rest of this entry »
4 Comments | Abortion, Apologetics, Books, Catholic, General, Culture Wars, Education, Morality and Moral Issues, Politics, Pro-Life Issues | Tagged: Atheism, Death, Ethics, Faith, God, Life, Medicine, Philosophy, Reason, Sam Harris, Science, stem cell | Permalink
Posted by Jorge Flores
January 18, 2009
For my Topics in the Philosophy of Religion (Philosophy 441) class, we have to write an informal, one page, reaction paper for each of the reading assignments.
Here is my first reaction paper for you to read and critique!
Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | Abortion, Apologetics, Books, Catholic Social Teaching, Catholic, General, Converts and Conversion, Creeds, Culture Wars, Devotions and Spirituality, Education, Evangelization, Growth, Islam, Martyrs, Morality and Moral Issues, News, Persecution, Politics, Popular Culture, Pro-Life Issues, Saints and Sainthood | Tagged: Atheism, Belief, Faith, God, Philosophy, Reason, religion | Permalink
Posted by Jorge Flores
December 7, 2008
A Roman Catholic Bishop has said that he would defy the most pro-abortion legislation in history if it ever came to be an issue in his diocese.
Bishop Paul S. Loverde of Arlington, Va., spoke this week at a diocesan event for young adults, outlining his hypothetical reaction to the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), a bill that would establish abortion as a universal right if passed. Despite the fact that the Arlington Diocese does not have any Catholic hospitals, Bishop Loverde said he knows exactly what he would say if FOCA were enforced against hospitals in his care.
“I would say, ‘Yeah, I’m not going to close the hospital, you’re going to arrest me, go right ahead,” he said. “‘You’ll have to drag me out, go right ahead. I’m not closing this hospital, we will not perform abortions, and you can go take a flying leap.’” (from here)
I have not researched FOCA to the degree that I should, but according to the article:
“FOCA establishes abortion as a ‘fundamental right’ throughout the nine months of pregnancy, and forbids any law or policy that could ‘interfere’ with that right or ‘discriminate’ against it in public funding and programs,” wrote Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia in October.
Of course, just because Congress says so, does not make a right “fundamental.” Many governments over the years have made declarations about what is right, and what is wrong. So now will every hospital be required to perform abortions? So much for Freedom of choice. Catholic and other religious hospitals do a lot of good. Liberals in Congress (and we are really talking about upper-class elites here, not common folk) are going to threaten the health care and well-being of the poor just to push an agenda rooted in 1960s and 1970s activism.
From the elites that run this country (on both sides of the political spectrum), Good Lord Deliver Us.
4 Comments | Abortion, Pro-Life Issues | Tagged: Abortion, bishops | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett
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