The only newly originating life in the universe that comes in the image of God and will last forever is human life. John Piper says that this reverence is not shared by our new president concerning newly-conceived human life. Piper’s message - The baby in my womb leaped for joy. The belief is that government should not intrude in “our most private family matters.” We can say it is a “private family matter” over and over, and still it is the killing of one million young Americans every year. This is cultural deceit. View video below. See Ken Blackwell’s strong piece – Crimes against humanity
We are to pray for our leaders and honor the offices that they hold. And yet, the church is to be a prophetic voice to our civic leaders.
Not too surprisingly, there is a disconnect between some prominent Catholic universities and important teachings of the Catholic Church. President Obama’s commencement address and the bestowal of an honorary doctorate degree at the University of Notre Dame this Sunday has ”juiced” the national conversation about abortion.
The concern for justice and life is not limited to the Catholic Church. A brand new Gallup poll shows that 51% of Americans now consider themselves “pro-life” and 42% “pro-choice.” This is the first time a majority of U.S. adults have identified themselves as “pro-life” since Gallup began asking this question in 1995. The increase of the pro-life position since last year is seen across Christian religious affiliations, including an 8-point gain among Protestants and a 7-point gain among Catholics. The president’s extreme support for abortion, including his past support for infanticide as an Illinois legislator, are seen as contributing to this shift.
Watch the video and consider forwarding this post to others. I’d be interested in your thoughts. Look for abortion and other social issues to move to the front burner this summer with the Senate considering a new Supreme Court justice.
See God, Country, Notre Dame (National Right to Life) Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Houston explained, “Particularly troubling is the honorary Law Degree, since it recognizes that the person is a ‘Teacher,’ in this case, of the Law.” Is it for the pro-abortion laws that he has championed, or the pro-life laws that he has opposed, that Notre Dame is honoring Mr. Obama?
3 Comments
May 16, 2009 at 1:23 pm
An excerpt from a letter by the VP of National Right to Life:
“The invitation to Mr. Obama makes a mockery of Notre Dame’s Catholic character. His 2012 re-election campaign already underway, he is cynically exploiting and manipulating Notre Dame for his own political purposes: seeking legitimacy with Catholics, co-opting the Catholic vote, undermining respect for the teaching authority of the bishops regarding the primacy of the pro-life issue, inoculating himself against the charge—the fact—that he is a radical pro-abortion extremist.”
Anthony J. Lauinger, VP National Right to Life
May 20, 2009 at 11:45 pm
If you’re saying, “OK, you’ve got my attention but what can I do about it?”…
1) Pray
2) Pray
3) Pray
and if you feel so motivated, the National Right to Life Committee ( http://www.nrlc.org ) has additional information about the battle fronts of the fight for the life of unborn humans and suggests a number of ways to contact your elected officials and let them know how you feel.
May 21, 2009 at 8:02 am
I like your approach here SGW. Prayer is key as the conflict over this issue is sourced in the spiritual. The unseen spiritual realm is the “parent” realm of the natural. And then prayer-borne action as God leads individuals, groups, and movements. To do nothing is not a viable option.