C
CompSciGuy
Guest
I was watching a YouTube video recently about a family who had a son who was born without eyes. The family knew about their child’s disability while he was still en utero. They were given the option of abortion, but they flat out refused. The family was Christian and believed that their son has inherent dignity and a right to live. They love their son very much and you can see from the video that he is very happy. Their belief in his dignity, worth and purpose on earth is reflected in how they love their son.
When I scrolled down to read the comments, I saw two groups of people. There were the Christians who were celebrating what a beautiful story and testimony this was, and celebrating this child’s life. Then there were secular humanists who were lamenting this child’s existence, saying that the parents were cruel for not aborting the child because he was doomed to a poor quality of life, doomed to be bullied, doomed to never have a woman who loves him, etc.
I was struck once again with the realization that as we “progress” into a more “modern” way of thinking, we begin to have this tendency to think that the solution for adversity and suffering that extends beyond our control, and even just potential adversity and suffering, is euthanasia, ending it all. This contradicts Christianity, and the belief in the inherent dignity of human life, that every life has a purpose. This belief has caused people to live extraordinary lives in the face of tremendous adversity and suffering. It has strengthened some to rise above their own circumstances and find purpose to their existence. It has inspired others to go to the poorest places of the earth and tend to the least of God’s children. There is a tremendous beauty in this philosophy that reminds me of why I am a Christian in the first place.
But it also reminds me that in order to adopt this philosophy, I have to live it. I can’t just pay it lip service. I can’t talk about the inherent dignity of human life while ignoring the poor, the sick, the naked and the elderly. Because then it wouldn’t be real, I would be a hypocrite.
Part of Pope Francis’ Year of Mercy is to call Catholics to do corporal acts of mercy. Among these are:
To feed the hungry;
To give drink to the thirsty;
To clothe the naked;
To harbour the harbourless;
To visit the sick;
To ransom the captive;
To bury the dead.
This is an extraordinary opportunity for revival, a reminder of what we are called to as children of the gospel.
When I scrolled down to read the comments, I saw two groups of people. There were the Christians who were celebrating what a beautiful story and testimony this was, and celebrating this child’s life. Then there were secular humanists who were lamenting this child’s existence, saying that the parents were cruel for not aborting the child because he was doomed to a poor quality of life, doomed to be bullied, doomed to never have a woman who loves him, etc.
I was struck once again with the realization that as we “progress” into a more “modern” way of thinking, we begin to have this tendency to think that the solution for adversity and suffering that extends beyond our control, and even just potential adversity and suffering, is euthanasia, ending it all. This contradicts Christianity, and the belief in the inherent dignity of human life, that every life has a purpose. This belief has caused people to live extraordinary lives in the face of tremendous adversity and suffering. It has strengthened some to rise above their own circumstances and find purpose to their existence. It has inspired others to go to the poorest places of the earth and tend to the least of God’s children. There is a tremendous beauty in this philosophy that reminds me of why I am a Christian in the first place.
But it also reminds me that in order to adopt this philosophy, I have to live it. I can’t just pay it lip service. I can’t talk about the inherent dignity of human life while ignoring the poor, the sick, the naked and the elderly. Because then it wouldn’t be real, I would be a hypocrite.
Part of Pope Francis’ Year of Mercy is to call Catholics to do corporal acts of mercy. Among these are:
To feed the hungry;
To give drink to the thirsty;
To clothe the naked;
To harbour the harbourless;
To visit the sick;
To ransom the captive;
To bury the dead.
This is an extraordinary opportunity for revival, a reminder of what we are called to as children of the gospel.
