Contra Bruni's Contra Catholicism & Contra Pro Life

[PoliSciProf]

NY Times columnist Frank Bruni has written an anti-Catholic and pro-abortion article in Sunday’s paper that contains all of the typical errors, poor logic and unjustified smugness found among those who share his persuasion. Since CAF readers often ask for help in dealing with those of his ilk, I though it would be useful if CAFers would muster their apoligetic talents to refute Mr. Bruni’s “arguments” (in an appropriate charitable manner of course) so as to help others in their defense of the Faith. In short, I invite all CAFers to engage in an on-line seminar on Bruni’s article and the CAF response. Give it your best!

nytimes.com/2012/03/25/opinion/sunday/bruni-a-catholic-classmate-rethinks-his-religion.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss#comments

 

[Jeanne_S]

Wow…this article is so disturbing,upsetting and infuriating on so many levels,outside of these comments,I am at a complete loss for words.

 

[jpjd]

I’ve already written to Frank Bruni about another of his columns. I am really disgusted that he uses his position as a columnist to rail against Catholicism. Catholic-bashing is truly the last acceptable predjudice.

Why doesn’t this man understand the the Church is human and divine. Divine teachings from Christ are safeguarded and taught through the ages by way of the Church. Human beings who make up the Church try to live out these teachings. The Church has always admitted that humans are created good but prone to sin. Therefore, It is not at all surprising to find out that they sin. What point exactly is Frank Bruni trying to make? No one ever said that a Catholic human is a sinless human. But at least Catholics have a moral standard for which to strive. Even the now-atheist doctor credits religion for fostering “community-mindedness and altruism,” i.e., a moral basis. The point that Bruni is apparently making, hypocrocrisy, is evidence that hypocrites need more faith, not less.

Gee, it sounds like I’ve written my letter to Frank Bruni.

 

[Jeanne_S]

I’ve already written to Frank Bruni about another of his columns. I am really disgusted that he uses his position as a columnist to rail against Catholicism. Catholic-bashing is truly the last acceptable predjudice.

Why doesn’t this man understand the the Church is human and divine. Divine teachings from Christ are safeguarded and taught through the ages by way of the Church. Human beings who make up the Church try to live out these teachings. The Church has always admitted that humans are created good but prone to sin. Therefore, It is not at all surprising to find out that they sin. What point exactly is Frank Bruni trying to make? No one ever said that a Catholic human is a sinless human. But at least Catholics have a moral standard for which to strive. Even the now-atheist doctor credits religion for fostering “community-mindedness and altruism,” i.e., a moral basis. The point that Bruni is apparently making, hypocrocrisy, is evidence that hypocrites need more faith, not less.

Gee, it sounds like I’ve written my letter to Frank Bruni.

.

 

[manualman]

I was all ready to make some responses to his arguments, only to discover that he hadn’t made any.

His major point is that he’s discovered a man who rejected the religious beliefs of his youth and adopted beliefs similar to his own. What are his own? He alludes to them, but never articulates them or argues for their validity. How do you debate a testimony? The only thing you can do is look between the lines for apparent bad assumptions and identify and refute them.

1. Both author and subject have watched believers throughout history and concluded that believers are quite often terribly flawed people. He appears to thing that since catholicism claims to teach divinely revealed morality, believers (present and past) should be above reproach in their own lives if catholicism has any basis in reality.

This, of course, is laughable when you think it through. Catholicism itself teaches quite clearly that all humanity is fallen and that being restored to God takes a lifetime (and usually beyond) of Grace and humility. But no matter, he has found rather a lot of bad catholics, therefore the whole thing is hooey. Mind you, he doesn’t volunteer to take the reverse test, does he? How about we evaluate the impact of atheism on culture? French Jacobins, Mexican revolutionaries, Stalin, Mao, Castro? Odd, no mention of that in the article. Just the usual unexamined assertion that the existence of bad catholics disproves the validity of the Church. It never seems to occur to him that bad behavior of catholics in history might be caused by the fallen nature of humanity rather than catholic teaching. Or it has, but he sidesteps it.

1. By focusing on the foibles of individuals, he changes the subject from what abortion IS to why people desire it, past and present. Is this good moral reasoning? Shall we focus on why many men have beaten their wives in history and denounce efforts to make that activity illegal so that we can focus our energies on helping out these emotionally damaged and maladjusted mysoginists? Shouldn’t there be compassion for them instead of denunciation? Perhaps, but it’s rather myopic to do so at the expense of the broken and bloody woman involved. Same goes for the broken and bloody baby in the subject of abortion. As usual, abortion apologists never address the issue of what abortion IS. They always change the subject. That, in itself, says volumes.

 

[Lancer]

Sorry, but Bruni’s story does not pass the “smell test”…I just don’t buy it…the apostatized doctor and the pro life abortion protester…who comes in for an abortion…??

He is a brother and we should try to help him/his doctor friend…but I believe that the Holy Spirit has already got a game-plan underway…and Saint Paul has revealed it to us in Romans 1–not the specific sinful acts of Roman’s 1…but how God works with the obstinate/proud of mind and the hardened of heart (esp verses 28-32)…and also the psalmist (PS 94)…both of which can apply to any of us who act the same way with our own “sins of choice”…when we accept them and don’t fight the good fight in repentance and conversion…all in God’s mercy and great graces…which are available to us all.

Pax Christi

Romans 1: 18-32 (NIV)
God’s Wrath Against Sinful Humanity

18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but** their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened**.

22** Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools**

23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.

25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.

27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

and the psalmist in Psalm 94:

Psalm 94 (NIV)

20 Can a corrupt throne be allied with you [God[/COLOR]]—
a throne that brings on misery by its decrees?

21 The wicked band together against the righteous
and condemn the innocent [babies in womb] to death.

22 But the LORD has become my fortress,
and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.

23 He will repay them for their sins
and destroy them for their wickedness;
the LORD our God will destroy them.