Even though Catholic bishops are already pressing President-elect Barack Obama on the issue of abortion, it is time they begin to realize that 54% of Catholics who voted for him do not agree with the bishops telling people how to vote.
When St. Augustine was ordained against his will, he begged the bishop to not make him a priest, but the bishop replied, “The voice of the people is the voice of God.” I think this is where the nun is coming from; if more than half of the Church in America is against the bishops and for Obama, than God must be so as well.
However, the flaw in this type of reasoning is threefold: 1) The Church is Catholic, that is, Universal, not just American; 2) The Church has stated, infallibly, that abortion is an intrinsic evil that may not be performed under any circumstances; 3) Christ said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” Now if He is the Life, than how He can be for death?
Obama may be pro-choice, but so is God. God gave everyone a free will and he does not pressure people into using that free will to do what is right. Obama promised to do what he can to prevent abortion. What more need he do when so many other pressures to make changes are upon him?
This is one reason why there are pro-choice Catholics; they get the terminology mixed up, or are fed lies about the pro-choice movement. “Pro-choice” dose not mean the freedom to choose; if that were simply the case - if “pro-choice” simply meant having the freedom to choose - than God would certainly be pro-choice, for, as the nun correctly states, God pressures no one to use His gifts (and freewill is one of His gifts) rightly. He is Love, and as Love, He respects us and trusts us to act responsibily, just as a husband respects his wife and trusts her to act responsibily. “Pro-choice” means having the right to kill - the right to choose the death of another. No one has that right or that choice, ever.
Obama will do all he can to prevent abortion. He lied during his compain and he will - if FOCA leaves Congress - sign the bill into law, which will destroy any and all limitations on abortions, both federally and statewise.
Yes, abortion is the killing of an innocent life. So is war and violent killing on the street. I have often seen many starving babies in hospitals in Honduras and witnessed their pain. In these cases, abortion might have been the lesser of two evils, and even the most merciful alternative.
Abortion is the killing of an innocent life which cannot defend itself and which has not even had the chance at life; war and self-defense (violent killing, I assume) is the defense of life, at the national and personal levels. There is no comparison between snuffing life out and defending one’s life, even if at the cost of another’s life.
I can see where the nun is coming from when she says abortion is the lesser of two evils: why allow babies to suffer, but instead, mercy-kill them so they don’t have to suffer? Yet the Church has definitely stated that mercy-killing is evil and not to be committed.
I challenge our bishops to dwell more on unjust economic issues that both create and perpetuate the need for children to die of starvation, and for women to choose abortion. It would be better to aim at eliminating poverty rather than focus only on abortion. Poverty in our country and the world at large is a disgrace that cries to heaven for vengeance.
Sr. Arlene Welding, SSSF; Campellsport, WI
I believe what the nun means is, why focus simply on abortion, and not on other issues which are threatening the growth and well-being of our nation, such as poverty and starvation in the streets? If abortion was not against the right to life - which is the one fundamental right of every human being who, from conception, has a human life - than I would definitely say poverty is a much bigger issue and needs more attention from the bishops; and this would be coupled by the Church’s love for the poor and by the Lord’s command to feed the hungry, quench the thirsty, clothe the naked, etc.
However, you can’t have poor people or people to comfort the poor if you don’t give these people the right to life, if you give mothers the right to kill the saints in their wombs; and this is coupled with the Lord’s mission and with the Church’s words: Jesus came to give us life, abundant life, yet how can a human being have life if that little one is killed in the mother’s womb? And the Church has always taught that the defense of life - the defense of human life and of the right to life - is fundamental in the fight against evil.
