Leaving the Culture of Death Behind

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Incredible how God is always working. Reminds me of the priest telling me to pray about struggles in my life…and me saying…I will, but what do I do if nothing happens…and the priest with a smile saying…something will happen…something always happens…God is always working…he hears all…answers all…and never takes a day off!

Thanks for sharing…and lets keep praying.

Pax Christi
 
A good article about a woman who left the abortion industry and joined the pro-life movement.

I recommend that people read this article.

My only complaint is about the title. Although it is here more appropriate then most of the time is is used the use of the term ‘culture of death’ completely misunderstands what is happening in our society. The problem with our culture is not what it has but what it is missing. It is not pro-death; rather it lets it right and just compassion for one group of people drown out the right and just compassion for another group of people.
 
God bless her. Truly is great to hear of abortion workers leaving and becoming pro life
 
Tony_the_mad said:
A good article about a woman who left the abortion industry and joined the pro-life movement.

I recommend that people read this article.

My only complaint is about the title. Although it is here more appropriate then most of the time is is used the use of the term ‘culture of death’ completely misunderstands what is happening in our society. The problem with our culture is not what it has but what it is missing. It is not pro-death; rather it lets it right and just compassion for one group of people drown out the right and just compassion for another group of people.
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Culture of Death is accurate. Millions of babies have been murdered since 1973.
Euthanasia -the idea that a healer, a doctor, can legally end someone’s life is death again.

Then there is spiritual death. While there are those who claim that artificial contraception is necessary in some cases, such as for medical reasons, there are alternatives.

If we are not open to life in our marriages then why are we married? As I personally heard someone say, “I’m not getting married just so I can have sex.”

The media has turned the spotlight on evil as good - adultery, fornication [it’s just sex, like going to the bathroom] and abortion as a “right,” not as something rare. Now it’s used way too often as a form of birth control. THAT IS A HUMAN BEING - NOT A BLOB OF TISSUE.

Peace,
Ed
 
edwest2 said:
Culture of Death is accurate. Millions of babies have been murdered since 1973.
Euthanasia -the idea that a healer, a doctor, can legally end someone’s life is death again.

Then there is spiritual death. While there are those who claim that artificial contraception is necessary in some cases, such as for medical reasons, there are alternatives.

If we are not open to life in our marriages then why are we married? As I personally heard someone say, “I’m not getting married just so I can have sex.”

The media has turned the spotlight on evil as good - adultery, fornication [it’s just sex, like going to the bathroom] and abortion as a “right,” not as something rare. Now it’s used way too often as a form of birth control. THAT IS A HUMAN BEING - NOT A BLOB OF TISSUE.

Peace,
Ed
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First of all, I share your ferocity and your anger about the issues you bring up. Our difference is only in how should we use that righteous anger.

I still contend that using the term ‘culture of death’ is a wrong and is a counterproductive use of our thirst for justice for four main reasons:
  1. It is tilting at windmills. ‘Culture’ is a nebulous term that encompasses both good and bad. Our target is not this lumbering constantly changing culture but more specific problems such as a lack of compassion for someone we cannot see or touch.
  2. It is a declaration of war when we need dialog. Name calling, even when justified, doesn’t work. It gets people’s angry so that they shut their ears to what ever else you have to say. Just as bad, it is an excuse for those of us who are ‘pro-life’ not to be involved in our own culture. Even though we are not of this world we are still in this world and it is still our responsibility to influence it. Yelling and screaming that we live in a ‘culture of death’ may make us feel better, but it doesn’t help.
  3. What is wrong with our culture is mostly not what is present but what is missing. G.K. Chesterton has this wonderful saying to the effect that when a great culture is broken (such as our Church during the reformation) that the vices that were under check run wild. But, the worst damage is done not by vices but virtues that have become separated from each other. An example of this is compassion for a mother in trouble due to a pregnancy and compassion for the unborn child. We are called to have extreme compassion for both and both passions are virtues, but when the become separated from each other the do great evil on both sides. (Abortion is the greater evil, but evils exist on both sides.)
  4. It invites a smug contentment with our own beliefs. Even when we are careful to not be smug ourselves we will find ourselves tied to ‘allies’ who aren’t so introspective and hurt our cause dramatically. The Akin debacle is an example of this. Almost as bad is that we miss the strengths of the culture we live in, and lose the ability to learn from those strengths. Our culture is significantly less racist, sexist, and discriminatory to those who are different then it used to be. It does not put up with near as much child abuse as it used to. It has its weaknesses, for sure, to your list of the ‘culture of death’ I would add a general tendency to war mongering, anti-immigrant bias, and a growing dis-concern for the foreigner, the poor, and for social justice. But fixing those weakness are not helped by labeling the whole thing, both good and bad, as being a ‘culture of death’.
 
Part of my daily job is monitoring all media. I’ve been doing it for decades. And I’ve got plenty of facts that the culture/media is encouraging people to deny any sense of morality. On another forum where I am a moderator, someone wrote: “We no longer want to feel guilty or ashamed or sinful ever again.” The media agrees.

I know there is a need to help mothers in difficult circumstances:

priestsforlife.org/index.aspx

Click on any of the icons near the top

Racism:

thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/04/08/a-newsweek-poll-show-americans-still-divided-over-race.html

In Detroit, blacks still prefer to live in mostly black communities. I lived there until 2003,but visit at least twice a month, and I travel through the bad parts of town.

Sexist: That word means absolutely nothing to me. It is number one on my list of words I don’t like.

Discrimination? For who?

I am unfamiliar with the “Akin debacle.”

Child abuse has not decreased in America.

childhelp.org/pages/statistics?gclid=CIeEvvnyobICFcldTAodE1YAZg

I am not responsible for government immigration policies.

Peace,
Ed
 
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