Would it be wrong for a Catholic firefighter to not put out a fire at an abortion clinic? Wrong is a concept Catholics acknowledge. It “could” be wrong. In ALL cases? Most fires aren’t abortion clinic fires. But that does bring some considerations to a Catholic’s mind. To a moral relativist “wrong” can be a contrived concept the just limits ones freedom. Though even most moral relativists have their own moral code - and while they might not care for the concept of objective truth trumping a more flexible “your truth/my truth” model - at some point most of these will indicate at some point there exists “wrong”. At least in disagreeing with them.
- If there is no such thing as objective wrong - the answer to this must be “no”.
- Wrong CAN be done by Catholics. More info needed. Could it be right NOT to “put out the fire at the abortion clinic?” Yes in some instances. Many NOT related to the FF’s being Catholic at all.
A firefighter whose pension was tied to a stock in the company that owned the abortion clinic (and who was additionally pro-abortion) might have a certain level of zeal in putting out that fire that would be hard to match.
Must a “Catholic firefighter” do at least as much to be a “good” firefighter - or be seen as
a hindrance in some way? Conversely, a callous “do nothing” extreme wouldn’t even be “rendering to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” - in this case “job is - fighting fires for the community”. Can one serve both Caesar (to the proper level) and God (to the proper level)?
catholic.com/magazine/articles/when-is-it-okay-to-disobey This article may shed some light on the subject. It’s on civil disobedience - and when it can be proper. AND the “right thing to do” over and above one’s loyalty to the state etc.
This article quotes scriptures giving BOTH cases. Duties to the state or community. Duties to God. It also gives some guidance as to what to do when the two duties seem to conflict. And grave consequence to the community and other people are at stake:
Catholic Catechism: Authority does not derive its moral legitimacy from itself. It must not behave in a despotic manner, but must act for the common good as a moral force based on freedom and a sense of responsibility: A human law has the character of law to the extent that it accords with right reason, and thus derives from the eternal law. Insofar as it falls short of right reason it is said to be an **unjust law, **and thus has not so much the nature of law as of **a kind of violence. **(1902)
Authority is exercised legitimately only when it seeks the common good of the group concerned and if it employs morally licit means to attain it. If rulers were to enact unjust laws or take measures contrary to the moral order, such arrangements would not be binding in conscience. In such a case, authority breaks down completely and results in shameful abuse. (1903)
Firefighting at an uninhabited building is not handing an abortionist a sharpened curette or filling a container with flesh scalding chemicals to be sure — but as per “assisting evil versus assisting virtue” per abortion it is certainly more the former than the latter (per an examination of conscience).
Posters here have weighed in on both sides of this. From
“let it burn” (the evil of abortion understood to be “this is not your usual fire” and a Catholic may do so). Not to put words in anyone’s mouth. To:
Save the abortion clinic at all costs firefighter. You are a traitor (to your profession and community) if you don’t. You are not AT Church (and your feeling like a traitor to your faith or to God are not a consideration). If you do “not put out this fire” you deserve to be “fired” (pardon the pun) and maybe more. Not to put words in anyone’s mouth here either.
Does the usually GOOD thought: How much GOOD can I do here? Or how can I best serve God and my neighbor here? Have any place in this theoretical dilemma? (YES! per me). And it always does. Serving God first** is **actually serving neighbor best.
I used Oskar Schindler as an example of such civil disobedience earlier. Other Catholics did less than he when confronted with evils and their duties. Pope Benedict was drafted into “the (Nazi) Army” and later deserted and was taken prisoner by the Allies. Schindler found himself in a position of power - with an opportunity to save some innocent lives - IF he withheld SOME of his complete cooperation with the state. At that time private Josef Ratzinger did not have such an opportunity. Smoky the fictional firefighter (post 22) mulls how much within his duties and opportunities he can do his best to “preserve life” and “preserve property”, still fight fire, and in what order should his many firefighter duties be prioritized given THIS case.
When Jesus said “render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” He does not say to finish the paragraph by concluding " … and to
CAESAR .… the things that are GOD’S!"
If I am on a fire department review board, and after the fact – (the clinic having burned completely down) the firefighter was: not to be found to be hindering other firefighters directly; and did not quit at the point of the call-in; and
was seen to be doing things proper to the job at the time – I dismiss the case as being “inconclusive,” with “no disciplinary action necessary”. Perhaps sitting through an orientation video again.
And if a Muslim or Jewish firefighter showed less than fanatical zeal in fighting a fire at
the ham, pork sausage and bacon works – I would not recommend their firings nor a moratorium on HIRING people of those faiths in the future either.
nypost.com/p/news/regional/item_Uv6OpLMZk7DodsFSfXlpOM
Nothing is so good at helping me understand what I think and why as having to write it down. 
