A couple of nights ago, while our beautiful baby boy slept in mommy's arms after a good dose of formula, Rebecca and I caught a few minutes of a documentary on PBS. It was on terrorism and the Taliban.
It's a mad world, isn't it? There are wicked things that take root in men's hearts and blossom in chaotic acts of violence. There are eyes blinded by hate that do not see. There are hands clenched in rage that will not receive. There are swords in the minds of many that want only to cut and to desecrate with their ideologies. For them, human life is cheap. People are means to an end; either obstacles or opportunities in a process they think will end as a good for them; for their agenda, their cause, their country.
But that approach never works, because people are not means to an end but ends in themselves. "The reason for the world... you and I" in the words of The Riddle, a favorite song of mine. But the TV told otherwise, and the sanctity of humanlife was again desecrated. In the warmth of our home, deeply disturbing images flashed on the screen. Women stoned for not wearing a full burka, a man tortured and killed for drinking alcohol, mutilated bodies, explosions and burned out cars. Buildings were caved in and carved out, looking like open mouths, screaming. Desert landscapes were filled with throngs of bearded men, waving guns, chanting and burning flags. And then I looked back to our newly adopted son, breathing softly in Rebecca's arms.
In the essay The Weight of Glory, C.S. Lewis said "Next to the Blessed Sacrament Itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses." These words should be sounded from the rooftops. Now that we have a little boy in our midst, and Grace in the tabernacle of Rebecca's womb, I am touched more so than ever before by the breathtaking beauty of human life, and by its fragility.
"Behold, you are worth more than many sparrows" was Our Lord's tongue in cheek way of saying that we are... priceless; worth more than our weight in gold, more that the weight of the whole created universe. Your hairs are counted, your fingerprints are yours alone, you and only you are making the choices of your everyday life every day. And you have been ransomed from destruction and death and decay by the passion of a loving God.
Thank God we see things differently here in America than these sadly misguided terrorists. Thank God we honor every one as a unique expression on the Face of God, that we cherish every human life because in every human heart the Spirit of the Living God lives and moves and gives us being.
Then again...
In the next few days, reflect on the sad truth that we have our own abominations, seemingly neater and cleaner than the images on the TV. With surgical precision, the horrors of abortion are nipped and tucked away from the eyes of most Americans. And yet, 50 million lives have been abruptly and most violently ended by abortion since 1973 in these "United" States. God, save us from this abomination.
"A country that murders its own children has no future."
- Pope John Paul II
Friday, October 31, 2008
Abomination
A couple of nights ago, while our beautiful baby boy slept in mommy's arms after a good dose of formula, Rebecca and I caught a few minutes of a documentary on PBS. It was on terrorism and the Taliban.
It's a mad world, isn't it? There are wicked things that take root in men's hearts and blossom in chaotic acts of violence. There are eyes blinded by hate that do not see. There are hands clenched in rage that will not receive. There are swords in the minds of many that want only to cut and to desecrate with their ideologies. For them, human life is cheap. People are means to an end; either obstacles or opportunities in a process they think will end as a good for them; for their agenda, their cause, their country.
But that approach never works, because people are not means to an end but ends in themselves. "The reason for the world... you and I" in the words of The Riddle, a favorite song of mine. But the TV told otherwise, and the sanctity of humanlife was again desecrated. In the warmth of our home, deeply disturbing images flashed on the screen. Women stoned for not wearing a full burka, a man tortured and killed for drinking alcohol, mutilated bodies, explosions and burned out cars. Buildings were caved in and carved out, looking like open mouths, screaming. Desert landscapes were filled with throngs of bearded men, waving guns, chanting and burning flags. And then I looked back to our newly adopted son, breathing softly in Rebecca's arms.
In the essay The Weight of Glory, C.S. Lewis said "Next to the Blessed Sacrament Itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses." These words should be sounded from the rooftops. Now that we have a little boy in our midst, and Grace in the tabernacle of Rebecca's womb, I am touched more so than ever before by the breathtaking beauty of human life, and by its fragility.
"Behold, you are worth more than many sparrows" was Our Lord's tongue in cheek way of saying that we are... priceless; worth more than our weight in gold, more that the weight of the whole created universe. Your hairs are counted, your fingerprints are yours alone, you and only you are making the choices of your everyday life every day. And you have been ransomed from destruction and death and decay by the passion of a loving God.
Thank God we see things differently here in America than these sadly misguided terrorists. Thank God we honor every one as a unique expression on the Face of God, that we cherish every human life because in every human heart the Spirit of the Living God lives and moves and gives us being.
Then again...
In the next few days, reflect on the sad truth that we have our own abominations, seemingly neater and cleaner than the images on the TV. With surgical precision, the horrors of abortion are nipped and tucked away from the eyes of most Americans. And yet, 50 million lives have been abruptly and most violently ended by abortion since 1973 in these "United" States. God, save us from this abomination.
"A country that murders its own children has no future."
- Pope John Paul II
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4 comments:
And I wonder....
How are you gonna vote Bill
Which is the lesser of the two evils?
Democrat or Republican?
THE FOLLOWING COMMENT HAS GRAPHIC CONTENT:
As always, we can't rely on either party to "save us"... that's the job of the Savior. So we pray and pick the best imperfect human person we can, according to our subjective conscience, carefully formed by objective truth. Senator Obama has stated publicly that "the first thing I'd do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act." This bill he has co-sponsored allows for Partial-Birth abortion (a baby, up until the ninth month, is breeched with only the head left in the birth canal, and then the baby is killed by scissors and a vacuum). This bill would also remove the need for parental notification when a minor wants to kill the child in her womb. He has stated that this is the FIRST thing he would do as president. THIS is his first priority?
For me, the choice of the right candidate has NEVER been clearer. Obama and his pro-abortion agenda is an abomination. God help us if he is elected, and we become an Obamanation.
McCain/Palin, although not a perfect choice (and who is ever perfect on all fronts?), are publicly stating that they are seeking to build a culture of life, not of death. For me, peace must begin in the womb, before it can ever put an end to war in the world.
I CHOOSE LIFE!
Bill, but was it not our Heavenly Father himself who gave us the freedom of choice way back then?
Even if our governments set rules that give us that freedom is God not gonna hold ME responsible for my actions?
In my country - South Africa - the law - freedom of choice - was introduced to save thousands of women from being slaughterd by back street abortions.
Abortions are/were being used as a birth control method - now we have access to those woman... they can be educated (and yes once again the lesser of two evils is the only approach - birth control versus abortion)
But my point is... what kind of being am I if I have to rely on my government - mere mortals like myself who have a hunger for power - is that not what they are about? - to decide on my spirituality? my mortality?
You can choose on the abortion issue - but do you have a choice when it comes to the slaughter of innocent people in their own country just because your government is interested in their oil?
Deborah.
Hello Deborah,
Thanks for your thoughts. Just a few responses. I believe there are a couple things intertwined here that will need more time to unfold. First off to your last point about the war. It is unjust and the Church has been against it, from Pope John Paul II to Pope Benedict XVI. I think it's a tragedy. OK, to your points:
You said "was it not our Heavenly Father himself who gave us the freedom of choice way back then?"
ME: Yes, and He urges us to choose life. This freedom is what makes us human, different from the animals. But it's a freedom to do the right thing, not just anything.
YOU: "Even if our governments set rules that give us that freedom is God not gonna hold ME responsible for my actions?"
ME: Absolutely. The Church teaches that our conscience is "man's most secret core, his sanctuary" and says: "Deep within his conscience man discovers a law which he has not laid upon himself but which he must obey. Its voice, ever calling him to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil, tells him inwardly at the right moment: do this, shun that." (Gaudium et Spes, n. 16).
YOU: In my country - South Africa - the law - freedom of choice - was introduced to save thousands of women from being slaughtered by back street abortions.
ME: To legalize abortion in order to "save thousands of women from being slaughtered" only compounds the problem. “Clean” death is not an answer to “dirty” death. Women need life affirming and life supporting alternatives, and the Church has thousands of doors open to welcome mother and father and child.
YOU: Abortions are/were being used as a birth control method - now we have access to those woman... they can be educated (and yes once again the lesser of two evils is the only approach - birth control versus abortion)
ME: Deborah, I really believe that “where there is life there is hope.” We are made for more than lust, an inability to rise above our own selfish desires. Uganda, for example, is positive evidence of a pro-life culture succeeding, without a compromise to contraception. Here’s a great article on their abstinence program and it’s results: http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/sexuality/se0074.html
Sorry for the brevity. I have to take off! God bless you, and here’s my e-mail if you want to talk more – bill donaghy @ mac . com (just remove all the spaces before you send)
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