Two Jesuit priests, Fr. Mitch Pacwa of the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) and Fr. Thomas Reese of the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University, recently appeared on CNN (transcript link below) to debate the controversy surrounding Bishop Tobin’s public exhortation of Rep. Patrick Kennedy, a “pro-choice” Catholic. During the course of the interview, Fr. Reese remarked, “I think, you know, it’s important to make a distinction between people who are pro abortion and people who are pro choice.” This is a common theme among many in Washington these days. The tired old line goes something like this: “I’m personally opposed to abortion, but who am I to impose my morality on others?”
This is flawed for several reasons. First, it presumes, incorrectly, that religion is a private matter. As many, including Pope Benedict XVI, have reminded us, religion is personal, but it is not private. Christ did not commission us to hide our faith under a bushel, or to proclaim it only to our closest family members if we are absolutely positive it will not offend them in any way. (cf. Mt. 5:15) No! Rather, he told us to make disciples of the whole world. (cf. Mt. 28: 19) Granted, one should never force the conversion of another. Yet, we are called to proclaim the good news of Christ and to spread the Truth that it may set men free. Our Lord said “So every one who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” (Mt. 10: 32-33 RSV).
Second, Fr. Reese’s statement is flawed because it smacks of both relativism and hypocrisy, making a mockery of the Truth. A fetus cannot be alive and lifeless simultaneously. It is either living or non-living; there is no in-between. Fr. Reese, like Rep. Kennedy, would like to ignore that fact and presume that we can simply “agree to disagree”. Which leads me to the hypocrisy. For one to say that he is personally opposed to abortion yet supports a woman’s right to “choose” is to contradict all he knows to be true. For, why would one personally oppose abortion if he believes the fetus to be lifeless? What would be the benefit of opposing the removal of inanimate tissue from a woman’s body? If one is personally opposed to abortion, he clearly knows, or at least strongly suspects, that the fetus is a living being with the dignity afforded it as such. Fully knowing the fetus to be a human life with inherent dignity, how does one justify allowing another to destroy that living being or actively implement legislation that results in the destruction of that living being? It is tantamount to saying “I’m personally opposed to genocide/segregation/slavery/etc., but…” When one knows the Truth, how can he settle for anything less without damaging the very fabric of his soul? And how can he not implore others to embrace the Truth as well? Is he so selfish that he desires only his own salvation?
The devil tempts me to fret in matters such as these. My consolation is Matthew 13: 24-30 (RSV):
24 Another parable he put before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants of the householder came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then has it weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he said, ‘No; lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”
Let us remain steadfast in Truth until the harvest.
Nicholas
http://www.edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0911/23/ec.01.html (Scroll almost all the way to the bottom.)
http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=4707
Interesting thoughts, Nicholas. The scripture is a much-needed reminder that this life is never going to be a utopia, and we need to continue with the good fight to the best of our abilities (which the older I get, the more I feel we have very few abilities but thankfully a strong God who can transform the efforts of his weak children). The third “group” in the abortion debate is of course those who do recognize the life of the child but don’t feel the child deserves the right to life. The have deemed the mother’s life “more important.” Or the “freedom to choose” more important. It’s this group that scares me the most and sadly is growing.