A Historic Week

This week is a historic week and that's not just because the first black president will be inaugurated tomorrow. No this is a historic week because Thursday is the 36th aniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision, a decision that legalized abortion in America. Tomorrow we will see a president inaugurated who is the most pro-abortion president in the history of this country. He has promised to sign FOCA, which would eliminate all the gains in legislation made by the pro-life movement over the last 36 years. FOCA could be even more damaging to the pro-life cause than Roe vs. Wade. The possibility of it's passage is a scary thought. We must do all that we can to make sure it does not pass. The pro-life movement is about to face stiff opposition from the head of the country and the leaders of our nation unless he and they undergo a huge conversion of heart. We can look at this development in one of two ways; we can look at the obsticles ahead of us, decide the hurdles are too high and just give up OR we can take on these great challenges head on and fight this issue with a reinvigorated life! Thursday pro-lifers will gather in Washington D.C. to join in the March for Life. Thousands of young and old will hit the streets of the nations capital in support for life. There will also be smaller pro-life marches taking place on Thursday. Assuming I can rearrange my work schedule, I plan to attend my first ever March for Life here in Atlanta. I don't know when it happened, but sometime before I started this blog I felt a great calling from God to use my talents in a way that might glorify Him. I have found a vocation in defending life. I MUST do more to promote life. We all must do more.

I feel like the cultural decline in family values and respect for life are the two greatest evils of our time. I think the root of our current culture's destructive ways is in a misunderstanding and use of our sexuality. I used to think that abortion was the root of our cultural problems (and it is in a way since it deals with the development and survival of an unborn baby) but it really starts before that point. The widespread acceptance and use of contraception has had a terrible consequence that few outside the Catholic Church could forsee. Some of our Protestant brothers and sisters in Christ are starting to see the harm caused when our human sexuality is misused and are coming back to the realization that contraception is wrong. Not long ago, all Christians were against contraception. I think that the majority of the population who uses contraception uses it unknowingly of how it causes harm. Many, many of these are good Christians who simply haven't been exposed to the great act of love through natural family planning. They've been taught that contraception is normal and even think it is the healthy and "right" thing to do. Whether they know it or not, couples who use contraception are telling a lie to their body, to themselves and to their partner. They are saying that this act is a fulfillment of a desire and need. It eliminates the possibility of life and in so doing degrades the very meaning of life. A large number of people in our culture today consider children to be a burden as opposed to a gift. When a young couple conceives, the first question many ask is are you ready? Or how can you afford a child? Certainly you won't have 3 or more children will you? Rarely are they greeted as Elizabeth greeted Mary at the news that she was to bare a son Jesus. What joy! Have you noticed how couples become better people after they have a child? Have you ever wondered why this might be? Perhaps it's because a child teaches us how to love. Love means total self giving. Couples with child are fully responsible for a life. This total self giving is what we are supposed to be doing when we get married.

Marriage is under a huge attack in our culture. Our society is so confused that they have to put the question of whether two women can marry or not to a vote? Why do we think that everything can be solved by a majority rules. A majority opinion does not mean truth. There are examples all throughout history where a majority of the people at the time thought one way and we now see how wrong it was today. Slavery is a perfect example. Abortion is the civil rights issue of our time. How ironic that a black president is on the wrong side of this civil rights issue. Most if not all the evils of our current time have to do with a misunderstanding and disrespecting of life. We see more and more examples of how life is being degraded and manipulated. We are people, not machines. We are not made to be used as scientific research. We are made in the image and likeness of God. We are called to love as God loves. Love means a complete giving of oneself to God and one another.

Our culture thinks that "prevention" of conception is a good thing, but fails to recognize the great goodness of life. There are natural ways to prevent pregnancy that do no harm to the human body and obey God's natural law. Natural family planning does not mean that every couple should have as many babies as possible. This is a myth that abortion advocates try to convince everyone. Natural Family planning is just as effective as contraception as far as planning a pregnancy if used correctly, but NFP does not have the moral consequences that contraception does. If it seems like it doesn't work (many who use NFP have large families) is not because it doesn't work but rather that those who use it have such great love for one another and they willingly chose to give up the luxurious lifestyle they might have with fewer children so that they might experience the joys of new life. I am not condemning those who use contraception - well over 90% of the population does (I pray that one day the number will be much smaller)- but I feel like I have to mention it because it is a root cause of abortion. If the sexual act is stripped of the life giving aspect which God intended it to possess, it loses much of it's significance. Not only that, but it gives couples the notion that life is not welcome. We may have very good reasons why not to want to have a child at certain times, it is not wrong to avoid pregnancy if there is good reason. That is why God made women the way he did. There are far more infertile days than there are furtile days. Instead of teaching our children that we must do all that we can to avoid pregnancy, why not teach them how to truly love each other as God loves us all. God loves every human no matter how small (I learned that one from Dr. Suess!) Let us teach our children what God truly intended marriage to be all about. There are many things that are pleasurable in this world. Eating is pleasurable. Sleeping is pleasurable. Intercourse is pleasurable but the purpose of these acts is not to gain pleasure. Rather, God made these things pleasurable to us so that we survive. Think about it. These are all essential for our survival. God wants us to do these things -they are good, but we don't eat because it pleases us - the pleasure we get from eating is a benefit. If we eat simply for pleasure we become glutonus. Controception is like being a belimic. It is wanting to eat all the food we want, then throwing it all up so that we won't gain weight. That is a very unhealthy practice. Natural family is more like going on a diet, except that it is much greater. NFP does not deny us of our favorite foods. NFP is like constantly being on a honeymoon. NFP is like anxiously awaiting Christmas day. Patience is a virtue. All good things are worth waiting for. We must always be conscious that our actions reflect a great respect for life. Married couples are called to be open to life. Life is a blessing. Every life has special meaning. No life is unwanted. We must not be silent on the issues of life. Economic times are tough, but the fight for life might have just gotten tougher. The fight for life is more imporant. All Christians should be on the same side for life. God is for life. If God was not for life, why did he send His only son to become man? So that we might all have life. Follow God's call. Do not remain silent. If you can not join a march for life, please take special time on Thursday to pray for us, with us and for the cause for life. Thank you and God bless you all!



Catholic Bishops Write Obama On Abortion

P.S. - If you get EWTN channel, tune in Wednesday night at 7:00 PM. They will be televising the mass at the basilica in Washington D.C. Thousands will be in attendance and my brother Steve will be serving at the mass! If we're lucky, we might see him on tv. Hey Steve, I'll be watching. Don't pick your nose or something embarrassing ok?