Opinions Expressed in "Rants" while informed by Catholic doctrine, are merely the opinions of the author.
Pro-Life means Pro-LIFE!!
So we know that the Popes have been calling us all to recognize the sanctity of life from conception to natural death, right?
Well, I have to admit, there is some ambiguity about the nature of human life at its EARLIEST early stages, like the first few weeks of life – while I don’t agree with them, I have to admit I understand how someone who is not from a faith background would have a hard time seeing an embryo as a human person, who therefore has a right to life. This ambiguity will be the fruit of much discussion and debate, I’m sure, UNFORTUNATELY, for many years to come.
But what I DON’T understand – is how a great number of people who claim to be pro-LIFE – have no problem with the idea of sending young men and women to WAR, or EXECUTING criminals. I mean, these guys are DEFINITELY human persons!!
I’m not saying that there aren’t times when young men and women have to give their lives in wars – when they do, there’s something SACRED going on. But we have to make SURE they’re fighting for something WORTH fighting for. So often, the conservative-right people are the first to advocate UNCONDITIONAL support of military action, even to the point of refusing to critically analyze the justice of a particular war effort. They justify doing so by saying they need to support the TROOPS – seems to me, the best way to support the troups is a) by exercising that freedom of speech for which they are will sacrifice their lives, and b) using that freedom to make sure they actually ARE fighting for something other than cheaper oil prices.
And as for the case of capital punishment – that one just baffles me – that pro-LIFE advocates will also advocate the execution of criminals – they do so suggesting that the criminals are incorrigible, that they are protecting society from these incorrigibles, and so on. What Bible are they reading? The one I read seems to show God forgiving people ALL THE TIME, even people considered to be unforgivable. In fact the first homicide story, Cain and Abel, shows God marking Cain, the murderer, so that NO ONE will execute him.
Not to mention the fact that the foundation of our faith was itself an execution – Jesus’ crucifixion.
Not that some people in prison don’t deserve to die, sure they do; but NO ONE has the right to kill them. Everybody has a right to a second chance for one reason only – God said so – and the only one with the right to decide differently is God.
So come on guys – if we want to get serious about saving the unborn, the first thing we need to do is get consistent with ourselves – pro-life means pro-LIFE!!