Journeys of a Catholic Poster Girl

I wonder, for the millionth time, why it is that the only choice so many people are willing to allow is that to abort a child. –Jay Nordlinger, “Impromptus”, 8/29/02

Yup.

(h/t: Anchoress)

“When people say to me, ‘You hate America,’ I don’t hate America. I love America. I am just embarrassed that it has been taken over by people like evangelicals, by people who do not believe in science and rationality. It is the 21st century. And I will tell you, my friend. The future does not belong to the evangelicals. The future does not belong to religion.” –Bill Maher

As my eighth grade teacher said, “It is better to remain silent and have people think you a fool than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt.”

I just did…
go to Feminists for Life and become a member. And check out their store. I love the “pro-woman, pro-life” bumper sticker. That might have to be coming to my house.

“We can do no great things, only small things with great love.” –Mother Teresa

My patron saint, St. Therese of Lisieux, said essentially the same thing in her “Little Way.” It’s by touching one life at a time, living a life of witness and devotion to Jesus and His Church, that we can make a difference. And of course, the Rosary is a very powerful prayer, one that I don’t think we use often enough. I’m as guilty of this as anyone else, although I have made a concerted effort to say a full set of mysteries daily. Some days I’m successful, other days, not. But I believe that no matter how “imperfectly” we may say it, Mary won’t reject any prayers said in a devout spirit. She’s our mom! How many mothers would take a child’s fingerpainting that was done especially for her and criticize it? Not many! Instead it would go on the refrigerator in a place of pride. Let’s pray to Mary that she exert her motherly influence on women who are considering abortion, to let them know there are so many of us out there who are willing to support, but spiritually and corporally, through this difficult time in their lives.

So says one of the fired Edwards bloggers (h/t Corner): (my comments in bold)

To see that abortion is moral, you just need to look at women as human beings with lives that have value. When a woman chooses abortion, she’s not indulging some guilty pleasure, like sneaking in a round of adultery at lunch, to bring up a genuinely immoral action that should not be criminal. She is probably thinking about her family’s well-being and yes, her own well-being. Taking your own well-being into consideration is called “selfish” by anti-choicers, but I think valuing yourself is a moral good, even if you are female. In fact, especially if you are female, since you live in a world where having self-esteem can be an act of moral courage that requires some defiance. If I got pregnant, I wouldn’t even have to suffer much mental strain to realize that abortion would be the best choice for myself, my family, and my relationship. Abortion, not just the right to abortion but the actual procedure, is a moral good that helps women and families and should be honored as such. Women who get abortions should be recognized as people who can accurately weigh their choices and make the most moral one.

Wow. One doesn’t even know where to begin. But first, I think you made the choice when you had sex. Abortion gives you self-esteem? You get some kind of twisted fulfilment in killing another human being? Instead of being responsible, abortion is the anthesis of responsibility. It says that you can have sex, sleep around and then just kill off the evidence, because you can’t afford the consequences of your choices.

Learning that actions have consequences is one of the most basic life lessons. An abortion is the total repudiation of this thought, and the most horrific, because not only are you refusing to be an adult and take responsibility for what you have done, but you are causing deadly harm to a perfectly innocent individual. Abortion is “the most moral” decision? In whose book?

Abortion is a “moral good that helps women and families?” How does it help families– it destroys families. It kills children,a rather integral part of that family experience. How is it a moral good for women? Why are there so many women who are haunted by their abortions and wish they could go back, so they could save their children? How many more testimonies do we need to hear about the psychological harm that can come from this procedure? I suppose one must be incredibly morally corrupt to think that the destruction of an innocent life is a “moral good.” As Mother Teresa said, “It is a crime that a child must die so you may live as you wish.”

And this touches upon even broader topics, such as the Left’s opposition to war. How can they be against war, which can be fought justly, if the safest place in the world–a mother’s womb–instead becomes one o the most dangerous? Where millions of babies’ lives are taken every year? Abortions are unspeakably violent acts towards these children. Yet the Left is against wars that free people from oppression and allow them to finally have a chance to live their own lives and not have to worry about being taken away in the middle of the night and put through paper shredders, then buried in mass graves. The Left is against the death penalty, which could be argued as just (even though I take the Church’s stance-that its use is only permittable in very, very rare occasions, as society does have a right to protect itself), but supports the killing of babies . Little, soft, tiny, cuddly babies whose only crime was being “inconveniently conceived.” How is this a logical discourse?

Much prayer is needed to overcome this tragedy. As Lent comes upon us, I think part of my Lenten dedication will focus on the unborn, especially since, with advanced technology, parents can–and are–aborting children with genetic diseases at an alarming rate.Who knows if I would even be here if I was concieved later, and to different parents. It’s a scary, and sobering, thought. God must weep when He thinks about it.

Another good quote on Prayer from Rod, which he found in an magazine interview:

If you are successful in this prayer of repentance, you will come to understand that your prayer is your life, it is not a technique… “the technique of the Jesus Prayer.” It is not something that you are to combine with your breath, or with the beating of your heart. No, it is your life. All technical advice is something functional. Your prayer is your life - your life is your prayer. And if you are constant in this secret standing before the face of God, you will see that your heart begins to change. You will find your prayer becoming deeper and more attentive, and one day you will understand what it is to pray with all your heart, from the depths of your soul. When little children cry for something, they do it with all their being, and this is like real spiritual life. God will teach you how to conceal your pious intentions and thoughts, how to keep it such a secret that no one ever guesses what you have in your heart. You will be living a life completely unknown and unnoticed by anyone, and you will begin to love solitude as the most satisfying way of speaking with your Creator. The moment you begin to pray from your heart, asking for everything that the Holy Spirit finds appropriate and necessary for you, you will be instructed and enlightened.

Seems to me like an excellent approach to prayer to try this Lent.

I don’t usually do this, but I’m going to ask for y’all to say some extra prayers for me. Healthwise, things have been nutty since right after Thanksgiving, and right now I’m currently in Children’s (also known as “The Resort”) for testing and monitoring, etc., etc., etc. until we find out what this current issue is. It seems like after each infection I’ve gotten lately, we’ll get rid of it to reveal something more insiduous underneath. Oh well.For more info on all this, you can go to my other blog, Bucket of Parts. which is all about my transplant, before, after and what’s going on now.

Thank you!

** Since I was here on W, I didn’t get to attend Ash Wednesday Mass. I will, however, be having fish on Friday…I ordered it on the hospital menu.