It is Speech Day in Middle School and you are not ready. But that’s Okay because your last name begins with a “V”, the teacher always proceeds in alphabetical order, and there is only time to do about half the class. Besides, they will focus on those who have yet to be videoed, which you have already taken care of on a previous assignment. You are home free.
But then the teacher announces that the video equipment is down today, so those people will have to wait until next week. Fine, there is still the rest of the alphabet in front of you. But Aaron Aphaski is absent, Gale’s was very short, and Harry was not ready to go today. He was counting on not having to give his speech until next week. Idiot. He got what he deserved. (Snicker) Wow, two more speeches down. I’m getting a little nervous. Get the teacher talking; try to eat up some time. Terry Tauling was not ready either. Darn. Wow, we are up to the U’s. This is going to be close. Please, oh please let the bell ring before it is my turn!
Just like in that classroom, fortunes in life can change quickly. Those who feel superior and safe today, able to make careless remarks about the worth of other human lives, can find themselves suddenly near the bottom of the “desirable” list.
Kerry Max Cook spent 20 years on death row for a murder he did not commit as has happened to many others we are discovering through DNA testing. We are an accusation away from being treated undesirables who deserve barely humane treatment.
In the 1930’s, the Christian world was in agreement that contraception was not in keeping with the Christian message. Approximately 70 years later, the right to kill the baby in the womb is seen as a right by many Christians. At the Right to Life March in Washington D.C. were persons with disabilities marching with signs asking, “Are we next?” Around the world we “weed out” people in the womb who are the wrong sex, inconvenient, and not as able as we would like them to be. What does that say to the people who are around that are in these same categories but who happen to be outside of the womb? Does that not make them “less than?” Will the slippery slope continue? We are all an accident away from being in such a category.
You could find yourself all of a sudden a member of an undesirable nationality as did U.S. citizens who were German and Japanese in WWII, or today, coming from the Middle East. You may be detained and have your rights withdrawn, or simply have people hate you for being of that ethnic descent. (Not to mention how the Native Americans, African Americans, or the Irish for the matter have been treated. And the list does not end there.)
It may be that you associate with the wrong persons. Lives were wrecked during the McCarthy period because persons were accused of talking to the wrong people. An interesting expose on this is the movie “Good Night and Good Luck.”
An unscrupulous man looking to cash in might destroy your company, your job, your benefits, and your pension and over night you can be “one of those people” looking for a hand out to make it through the day.
It is dangerous not to be pro-life. It takes a minute and a reshuffling of the cards to find oneself on the wrong end of the deal. We are all one body in Christ. To love others is to love oneself. We cannot hate without becoming less ourselves.
“Do you hate (them) because (they’re) pieces of you?” - Jewel
But then the teacher announces that the video equipment is down today, so those people will have to wait until next week. Fine, there is still the rest of the alphabet in front of you. But Aaron Aphaski is absent, Gale’s was very short, and Harry was not ready to go today. He was counting on not having to give his speech until next week. Idiot. He got what he deserved. (Snicker) Wow, two more speeches down. I’m getting a little nervous. Get the teacher talking; try to eat up some time. Terry Tauling was not ready either. Darn. Wow, we are up to the U’s. This is going to be close. Please, oh please let the bell ring before it is my turn!
Just like in that classroom, fortunes in life can change quickly. Those who feel superior and safe today, able to make careless remarks about the worth of other human lives, can find themselves suddenly near the bottom of the “desirable” list.
Kerry Max Cook spent 20 years on death row for a murder he did not commit as has happened to many others we are discovering through DNA testing. We are an accusation away from being treated undesirables who deserve barely humane treatment.
In the 1930’s, the Christian world was in agreement that contraception was not in keeping with the Christian message. Approximately 70 years later, the right to kill the baby in the womb is seen as a right by many Christians. At the Right to Life March in Washington D.C. were persons with disabilities marching with signs asking, “Are we next?” Around the world we “weed out” people in the womb who are the wrong sex, inconvenient, and not as able as we would like them to be. What does that say to the people who are around that are in these same categories but who happen to be outside of the womb? Does that not make them “less than?” Will the slippery slope continue? We are all an accident away from being in such a category.
You could find yourself all of a sudden a member of an undesirable nationality as did U.S. citizens who were German and Japanese in WWII, or today, coming from the Middle East. You may be detained and have your rights withdrawn, or simply have people hate you for being of that ethnic descent. (Not to mention how the Native Americans, African Americans, or the Irish for the matter have been treated. And the list does not end there.)
It may be that you associate with the wrong persons. Lives were wrecked during the McCarthy period because persons were accused of talking to the wrong people. An interesting expose on this is the movie “Good Night and Good Luck.”
An unscrupulous man looking to cash in might destroy your company, your job, your benefits, and your pension and over night you can be “one of those people” looking for a hand out to make it through the day.
It is dangerous not to be pro-life. It takes a minute and a reshuffling of the cards to find oneself on the wrong end of the deal. We are all one body in Christ. To love others is to love oneself. We cannot hate without becoming less ourselves.
“Do you hate (them) because (they’re) pieces of you?” - Jewel
5 comments:
OK - now that I've been through part two, is this part of an article you're working on? or a homily? or just sit down and write what comes to mind? I really like this, so far. And am contemplating forwarding it to others, or get them here to your site. Whats next?
Actually doing this helps me solidify some of my wandering thoughts. This set of three is just me pulling some ideas together. You, Uncle Jim, may do whatever you wish with it.
Great post!
I've already added you to my faves...you're destined for my link list. Take that for whatever it's worth to you. :-)
Both of my parents were "disabled" in some way; my Mom was born with only one hand; the other didn't fully form. She has also suffered from mental illness for most of her life. My Dad was born with Spina Biffeda, and as a result of numerous surgeries was able to walk almost normally, but still had to finally get a special license plate because he just couldn't walk that far when he was only in his 40's.
If they were concieved today, they would have a high liklihood of being killed. If the laws that exits today existed then, there's a good chance my parents would not have been born, thus, I would not exist.
Considering things like that makes the abortion issue very personal to me, and very personally offensive. Who are any of us to say that a child should be killed?
We spend our lives begging for mercy, no matter who we are; we want things that are better, we want some slack to be cut to us, we want to get away with the wrongs we have done. Yet the very moment we are inconvenienced by the consequences of our own behavior, even if that "consequence" is another life, we want to "get rid of it."
What a horrible culture we live in. What a horrible world that fights to hard to kill their offspring.
And that's why I'm pro-life.
Thanks "Adoro Te . . ." I take that as high praise from you after visiting your site!
And your comments might fit well into a homily if you don't mind. . . ?
Thank you, Fr. V. Yes, you can definitely use my comments in a homily! Anything to further the pro-life cause!
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