Why Not Simplify the Faith?

There are many instances in our lives when we make things more complicated then we need to. This is especially true when it comes to defending the Catholic faith from all the attacks the modern world has made on the Faith. We are in a war and this fact can make us lose sight of what is most important about the Faith; Jesus died to save us all from our sins.

Many of our discussion about the faith are either on hot button issues like homosexuality, contraception, abortion, women priests, divorce and remarriage, etc or doctrinal issues like the Real Presence, the Communion of Saints, Mary’s position in the Church, etc. While all of these things are important we should keep in mind that the most important thing is that Christ died for all of us. We are all sinners but Jesus looks past our sin and sees our worth so when entering into discussions with others we must not condemn them, even if they have a misunderstanding about the Faith.  We should treat everyone with respect and love while doing our best to live the teachings of the Faith and thus be witnesses to the truth of Catholicism by our actions, not just our words. This will do far more to help people see the beauty of the Faith then hundreds of arguments and condemnations.   

The early Christians were recognized by everyone because they were witnesses to the good news of Jesus Christ. They were so overjoyed that Jesus had died for their sins that they could not contain themselves. They travelled all over the Roman Empire on foot telling everyone what Jesus had done for them and for everyone. They even went to their deaths singing praises to God. These early Christians had no fear of persecution or death because they knew that they were saved. Their only desire was to be witnesses of Christ’s love.  Their joy and love drew people to the faith by the hundreds, even in the midst of harsh persecution. We should model our lives after these heroic martyrs and show the modern world the joy of being Catholic. Everywhere we go we can show we are Catholics by our love, compassion and joy. Even something simple like smiling can be a witness to the world.

Everything we do in public or in private should bring ourselves and others closer to Christ. The motto for Catholics is; “Christ must increase and I must decrease so that it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.” Christ is the light of the world so let Christ shine through you and light up the darkness we are living in. Love is stronger then death and the only commandments Jesus gives us are to love God above everything and to love our neighbor as ourselves.  

We must not make the Faith more complicated then it needs to be. We live in a very busy world where no one has time for anything extra, so by making the simple complex we are pushing people away. We should go back to basics. Read the lives and histories of the early Church and see what it was about those men and women that drew so many people to the Catholic Church that it grew from a small Jewish sect to the official religion of the Roman Empire. We believe the same things the early Christians did. We believe in the same Jesus who is Lord and Savior of all. What we need to do is find ways to be witnesses for Christ in the world we live in. 

As individuals, or even as parish communities, we cannot win the culture war by ourselves. It doesn’t matter how intelligent we are or how many philosophical arguments we have to justify Catholic teachings. Ultimately it is only God who can change hearts and minds. God may use us in various ways to promote the faith, but the most important thing we can do is to pray and fast, asking God to heal our brokenness; both as individuals and in the wider culture. This is a God-sized problem and we are deceiving ourselves if we think we can fix the culture alone. If God is for us nothing can stand against us. God has promised that the gates of Hell shall not prevail over His Church so we can have confidence that we will not lose this culture war, but we may need to change our tactics and join together in pray. Some of the most powerful ways to pray include; celebrating the sacraments especially reconciliation and the Eucharist, attending mass (even daily mass when you can), going to adoration, praying the Rosary daily, and having an active prayer life at home. All of these things help us to build a personal relationship with Jesus and be witnesses to his saving death on the Cross. 

A New Approach to the Abortion Debate

In Canada abortion became legal in 1969 when the law against it was thrown out.  Since that time there has been no law about abortion in Canada.  This means that abortions are legal throughout all nine months of pregnancy.  Also, abortions are funded using tax dollars because it is viewed as a necessary surgery.

  

Ever since the law against abortion was thrown out (and even before), many pro-life groups have been fighting to raise awareness about the evils of abortion and the need to protect life in the womb.  In the 43 years since the abortion law was thrown out the pro-life movement has been working constantly, but progress has been slow as many people do not want to talk about the issue due to its controversial nature.  The pro-life movement has done a lot of good standing up for life and providing women with the facts about abortion.  Some pro-life groups are specifically aimed at providing women in crisis pregnancies with the support they need to care for the baby, and provide the mother with alternatives to abortion, such as adoption.

Despite the best efforts of many pro-life people for more then 40 years, there is still no law against abortion and any politician who talks about the issue is marginalized.  Why is this?  This issue should be at the forefront of political debate because it is concerned with the value and meaning of life.  Without human life there can be no country, no economy, no communities, etc.  Everything is based on people and the fact is we are killing millions of people every year and this will have consequences for the future.

One reason why the abortion debate has not progressed farther is that pro-lifers and pro-choicers are talking in different languages.  Before any debate or discussion happens both sides need to stop attacking each other and come up with things that they both agree on.  Certain statements can be agreed upon by both sides and can be used to further the debate.  Some of these statements are; "violence, intimidation and generally unlawful behaviour is unacceptable," or "rights cannot be denied," or "'pure democracy' is not acceptable," or "our side must be willing to submit itself to the truth." 

Once both sides have found a common starting point that they agree on the next step is to define the terms that you are using.  Words like religion, human person, right, and abortion are powerful words and can be used in so many different ways that the meaning can be unsure.  Both sides need to ask themselves, what is a person? what is a right? who has rights? which rights do they have? when do these rights apply? what is religion? how does religion affect the abortion debate? is an abortion simply a medical procedure or is there more to it then that?  There are so many questions that need answering in order to find out the truth about abortion, but these questions cannot be answered unless both sides share a common language and have a common understanding of terms.

Once all the background work is complete, you have statements and definitions that both sides agree on, then the debate can begin.  Pro-lifers have nothing to fear or lose in this debate because they are upholding the truth, so in any debate looking for the truth of what abortion is and whether it should be permitted they cannot lose.  If however the debate does not progress very far, as long as pro-choicers agree that unlawful behaviour is not acceptable you can argue that abortion is wrong.

The best argument I ever heard against abortion comes from Dr. Peter Kreeft.  Kreeft says that with abortion there is four options; 1) the fetus is human and we know that it is human, 2) the fetus is human and we do not know that it is human, 3) the fetus is not human and we do not know that it is not human, and 4) the fetus is not human and we know that it is not human.  If option 1 is true, the fetus is human and we know that, then to kill the fetus is murder.  If option 2 is true, the fetus is human but we are not sure, then to kill the fetus is manslaughter as it is similar to a hunter who is out in the forest and sees bushes moving so he shoots before checking what moved the bushes, and it turns out he has shot his fellow hunter.  If option 3 is true, the fetus is not human and we are not sure, then to kill it is criminal negligence because you are killing something when you are not sure what it is and it is possible that it is human.  This would be similar to seeing a dark object in the middle of the road while driving, and you're not sure what it is and whether it is human, but you decide to hit it anyway, instead of avoiding it.  If option 4 is true then abortion is okay because the fetus is not human and we are sure that it is not.  So, if someone wants to argue that abortion should be legal they must prove, without a shadow of doubt, that the fetus is human.  This is impossible because a nothing cannot be what it is not, a human cannot be a non-human, and since a fetus is human it is impossible to prove that it is not human.

If the philosophical argument does not work then the best option remaining is to videotape live abortions so that people can see what actually happens.  Many medical procedures can be watched live on television and the internet, but an abortion has never been broadcast.  Abortions are done in secret, so we must strive to bring light into the darkness and reveal the secrets surrounding abortion for all to see.  If there is nothing wrong with abortions then there should not be any problem broadcasting an abortion.  Broadcasting a live abortion may be the only way to convince people of the evils of abortion.

Before I go I should say something about the Catholic approach to abortion.  Pope John Paul II said that abortion is intrinsically evil and can never be permitted.  This is kind of a summary statement of the Church's views on the subject.  However, the Church teaching on abortion also says that since we are not sure when human life begins, we must protect life from conception to natural death because the fetus, at all stages has the potential to be human.  This line of reasoning is simply beautiful because it upholds the dignity of human life and simplifies a lot of questions.  It is amazing that the Church teaches that we must protect even the potential for human life, because it is so valuable.  (Note: I have simplified the Church's stance considerably, so for more in depth discussion on this issue please consult the Catechism of the Catholic Church)

In closing I should say that I support and encourage everyone who is active in the pro-life movement. I am in no way contradicting or diminishing your work, I am simply trying to find a new approach to the abortion debate.  Standing up for life in this culture of death is challenging and can be frustrating, and I encourage you to keep fighting the good fight and know that you have the truth on your side, so "be not afraid."  May God bless you all!