Our local church has a big billboard on the property that says RESPECT LIFE
with a pink rose and a baby's hand. I know it refers to the anti abortion
message. I've been tempted many times to put my "Stop The Wars" sign right
beside it, but I respect the fact that I'd be trespassing and risking the wrath
of some of the local churchgoers. After leaving Mass one Sunday all of the cars
in the parking lot had anti abortion fliers on their windshields, and no one
pursued or questioned anything about it. That was during the last
elections.
Our church also has a " Right to Life" Sunday, and of course frequent
homilies about the issue. When the first Gulf War was launched, the altar
arrangements one Sunday were all red, white, and blue. I was told that they were
donated by a soldiers family, To me it felt like more of a statement of support
for the war. I never heard any condemnation of the killing that was going
on....we just prayed for the troops...only our own American troops of course.
The last Pope sent someone to try to talk George Bush out of attacking Iraq, and
the American Bishops were against the invasion, but no one heard too much about
that...no fliers on the windshields, no sermons, no big signs on the lawn.
One of the most disturbing news items that I've seen lately was about the
youngest person ever executed in this country...the 14 year old who had to sit
on a stack of books in order to fit in the electric chair. I'm doing some yet
uncompleted research about where the Catholic church stood on that one.
Seems to me that the concern to save the unborn really trumps all other
life....from wars to executions.
Other than some really cool pacifist nuns, I never seen much clergy at any
of the anti war rallies. I have a hunch that Jesus would have been leading those
marches, organizing vigils outside the execution sites, and changing the "God
Bless America" signs to " God Bless the World".
I always thought that THOU SHALT NOT KILL had a period at the end of
it.
Comments (9)
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Jersey Joe, October 10, 2011 - 11:38 AM
To be specific, some of us refer to ourselves as right to life womb to tomb which excludes capital punishment.
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Jersey Joe, October 10, 2011 - 11:40 AM
The last two Popes said you can not be a catholic and vote for anyone who supports abortion.
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Jersey Joe, October 10, 2011 - 02:03 PM
The Quakers who are against all wars allow abortion, now how nuts is that? I believe all Christian denominations allow for capital punishment to some degree.
I do not understand how one could support abortion and be against war or capital punishment.
Abortion is capital punishment without due process.
MM, about the window fliers, they are not placed there by the clergy who are not in church for that Mass. I doubt you would hear a complaint if you were to pass that type of information out.
I doubt any person in church who is praying for soldiers is glad they are at war.
I do not understand how one could support abortion and be against war or capital punishment.
Abortion is capital punishment without due process.
MM, about the window fliers, they are not placed there by the clergy who are not in church for that Mass. I doubt you would hear a complaint if you were to pass that type of information out.
I doubt any person in church who is praying for soldiers is glad they are at war.
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Jersey Joe, October 10, 2011 - 05:18 PM
I have a friend who teaches Bible at a non Catholic Christian denomination
university who agree with the Catholic teaching that in fact the right to be born does to borrow your terminology, trump all other rights.
university who agree with the Catholic teaching that in fact the right to be born does to borrow your terminology, trump all other rights.
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Jersey Joe, October 11, 2011 - 06:52 AM
MM44, I could not agree more with you in finding a lack Of Jesus Christ in ones heart who can stand against abortion and not against capital Punishment.
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Jersey Joe, October 11, 2011 - 07:13 AM
MM44, Here is the Christian defense of war as translated by my baseball dirt running through my veins glossary of enlightenment.
The old testament clearly has God behind some war. The new testament is the fulfillment of the old testament. The bible reveals we are to give to ceasar what is his. This expands to our leaders are to do what is right and if they see a war as fit, then it is.
I personally do not believe God wants us to lie down and be killed by a bad person
So to cover this cleanly in recent times. Sadam invaded kuwait and murdered for no just cause. George the first had world support to stop and push those forces back home.
George the First would have stopped Sadam had he continued on.
George the First stopped at the boarder as he had said he would to gain the world support he wanted.
I think most thinkers came to the conclusion that if George the First would not have stopped and continued on with the same diligence the world would be different today and for the last 11 years.
So, in your opinion, would the world have been right to cross the boarder and end with the luck of hindsight by escalating that war ?
We have lost too many lives in these past years. The presidents current plan to end these conflicts with American involvement will fail with the proposed goal.
As the current plan has been revealed we will in short order see the return of evil to power and somewhere down the line be drawn back.
This is a mess. George the Second was in many's opinion correct to strike back after 9 //11. It is the opinion of many that the plan to defeat was short sighted.
The historical comparison might be to think of what if the world would have said after D-Day, this does not look good, lets go home.
As I have aged I lean towards the side most wars are wrong. I still hold onto the thought that God does not want evil men who wish to exterminate races of people to prevail.
The old testament clearly has God behind some war. The new testament is the fulfillment of the old testament. The bible reveals we are to give to ceasar what is his. This expands to our leaders are to do what is right and if they see a war as fit, then it is.
I personally do not believe God wants us to lie down and be killed by a bad person
So to cover this cleanly in recent times. Sadam invaded kuwait and murdered for no just cause. George the first had world support to stop and push those forces back home.
George the First would have stopped Sadam had he continued on.
George the First stopped at the boarder as he had said he would to gain the world support he wanted.
I think most thinkers came to the conclusion that if George the First would not have stopped and continued on with the same diligence the world would be different today and for the last 11 years.
So, in your opinion, would the world have been right to cross the boarder and end with the luck of hindsight by escalating that war ?
We have lost too many lives in these past years. The presidents current plan to end these conflicts with American involvement will fail with the proposed goal.
As the current plan has been revealed we will in short order see the return of evil to power and somewhere down the line be drawn back.
This is a mess. George the Second was in many's opinion correct to strike back after 9 //11. It is the opinion of many that the plan to defeat was short sighted.
The historical comparison might be to think of what if the world would have said after D-Day, this does not look good, lets go home.
As I have aged I lean towards the side most wars are wrong. I still hold onto the thought that God does not want evil men who wish to exterminate races of people to prevail.
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MM, you have said far too much to be answered at one time. Those of us with the passion of life refer in conversation as there being a right to life.