UNJUSTIFIABLE HYPOCRISY - 08/24/93
Op/Ed piece for AEN
Todd A. Rourke 1:323/110
               system@cerbab.east-providence.ri.us
               lrdetrigan@aol.com

Recently, a Catholic Priest advocated the running of an advertisement
which depicted the following: A doctor poised ready with a scalpel
over a very pregnant woman... and a man holding a gun out... ready to
provide greater aeration for the doctor's cranium. The ad was to be
called 'Justifiable Homicide'; meaning simply that it was fine to
kill a doctor that does abortions. The priest's local diocese came
down on him for this idea and informed him that the Catholic Church
does not condone murder of any kind. The idea of this one priest,
however, demonstrate the rabid fervor that is building over the issue
of abortion and the position of the Catholic Church is about as
comforting as a sewing needle in the eye.

The Catholic Church takes a rigid stand on the abortion issue... it's
safe to say that if you have an abortion, you have sinned most
grievously. You're hell bound. Condemned to the fires of Hell. Is the
fate of the children born under the auspices of the 'pro-life'
movement much better? A life with a parent or parents that really
would have preferred not being such? Condemned to a life of poverty
and second-class status. Many might well prefer to be dead. All life
is sacred to the church, however! To what level seems to be the
question. I do not begrudge the Catholic Church the right of trying
to outlaw abortion within its faithful followers. I do, however,
expect the Church to be 'pro-life' in all cases. Does the church
willfully take in ALL of these unwanted children? Does it give in
depth counsel to these new and unwilling parents? No, I'm sorry... a
pat on the shoulder and a 'God works in mysterious ways' does not
count. Neither does a run down orphanage. Unfortunately there seems
to be a trend to get the baby born, get it baptized into the church,
and then forget about it until such time it's old enough to send
money. If the Catholic Church is going to be the 'bedroom police', I
expect at least a better job than this. Catholic in name only isn't
much to hang your yarmulke on, John Paul.

Pro-life to me is endorsing contraception... not trying to label it
as taboo. You inhibit the conception, then there is no abortion, no
murder, or no unwanted child making another hungry mouth to feed at
the world's ever-shrinking dinner table. I'll buy the case that
conception is the start of a HUMAN life... and that abortion should
probably be avoided... but to slap the hand for the act and then to
slap the other hand for trying to responsibly prevent the same? Pick
one or the other... not both. If pro-life is simply making sure
someone is born into no matter how horrible the situation, it's not
for me.

And so we have this gun-toting priest ready to shoot a doctor. Funny
that as this story has been building, we've seen an abortion doctor
gunned down in Wichita KS by a 'pro-life' advocate. It's always
convenient to redefine the sacrament of life on the fly. I suppose
the priest in question here is pleased... too bad it seems he's in
direct violation of the edicts of his faith. Then again, it seems
most of the Catholics in America are also in such direct violation.
Yet, the Pope is infallible... this is what is taught. Does
infallibility still count when you're a great minority even within
the people who are supposed to be riveted to your every word?

The church wants to be apolitical. I can understand that. I'd like to
see the Catholic Church be apolitical as well. Too bad it just can't
seem to keep itself out of the arena and out of the news. Priests
condoning murder... Priests raping children... Priests getting
married or having kids... and a hierarchy that tries very hard to
scuttle these events under the rug and away from prying eyes. Looks
to me like the Church is engaged in a not-so-veiled systematic war
against children. I'm sure this is not the case at all... but when
the roots of a tree grow rotten, the tree dies. Especially when the
roots are so deep and protected, they cannot be reached for proper
treatment. Amen.

-TR
