The importance of reading legislation
Earlier today, one of my secular Franciscan brothers forwarded an email my way, in which folks were urged to ask their legislators to support passage of the
International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA).
On the surface, it sounds like a Good Thing: protecting women and girls from violence, oppression, and abuse. Who wouldn't want to encourage that? However, a closer look at this legislation reveals that it is problematic for Catholics to support.
I did actually carefully read through
the bill itself and I found its descriptions of "violence" worded quite broadly. As
one article said:
"I-VAWA makes the imposition of ideology of VAWA look like child's play. Within the proposed I-VAWA is carefully crafted verbiage presented as being protection of a woman's 'right to choice.' Review of this legislation shows that this section could make expressing an opinion contrary to someone's female intimate partner's desire to have an abortion a federal offense.
"For the first time in American history, this act could make expressing an opinion contrary to popular ideology a criminal act. This cannot be tolerated and must be opposed by everyone who values our freedom. A person's personal choice is their natural right; imposing ideology through the effect and force of law destroys all our right to choose, speak freely and more."
More importantly, the following section is
absolutely cause for concern:
"Program Activities Supported- Assistance provided under this section shall be used to carry out, in each of the countries identified in the strategy required pursuant to subsection (a), 2 or more of the following program activities ... Carrying out health care initiatives, including ... promoting the integration of programs to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls into existing programs addressing child survival, women's health, family planning [in the secular realm, this doesn't mean NFP, it means contraception and abortion -- definitely can't be supported!], mental health, and HIV/AIDS prevention [in the secular realm this most likely means condoms (contraception) instead of abstinence education; again, contraception is against against Catholic teaching and can't be supported!], care, and treatment". (SEC. 300G: d, 2, a)
The fact that the bill was written with the input and advice of groups such as the Women's Edge Coalition and the Feminist Majority (
source) -- groups known for their support of abortion -- is also cause for concern. And then there are the close ties between this bill and
CEDAW -- it's
highly likely that I-VAWA money will be used to lobby the U.S. Senate for ratification of CEDAW so that its UN monitoring committee can implement CEDAW's problematic mandates, one of which includes
requiring unlimited abortion rights.
So, Husband Mike and I will instead be contacting our legislators to ask them
not to support this bill.
And just as an FYI: Two peace and justice resources that I use and highly recommend are
Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute (C-FAM) and
Catholics for the Common Good -- both faithful to the Church's teachings. :-)
Labels: abortion, legislation, politics
The Real Point Of It All
While flippin' through the November 2007 issue of
Homiletic & Pastoral Review, I was struck by what Fr. Brian Mullady, OP had to say in his "Questions Answered" column about the difference between Church and state. The whole thing is superb, but what grabbed my attention was his reminder that social justice is NOT the point of redemption or of the Church --
salvation is.
As a Franciscan, a Way Big Honkin' component of my Order's charism is social justice. You see it EVERYwhere in Franciscan literature, activities, and outreach; it's pretty much all we do in the way of apostolic activities. Unfortunately, we have a tendency to focus so exclusively on social justice and all its aspects that we forget that The Real Point of "living the Gospel" is To Get Ourselves And Others To Heaven.
On the whole (though there are
happy exceptions), we've become an Order of "muckrakers", who, like the Man with the Muck-rake in Bunyan's
The Pilgrim's Progress, "could look no way but downward, with the muck-rake in his hand; who was offered a celestial crown for his muck-rake, but who would neither look up nor regard the crown he was offered, but continued to rake to himself the filth of the floor."(1)
Yes, we must, Without A Doubt, clothe the naked, feed the hungry, and free the oppressed, but
we cannot stop there. As Our Lord Himself said, "What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?" (
Matthew 16:26)
Fr. Mullady excellently articulated this important reminder, and it's so good that I have to share snippets of it here:
"Christ founded no political state and blessed no one political style of government except that which accords with the truth of human nature, which is the natural law. Christ did found the Church, which is a supernatural society that begins here on earth but finds its final fulfillment in heaven. So the common good, the order to attain it and the authority of the Church are specifically different from the state.
"... The Lord did not die on the cross for any earthly purpose. Though he was often encouraged to take sides in politics, he did not. Social justice is the mission of the state and because the Church and grace favor nature and reason, Christ and the Church encourage citizens of all states to live in accord with a true common good. But that is not the purpose of redemption or of the Church.
"... Our Lord wanted to introduce grace into souls, which includes the fact that those who experience grace also live the life of reason and nature. It would not be Christian then for a Christian civil ruler to deny justice in the state. But the mission of the Church is the salvation of all, not implementing social justice, which is properly the duty of the state."
~ Fr. Brian Mullady, OP; "Questions Answered", Homiletic & Pastoral Review, November 2007.
Are you taking time to look up to see the celestial crown, or is your field of vision limited to the filth below? How can you hope to point out the crown to others if you yourself are blind to it?
---
(1) Theodore Roosevelt, The Autobiography of Theodore Roosevelt, p.246.Labels: franciscan, politics, reflections
Disgusting: Fake "Catholic" voter's guide
Just read the following; the word "pathetic" springs to mind ...
LifeSiteNews.com: Fake 'Catholic Voters Guide' Published by Former Aide to John Kerry
Attempt to recapture the Catholic vote launched by Democratic supporters
by John-Henry Westen, 29 September 2006
"A new 2006 Voter Guide has been put out by 'Catholic in Alliance for the Common Good' (CACG) a group headed up by Alexia Kelley who in 2004 worked as a religion advisor to John Kerry in the closing weeks of his campaign. ...
"Commenting on the new 12-page booklet, Catholic League president Bill Donohue said 'The voter guide is a slick attempt to get the abortion albatross off the necks of Catholic Democrats, but it's a failed effort-the noose is still there. Instead of listening to James Carville and Paul Begala, who have counseled Democrats to drop their opposition to parental notification laws and their support for keeping partial-birth abortion legal, the best Catholics in Alliance can do is say it is opposed to abortion. But it makes it painfully clear that it will never join any effort to ban any abortions, including partial-birth.'" Read the full article.
For a voter guide that actually represents faithful Church teaching, see the
Voter's Guide for Serious Catholics, produced by Catholic Answers.
Labels: abortion, politics, pro-life
