They Have Ears, But They Do Not Hear

The Gospel reading from today's Catholic Mass reminded me, in a way, of some of the people I've met on Twitter that support abortion rights (Pro-Choice). In the reading, Jesus tells a parable about the lives of a rich man, and a poor man named Lazarus. The rich man lives a life of wealth, and Lazarus lives a life of poverty. After they die, the rich man finds himself in hell, and Lazarus finds himself in eternal happiness with God in heaven. The end of the story is what reminds me of many of the pro-choice people I've encountered. The rich man calls out to God and asks him to send Lazarus to his brothers' house and warn them so they don't suffer the same fate as he did when they die. God responds by telling him that his brothers can listen to Moses and the prophets. The rich man basically tells God that his brothers won't listen to Moses or the prophets, but if God would send someone from the dead, the brothers would listen to him. Here's the kicker: God says to the rich man, "If they will not listen either to Moses or to the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone should rise from the dead."

This reading reminds me of my discussions with many pro-choice people because the stark truth about abortion can be presented to them, and it's as if they didn't hear a word that you said. For example, it is extremely obvious to me and others who oppose abortion that a human being exists from the moment of conception, but pro-choice people refuse to see this simple reality. How can they not see something so obvious? It's as if they have ears but do not hear.

Here is today's scripture reading from Luke 16:19-31:

Jesus said to the Pharisees, ‘There was a rich man who used to dress in purple and fine linen and feast magnificently every day. And at his gate there lay a poor man called Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to fill himself with the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even came and licked his sores. Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. ‘In his torment in Hades he looked up and saw Abraham a long way off with Lazarus in his bosom. So he cried out, “Father Abraham, pity me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in agony in these flames.” “My son,” Abraham replied “remember that during your life good things came your way, just as bad things came the way of Lazarus. Now he is being comforted here while you are in agony. But that is not all: between us and you a great gulf has been fixed, to stop anyone, if he wanted to, crossing from our side to yours, and to stop any crossing from your side to ours.” ‘The rich man replied, “Father, I beg you then to send Lazarus to my father’s house, since I have five brothers, to give them warning so that they do not come to this place of torment too.” “They have Moses and the prophets,” said Abraham “let them listen to them..” “Ah no, father Abraham,” said the rich man “but if someone comes to them from the dead, they will repent.” Then Abraham said to him, “If they will not listen either to Moses or to the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone should rise from the dead.”’