Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Abortion and Self-Sacrifice: A Contradiction in Terms

It isn't possible for the killing a defenseless unborn human baby via abortion to be a valid solution to any problem. There are alternatives, but they require something called self-sacrifice. The concept of self-sacrifice is foreign to many people in society today. We live in a society in which hardship is something to be avoided at all cost, not embraced. The idea that "good things are hard to come by" seems almost ridiculous to many people.

If a woman were to be required by law to endure a nine month pregnancy for the sake of her unborn child, there are people who would claim that the woman is being "forced" through the pregnancy, or forced to be an "incubator" or "broodmare". These terms are used to put a negative spin on laws that would make abortion illegal. The simple truth of the matter is that a woman required by law to endure nine months of pregnancy would be required to perform an act of self-sacrifice by enduring nine months of pregnancy to spare her unborn child's life. Sure, she's being forced by law to do something she may not want to do, but it is to save a human life. It would be unfortunate if any woman would have to be legally required to spare her own child's life, but not everyone realizes the intrinsic value that each human life has.

Abortion rights supporters make nine months of pregnancy sound like an eternity, but fail to realize that nine months is a relatively short time compared to a lifetime. This isn't to say that nine months of pregnancy is a walk in the park, either. After witnessing my wife go through four pregnancies, I'm well aware that pregnancy is a hardship for women. I am also aware that there are women that are in extremely difficult circumstances, such as those who are pregnant as the result of rape.

So what is the solution? Is the solution to abort the child, ending not only the child's life, but the lives of an entire line of human beings? Or is the solution for us as a society to rally around such a woman and provide her with support that will enable her to endure 9 months of pregnancy to give life to her child? I propose that the solution is the latter, not the former. Ending a human being's life is never, ever, a valid solution to any problem. With life, there is hope, and anything is possible.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Video: "Why I Became Catholic"

I found this very well done video about the reasons why a person became a Catholic. I hope you enjoy it.



If you have difficulty viewing the video above, click here.

The Catholic Bible Has More Books Than the Protestant Bible

Gateway Arch - Perspective 10
Did you realize that the bible that Catholics use has more books in it than the bible that Protestants use? The Protestant reformers threw out several books that had always been held as inspired by the Catholic Church.

Here is a video that explains how this came to be:



If you are unable to view the video, click here.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Becoming Catholic - Kirsten's Story

Butterfly
I met a person on Twitter who wrote a series of posts on her blog that tell the story of how she became a Catholic. She is an excellent writer, and her story is both inspiring and informative. It is a must read for both Catholics, and those interested in the Catholic faith.

Thank you, @Kirsten116, for sharing your journey of faith. I am honored to share your story here.



Becoming Catholic, Part 1

Becoming Catholic, Part 2

Becoming Catholic, Part 3

Becoming Catholic, Part 4

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Nothing Justifies Abortion

In my many discussions with abortion rights supporters on Twitter, I've heard a variety of reasons why people think that abortion is justified. Surveys have shown that there are many reasons why people have abortions, but the following reasons are the

Monday, April 12, 2010

A Sinful Catholic Does Not a False Religion Make

Many individuals and news agencies have been attacking Pope Benedict XVI recently over his treatment of the child sexual abuse scandals. While I'm not surprised when people attack the Catholic Church, I am surprised by Catholics that leave or threaten to leave the Church over the scandal.

I firmly believe that the Pope did the best he could to handle the situation given the information he had at his disposal at the time, but even if he didn't handle the situation properly, it doesn't mean the entire Catholic religion is false. People who leave the Catholic faith because of the sins priests commit lack an understanding of the nature of the Church.

The Catholic Church is composed of human beings. The only human beings that were without sin is Jesus Christ, and his mother Mary. All others sin. That includes priests, bishops, archbishops, and even the Pope. The apostle Peter sinned when he denied Christ three times.

When members of the Catholic clergy sin, it doesn't mean the Catholic religion is false. It means that the church is made up of imperfect, sinful human beings. In spite of sin, the teachings of the church remain true. When people leave the Catholic Church over the child sexual abuse scandals, I'd like to ask them what church they switch to. Any church that is made up of sinful human beings is susceptible to this problem.

Being a Catholic isn't easy because of the strict moral guidelines Catholics are expected to follow. Many Catholics don't want to follow these guidelines, and look for excuses to leave the Catholic faith. It wouldn't surprise me if many of the people that leave the Catholic Church over the child sexual abuse scandal are using the scandal as an excuse to leave the Church.