Human Life Can Never Be Compromised!

 

 

Someone once defined politics as the art of compromise.  Certainly there is a lot of give and take in politics, so the definition rings true.  Compromise, however, is not without its limits.  There are often ‘many ways to skin a cat.’  All things being equal, any given course of action can be as legitimate as another.  But when it comes to moral principles and other truths that are inextricably bound with our Catholic faith, there can never, ever, be compromise. Never!

 

Pope John Paul the Great once said that either Christians evangelize the culture, or they will be ‘evangelized’ by it.  There is no middle ground, and there is no middle ground when it comes to defending human life in all of its precious stages.  I, therefore, would like to propose another definition—not of politics but of evangelization. 

 

It seems to me that evangelization is the art of conversion.  We all live in a world of conflicting ideas and ideals.  Our ways of thinking and acting are constantly caught-up in a cultural current flowing away from Jesus Christ.  To be Christian in society means to swim up-stream which is never easy and never popular, especially for politicians.  That is why in 1 Tim 2 St Paul admonishes us to ‘pray for kings and others in authority, so that we may be able to live religious and reverent lives in peace and quiet.’  He adds, ‘To do this is right, and will please God our Saviour:  He wants everyone to be saved and reach full knowledge of the truth.’

 

 

Be Faithful Stewards of Human Life in all its Precious Stages

 

As Catholics, we must be willing to both learn and teach the full truth of Jesus Christ.  Unfortunately, our own experience teaches us that is far easier for us to become ‘more astute’ in the ways of the world whilst remaining unskilled in the ways of the Kingdom, the clergy not exempted.  The present problems in Irish society, our Church family, and the world at large are a poignant reminder of what happens when secular ways of thinking ‘taint,’ and even override, Gospel truth and morality.  The results are disastrous—nothing short of a colossal failure.  Yet, Jesus reminds us that the when worldly wisdom fails us—and it eventually will—that it is then that we are welcomed back into ‘the tents of eternity.’

 

To compromise or to convert, that is the question? 

 

The answer is a two-edged sword. 

 

On the one hand, each person’s heart must be open to accept the words of Jesus fully and without compromise.  In other words, personal conversion means to study Catholic teaching so as to know the Gospel truth and to act in the light of such knowledge; it is faith in action without counting the cost.

 

At the same time, the important role of Christians in society is to seek the conversion of those who do in fact compromise with anti-Gospel ways of thinking and acting, especially those in positions of influence in politics and the media.  To put it differently, Catholics cannot just ‘go with the flow.’  The duty of every Catholic citizen is to strive to turn the cultural tide back towards Jesus Christ.

 

The eighth chapter of prophet Amos reminds us that the fruits of compromising the Gospel are greed and dishonesty and that it is ‘the poor and needy who are ultimately trampled down and suppressed.’  But the Lord says through Amos, ‘Never will I forget a single thing you have done.’ 

 

Whose lives are trampled down and destroyed in Ireland today?

 

Once again it is the pre-born who are coming under attack in Ireland—and in the very earliest days of their precious lives even before embryos implant themselves in their mother’s wombs.  Calls are being heralded from the government for legislation to ‘protect’ embryos. 

 

How is protection really possible when the government and courts already reduce pre-born, pre-implanted embryos from personhood to mere genetic material? 

 

How is protection possible when embryos are already being even wantonly conceived  by means of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and destroyed overseas for Irish researchers? 

 

How is protection possible whilst the use of the abortifacient morning-after pill is not only supported but considered responsible?

 

Where human life is concerned, there can be no compromise, and we must pray for the conversion of all, especially those in positions of authority, who are in need.  Otherwise, it is we who run the risk of being converted to the culture of death.

This feature is categorised under Life Matters