Friday, January 23, 2009

An Obamanation

As Catholics, we were warned. Many concerned bishops issued strong statements prior to the election. The Voters Guide for Serious Catholics was well publicized and readily available to anyone willing to read it. Yet, Catholics on the whole voted pretty much along the same lines as the rest of the population, helping to elect a president who openly supports the killing of unborn children.

Earlier this week, I received a letter from my Congressman, Joe Donnelly, a fellow Catholic, who warned that President Obama would likely discontinue the “Mexico City Policy” which prevents taxpayer dollars from going to foreign non-governmental organizations that perform, support, or lobby for abortion. The policy was enacted by President Reagan in 1984, lifted by Clinton in 1993, and reinstated by Bush in 2001. Donnelly is a Democrat, so his pro-life stand is somewhat unusual.

President Obama was inaugurated last Tuesday. On Friday, one day after the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, he rescinded the ban. He delayed the reversal one day so as to not seem “combative”, according to some news reports. Once again, our tax dollars will be subsidizing abortion abroad.

The next four years could spell disaster for the pro-life movement. Obama will likely appoint abortion-friendly justices to the Supreme Court. He may sign legislation such as the Freedom of Choice Act, which would create a fundamental right to abortion that could not be limited. Even Catholic hospitals and Catholic doctors may face attempts to legally force them to perform abortions.

Our nation has chosen a dark path to follow. Our biggest problem is not the economy, health care, enemy governments or terrorist attacks, but rather the moral cancer growing within. Catholics, and in fact all people of faith, must unite in support of our unalienable right to life.

My congressman’s pro-life letter contained an invitation to sign up for his newsletter by going to his webpage. When I did so, I was directed to select my areas of interest from a list of thirteen. None of them mentioned the right-to-life issue. The closest was “values” which is rather vague. Despite his supposed pro-life stand, I could find no mention of it anywhere on his webpage, a fact that I have brought to his attention. Silence can be interpreted as endorsement when it comes to issues like this. Now more than ever, we must make our position known.

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