To the Contrary: A Plea for Calm: Reflection on Bart Stupak

The Passion of Being Pro-Life

Two people I have come to regard with respect and admiration for their Passion for Jesus Christ, for the Catholic Church in Christianity, and for their zeal for the life of the unborn are Deacon Keith Fournier of Catholic Online, and Mrs. Jennifer Hartline, a writer for that publication, as well as publisher of her own blog My Chocolate Heart.   In the mystery that is the Body of Christ, they are becoming friends of mine through our connections.

As for Catholic Online, I have the privilege of having some of my own articles picked up by the publication, and find it to be a powerful source of information on contemporary Catholic thought, my own articles not withstanding.

That both of these upstanding Catholic Christians felt abandoned by the process of voting and the conclusion that came with the Health Care Reform Bill should come as no surprise, since they did not waver at any time along the way, and that they wrote from their sorrow and their passion comes as no surprise either to me.  I admire it.

But, linked here is a piece authored by Robert Stackpole STD, an Associate Professor of Theology at Redeemer Pacific College with the title "To the Contrary:  A Plea for Calm: Reflection on Bart Stupak".  It is a reasoned response, and merits thought.  It is not in favour of Bart Stupak, nor critical of him, but an attempt to bring reason to the debate.

I personally share Jennifer's and Deacon Keith's passion for the life of the unborn.  They are the most helpless of our society and NEED us to stand up for them.

But, I have linked the article because Jesus passion for us came on the Cross, when he offered himself up to the Father in expiation of all of our sins.  It must have made no sense to His disciples at the time.  Our passion for Him and for his precious sons and daughters, especially those who cannot speak for themselves must also take us to the crucifixion of our own selves, and those parts of our selves that are not of Him.  We do not know how Christ will bring good out of this disaster in Health Care, but we of faith know that He will.  It is at the core of our faith.  "All things turn to good for those who trust in the Lord."

The failure to have prevented the growth of abortion over these last 40 years is not a failure of Bart Stupak, even though he might have been able to do more, but is in fact a prayer failure; that all of us who during our lives have at one time or another failed to turn our eyes to heaven day in and day out, and implore our Mighty God to bring about a stop to this evil.

Who of us has turned our hearts to God in such a way as to have totally trusted Him in prayer, to have believed Him and His Holy Word totally?  Not me, that's for sure.

We must bring ourselves before the Lord, and place our prayers and petitions, and the responsibility for answering those prayers to Him.  We must offer Him daily our joys, works, trials and tribulations.

We must become holy because He is holy.