She was with Fetus?

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit." (Matt. 1:18)

A thought struck me the other day that by my assumption has never struck any "pro-choice" Christians. Am I correct that pro-choice Catholics and Christians in general have never read or heard the birth narrative of the very person they claim as their creator and savior? The words of Sacred Scripture that we hold to be one of the most sacred things in our lives state very simply and clearly (and repeatedly) that Jesus Christ was a CHILD while in Mary's womb. If the passage quoted above doesn't say it clearly enough, then how about Luke 2:5.

"And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child." (Luke 2:4-5)

These passages don't say Mary was with fetus (though fetus is a scientifically correct term for the developing child, abortion advocates use the word to devalue the life of the child in womb). And they don't say she was with tissue. No, she was carrying a child. Well, isn't that different because Jesus is God? You can interpret the passages as many ways as you want in your own mind, but it still says child. It amazes me to what lengths people will go to justify sin. They will omit scripture verses like they never existed or rewrite them to say what they want.  Well, if you are going to do that, then why not write your own Bible?! God is God, and Truth is Truth, as much we one may not like it.

How can any person who claims to believe in Jesus ignore the very words that tell them who he is? Or maybe they aren't ignoring the fact that Jesus was a child in womb. After all, Planned Parenthood now acknowledges that it is a child in the womb, but it is the mother's choice what to do with it. Okay, that makes a lot more sense. Pro-choice Christians must just be advocating for women's free choice when they condone the murder of a CHILD. Oh that makes a lot of sense...not. I mean if I'm not mistaken, didn't Jesus say one of the greatest commandments was to love your neighbor? Or did he mean the murdering kind of love?

Now I'm totally confused. Can anyone help clarify how a person claiming to be a CHRISTian can be "Pro-Choice" (also known as pro-abortion or whatever you want it to be)?

An Offering for Love

There have been many ideas racing through my head lately for things I could write about in this blog.  And even though I have had less time to write than I would prefer, I would like to pass up another opportunity for something I think is more worthy of your time.

I just came across a remarkable article/dialogue of a 2010 summa cum laude graduate of Harvard University and her decision to pursue the life of a Nun. This is a profound witness of love for God in a day when intellectualism is often pitted against spirituality.

No matter where you are coming from, please read this and enjoy!

National Review Online
God and Woman at Harvard - A 2010 summa cum laude heads to a convent.

A Change in God's Glory

Is it wrong to appreciate God's presence in others? Is it okay to acknowledge how God is at work in people's lives and in the world? Or is doing so taking Glory away from God?

This somewhat unusual but very important topic came to mind the other day because of what I heard someone say. You may be thinking to yourself, "Yes, all glory should go to God alone." Or you may be thinking, "It is only right that we praise God for what he does in the lives of men and women." I have always believed both of these things, but at one time I would have said that all glory is God's and any regard given to man is idolatry. (Which is partly true, but there is more I see now.) I'm sure there are others that would still say that too. But it just occurred to me the other day how my thinking of God has grown. I really hadn't though much about it because I have had the same general understanding as long as I can remember.

This is a significant issue because part of the Protestant Reform hinged on it. But I would suggest that many modern Protestants actually hold a Catholic or historic Christian view of God's Glory. Let's ponder this.

What is God's Glory? Is it something intangible that God has? So one would say all glory is God's alone. Or is it something we see, recognize, and experience? Of course it is, how else would we know God has glory?!

Now let's jump to the other side. Is it okay to thank someone for an act of kindness? Yes. Is it okay to revere someone who exhibits holiness (i.e. a pastor, or preacher)? Is it okay to remember with fondness someone who has died but touched your life in a powerful way? Yes and yes.

Here is the issue. I used to be of the mindset that praying to a saint (loved one that has passed on to Heaven) was idolatrous and that Jesus' mother Mary wasn't any more significant in and of herself than any other person. These are not uncommon Protestant views because if you give your attention to Mary or the saints, then you would be taking glory away from God. But are you really taking glory away from God?

I used to see humans and God as being in a power struggle for Glory. Which is half true. Yes we often try to take God's glory, but God is not trying to take ours. You see God in his very nature gives his life and love, which are the manifestations of his Glory. God is pleased to pour out his life for us. God is pleased when we become holy. God isn't trying to hold us down, he wants to lift us up. And so it is only acknowledging the reality of God's nature and in fact giving him more glory when we acknowledge his glory present in people and creation.

For this reason, it is good to ask Mary or other holy people in Heaven to pray for us. It is actually an act of recognizing God's glorious work in others and gives him more glory. Kind of like a parent helping their child to walk for the first time. People get excited for the child, and the parent doesn't get upset but is happy because they know that have helped that child do something good. And if you follow the child they will lead you to their parent.

So you see how not recognizing God's presence in others in an effort to ONLY give him the glory may in fact fail to give him the glory he is due. Yet this is what motivated many iconoclasts.

Now if you actually start seeing something other than God as your god, then that is idolatry. But I wanted to share my thoughts on this, because I know I spent so much time worrying about how not to give glory to others, that I probably missed many chances to more fully honor my Creator.

Blessed be God.
Blessed be His Holy Name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
Blessed be the name of Jesus.
Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the paraclete.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.
Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her glorious Assumption.
Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be Saint Joseph, her most chaste spouse.
Blessed be God in His angels and in His Saints.

What is a Family?

Has anyone ever stopped to ask the basic question of what a family is? I'm really not sure. It seems like such a basic and common sense concept of a husband, a wife, and children. I mean, everything in the natural order points to this reality even if you don't believe God instituted it a certain way. A male and a female equal little ones. In more cases than not the male and female (whatever species) experience a natural bonding that draws them together. This bonding (or relationship) can be ignored, but I believe it is fair to say that it is beneficial in cases where it is embraced.

For much of recent history it has been acknowledged and promoted as a good thing to have a mother and father together establishing a family. But it seems that as the trend of moral decay continues, simultaneously does acceptance of things such as sodomy and unnaturally ordered relationships.

We have missed the boat for protecting marriage and family life dependent on it. No, two men raising a child can't offer it the same as a mother and father, but (apart from a distorted understanding of sexuality) whether two men could offer a child more than one woman or one man is a point to be contested. You see marriage has been misunderstood for quite a while based on the strong 50% divorce rate. Gay marriage and adoption were only logical next steps in the disintegration of the family.

So perhaps secular society will completely forget what family is at some point. I mean, what is to stop a man from marrying a robot made to look like a female or a man? I know I have discussed in past posts how contraception is destroying lives (which it is) but I believe the deterioration of the family goes back even further than contraception. I believe the responsibility for this phenomenon rests mostly on the shoulders of Men. Yes, a point could probably be made to point the finger at women too, but men need to be men and stop pointing the finger. Adam should have stood up as the head of his marriage and told Eve to obey the Lord, but instead he just went along with his wife. How many men fail to be good leaders in their families simply out of laziness? How many women would change their minds about having abortions if men really stood up and said they wanted to support their wife and child? How many women would cease to have sex outside of marriage if men stopped using them as objects? Men now-a-days have forgotten their dignity as good strong leaders. We have gone overboard one way or another. Either men become controlling and abusive, or they become woosie push-overs, or they become gay. And men have stopped learning to become men because our fathers have abandoned us.

At this point, half of an entire generation does not know what a real father is or what a real man is. A real man will help his wife to be the best version of herself and gives of his own time and concerns for his family. And in the end, what better could a young naive child ask for than a real father and a real mother who are completely and permanently committed to each other and them for life?!

It is really amazing how beautiful and amazing a real family is. Each person compliments the others, and the relationships formed in genuine love seem to bless others by rippling through the lives of those yet unborn for generations to come.

Marriage is beyond being saved now. It needs to be rebuilt.

"Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and ordinances that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. Behold, I will send you Eli'jah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse." (Mal. 4:4-6)

For some good resources on family, marriage, and fatherhood, please visit the sites listed below:
Marriage - Unique for a Reason
For Your Marriage
Family Life Center International