PAUSE FOR REFLECTION
by Ken Rolheiser
Right to life and law of the land

St Francis of Assisi in Canticle of the Creatures says that our common home is like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us.

In Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’, an encyclical on care of our environment, he says, “This sister now cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the goods with which God had endowed her… We have forgotten that we ourselves are dust of the Earth.”

In all humility we have to admit to other disorders we have created like the pro abortion movement. It is unnatural and disordered to cause the death of the unborn. This evil gives rise to other absurdities.

October 24, 2017 Feminist Alliance president Sydney Tate, who was protesting a pro life Jumbo Tron video on the University of Kentucky Campus picturing an abortion, admitted, “Walking up to this [picture] made me cry, because it’s so upsetting.”

LifeNews.com shares these headlines: “Judge Gives Convicted Rapist Custody of Woman’s Son After She Refused Abortion”, and “Lawsuit Claims There’s a ‘Human Right’ to Kill Disabled Unborn Babies in Abortions”.

Laudato Si’ [Praise to You] reminds us that we are dust. What we do to the land, we do to ourselves. We need to think of the generations to come. What abortion does is eliminate generations to come. “Whoever saves one life saves the world entire”. Oscar Schindler.

The erosion of respect for life leads to other disorders like euthanasia. In September 2016 Candace Elson went to Charles S. Memorial Hospital in St Anthony where Doctor Aaron Heroux told her she was likely to die soon.

The doctor proposed assisted suicide. Candace refused. A year later Candace walks without assistance, is alert, and was bridesmaid at her sister’s wedding. (from LifeNews.com)

And the battle goes on. From LifeNews.com we see these headlines:
Abortionist LeRoy Carhart Opens Clinic Tomorrow Doing Abortions Through All 9 Months of Pregnancy, and Planned Parenthood Celebrates Its 101st Anniversary and 7 Million Abortions.
Abortion Activists Don’t Want to Eliminate Down Syndrome, They Want to Kill Everyone Who Has It.

Many positive changes are giving us hope that respect for live is emerging. Bills are being passed in legislatures to eliminate late term abortions. Scientific knowledge is advancing to make us aware that a preborn baby can feel pain as early as eight to ten weeks.

“Overwhelming majorities of Americans—some 60-64% according to pollsters—support legal protection for pain-capable unborn children,” said pro-life Congressman Chris Smith. “Today we know that unborn babies not only die but suffer excruciating pain during dismemberment abortion—a cruelty that rips arms and legs off a helpless child.” (National   Steven Ertelt   Oct 3, 2017)

I remember a time in youth when I was not concerned about the issue of abortion. In the 1960’s it was easier to avoid these issues. Today you see videos of dismemberment abortion on youtube.

Just as all peoples who dwell on the land are responsible for the land, we are all responsible for the survival of the human race. The loss of seven million babies is an unspeakable sin against nature.

Nature is a sacrament, a sign that points us toward the Creator. We must realize the sacredness of creation as we give thanks to the Creator.

(568 words)