Tabloid socialite and TV personality Kourtney Kardashian recently made a decision that shocked Hollywood and rocked the reality TV world. The pop media is still in a frenzy over the news.
Kourtney, who is 30, is the oldest sister on the E! network’s Keeping Up With the Kardashian’s, and recently finished a season of her own show: Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami with her sister.
Los Angeles native Kourtney Mary Kardashian is the daughter of the late Robert Kardashian, who was OJ Simpson’s famous trial lawyer. Her mom, Kris, is married to Bruce Jenner, the 1976 Decathlon Gold Medalist. Kourtney is a graduate of Marymount High School, an all-girls Catholic school in LA. She earned a degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Arizona in Tucson, in May, 2002. After that, Kourtney assisted her mom in opening several children’s clothing boutiques in New York and LA called “Smooch”.

Reality Shows

Her first stint with reality TV began in 2005 with Filthy Rich: Cattle Drive, a show that followed celebrity kids working on a Colorado cattle ranch. The premiere of Keeping Up with the Kardashian’s in 2007 featured models Kourtney, Kim, and Khloe, who were joined by the rest of their family. This includes brother Robert, Jr. also a model, and step-sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner and their parents Kris and Bruce Jenner.

Moving to Miami, Florida, Kourtney and Khloe began shooting their own reality show Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami, which aired on August 16, 2009. But that’s not all that aired that week. Kourtney also broke the news that she was pregnant.

Reality Bites

In an exclusive interview with People Magazine, (August 12, 2009) Kourtney revealed her thoughts as she struggled with what to do next.
“I definitely thought about it long and hard, about if I wanted to keep the baby or not.”
Kardashian reflected that the “choice” of abortion is often made without a lot of thought and information:
“… I don’t think it’s talked through enough. I can’t even tell you how many people just say, ‘Oh, get an abortion.’ Like it’s not a big deal.”
She felt a lot of confusion and turmoil at this point.
“I called my best friend crying, and I was like, ‘I don’t know what to do.’ She said, ‘Call your doctor, and at least find out the risks and stuff.’”

Alternate Reality

Kourtney’s doctor suggested that she do research in order to make an informed decision.
“I looked online, and I was sitting on my bed hysterically crying, reading these stories of people who felt so guilty from having an abortion,” she recalls.
“I was reading these things of how many people are traumatized by it afterwards.“
It began to dawn on Kourtney that abortion was not a choice for her after all.
“I was just sitting there crying, thinking, ‘I can’t do that,’” she said. And I felt in my body, this is meant to be. God does things for a reason, and I just felt like it was the right thing that was happening in my life.“
“For me, all the reasons why I wouldn’t keep the baby were so selfish…”

Reality, Man…

Her boyfriend, Scott Disick, 26, came to her side to offer his support even though she had broken up with him already.
“He wanted me to talk about it more, but I just kept to myself.“
He said, ‘I really want you to keep it [the baby], but I will support you whatever you decide to do.’”
“I really wanted to think it through for myself, and not hear what my sisters were saying, or what Scott was saying,” Kourtney explained.
“Even though I took it all in, I wanted it to be my decision.“
But the advice her doctor had given Kourtney at that first visit stayed with her.
“My doctor told me there is nothing you will ever regret about having the baby, but he was like, ‘You may regret not having the baby.’”
“And I was like: ‘That is SO true.’”
“And it just hit me. I got so excited, and when I told Scott, he was so excited.“
When asked about future plans for marriage to Disick, Kardashian said,
“We talk about marriage all the time.”
Then she adds:
“I just feel like there is so much to do… We should do everything for the baby right now and I’ll worry about myself later.”

Harsh Reality

Perhaps the most convincing information about the effects of abortion comes from those who know first hand what an abortion can do to both a mother and her baby. Some women who have had an abortion write their testimonies, the stories of their sufferings, and post them on web sites such as silentnomore.org , afterabortion.org , or abortionfacts.com . These post-abortive women hope others read the testimonies and learn from them, and might be spared the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual suffering they experienced after their abortion.
Dr. Alveda King, Director of the African American Outreach at Priests for Life and niece of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., applauded Kardashian’s decision. In a LifeNews.com interview Dr. King said,
“I am a member of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign, which posts the largest collection of such testimonies on the internet precisely for the purpose of exposing the truth about abortion.”
In another interview Dr. King said:
“Kourtney’s testimony is so encouraging. She found messages from post-abortive women like myself on the Internet.”
It takes a courageous woman to give a testimony of the painful results of choosing abortion, as Dr. Alveda King knows. But saving a child’s life makes it worth the pain.

Reality Check

The flashy, anything-goes lifestyle of reality TV star Kourtney Kardashian and the decision she made proves a very important point. Anyone, no matter who they are, no matter how they live, no matter what they do, can find the truth by seeking it with an open heart.
Kourtney didn’t want opinions. She began to ask real questions about abortion. What will it do to me? What will it do to my child? Before she made up her mind, she gave herself the chance to really check things out. Asking was the most important thing in the life of her unborn child. It saved his/her life.
Kourtney Kadashian’s current lifestyle may not change much right away. She is still the glitzy socialite chic with a TV camera covering her every move.
But who knows what questions she may ask in the future? One thing is for sure. If she asks God for His help, she is sure to get it.

Reality Babe–y

Kourtney Kardashian soul-searched until she found the courage and determination to accept new life.
“This baby was unexpected, but it’s 100 percent still a blessing,” says Kardashian. (8/26/09 from TransWorldNews)
Her choice of love over selfishness was a life and death decision. True love makes sacrifices.
Regardless of her career, or what others would think about her decision, regardless of what might happen to her in the future, Kourtney chose the life of her baby over her own needs.
For her, it was selfishness to do anything less.
Kourtney’s baby is due around Christmas. We pray she will continue to hear the voice of God.

It was an exciting moment. Carrie Prejean’s turn had arrived to answer a question from a judge during the final round of the Miss USA pageant. When the question came, Carrie’s stomach turned. The judge wanted to know what she, as the reigning Miss California and the potential Miss USA, thought about “gay marriage.” She knew what the man wanted to hear. But she also knew what she truly believed.

Carrie wondered: should she give the popular answer or speak her conscience? She quickly prayed for guidance.

We’ll get to her answer — and its aftermath — in a minute. But first, let’s take a quick look at Carrie’s life leading up to the Miss USA pageant. That will help us zero in on the point of this lesson: True marriage is worth defending … even when it costs you dearly.

Young love

Carrie Prejean was a shy child but, in high school, she became a four-sport athlete. Her softball team won a national championship. Then, encouraged by her parents, she joined a youth group at her evangelical Protestant church. She found that she loved to learn more about God, his love for her and his love for everyone. This knowledge became a source of deep joy for her.

Her parents and her church also taught her that her faith and her values would be challenged in the world today. She made a personal commitment to Christ and to her Christian values, prepared to deal with the challenges this commitment would bring.

You really think I’m pretty?

When Carrie was 17, some people began insisting that she enter beauty pageants. “I didn’t even know what a pageant was,” she told the press recently. But Carrie had always liked challenges and trying new things. The idea that she could be competitive in a beauty contest stirred her imagination.

Going for it

Carrie isn’t exaggerating when she describes herself as someone who can be very enthusiastic once she decides on a goal. She got the name of a woman who helps organize beauty pageants and called her. When the woman met Carrie, she seemed impressed. She explained the basics of the pageant and gave Carrie some information to look over and some forms to fill out. So it was that, at 17, Carrie entered her first beauty contest … and won!

College!

In college, Carrie continued participating in beauty pageants. She spent her freshman year at a state school, but after prayer and discernment decided that she wanted to attend a Christian college. She transferred to San Diego Christian College, a school known for promoting a strong faith life.

Carrie greatly enjoyed her new school. She saw the environment of faith and intellectual challenge as an opportunity to prepare for the future: She wanted to be a Christian leader. She wanted to help bring Christ to others and make a difference in the world. Most of all, she wanted people to know the deep sense of satisfaction she had found through a personal and prayerful relationship with Jesus.

Reaching out

Besides her studies and her beauty pageant preparations, Carrie also got involved in outreach programs to the handicapped and the hurting. She took part in a ministry to women exploited by prostitution and pornography.

Beauty strategy

During this time, Carrie’s attitude toward beauty pageants was, “Just be joyful and be myself. Be happy with who I am and try to show kindness to everyone else.” It worked. Her successes mounted with each contest. This past November Carrie won the Miss California USA pageant. She was also voted Miss Congeniality by her fellow contestants.

Prepping

Winning the Miss California USA title was exciting in itself, but it also qualified her for the Miss USA pageant. She decided to take a semester off from school to prepare for the pageant. She worked out, followed a demanding diet and studied many of the topics she might be asked about.

The Miss USA pageant took place in Las Vegas over a two-week period. Only the last day of the pageant, April 19, was shown on national television. Which brings us back to the question that changed her life.

Facing Down Fear

As the telecast began, the host named 15 finalists. Several rounds of competition followed until only five girls remained. For the final round, each finalist would have to answer a question from a celebrity judge. The girls picked judges’ numbers from a bottle and Carrie ended up with Judge No. 8 — Perez Hilton.

This man’s real name is Mario Armando Lavandeira. He is famous for his abrasive personality and insulting commentaries on TV and the Internet. He is also famous for promoting changing the definition of marriage so gay couples can get “married.”

“Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage,” said Mr. Hilton. “Do you think every state should follow suit? Why or why not?”

This was a loaded question. Perez Hilton was setting Carrie up to either cave in to popular pressure or make a fool of herself in front of millions of people.

Or so he thought.

At first, Carrie tried to soft-pedal her beliefs. “I think it’s great that Americans are able to choose one or the other,” she said. “We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage.”

But as she spoke these words, she heard a still, small voice speaking to her heart. Which crown did she want more — the Miss USA crown or the crown Christ wanted to give her?

She interrupted herself in mid-thought. “And you know what?” she said. “I think that in my country, and in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman — no offense to anybody out there — but that’s how I was raised and … I think that it should be between a man and a woman.”

Media Firestorm

As Carrie spoke these words, an immediate reaction rose from the audience. Most people applauded, encouraged by Carrie’s bravery and honesty, but there were also some boos. You probably already know that Carrie lost the contest.

Afterward, a famous television reporter asked her about Perez Hilton’s question. Carrie was surprised that such a famous reporter would want to talk to the runner-up rather than the winner. In her mind, what happened to her was simply a side story. She soon began to find out that this was not just a side story. It had already become national news.

Digging up dirt

In May, a celebrity-gossip blog ran a photo of Carrie partially undressed. Her back was to the camera, and the image was not especially racy by today’s standards, but the organizers of the Miss California pageant announced that they were investigating. Carrie, they said, might have her Miss California title taken from her.

Speaking in her own defense, Carrie stated that she had posed for the shot when she was 17 and pursuing a career as a model. She objected to the release of the photo.

“I am a Christian, and I am a model,” she said. “Models pose for pictures, including lingerie and swimwear photos. Recently, photos taken of me as a teenager have been released surreptitiously to a tabloid Web site that openly mocks me for my Christian faith. I am not perfect, and I will never claim to be.”

She has also pointed out that she was “naive and young” at the time of the photography and regrets having made the decision to pose for that particular shoot. Maggie Gallagher, head of the National Organization for Marriage — which works to keep marriage between one man and one woman — spoke out in Carrie’s defense. “You don’t have to be a perfect person,” said Gallagher, “to have the right to stand up for marriage.”

“You’re fired!”

The media circus followed Carrie around for weeks. Then, on June 10, the final ax fell. Carrie was stripped of her Miss California crown. This was the title that had gotten her into the Miss USA pageant to begin with.The organizers of the Miss California pageant claimed Carrie had not been cooperative in carrying out her duties. Carrie disputed that claim.

“They don’t agree with the stance that I took [on gay marriage],” she said. “They don’t like me. From Day One they wanted me out, and they got what they wanted. … I was very respectful of people even when they slandered me and humiliated me,” she added. “I have not once stooped down to their level.”

With these words, and with her acceptance of embarrassing defeat, Carrie showed the world what Christian forgiveness looks like.

A Crown lost, a crown gained

Carrie may have been stripped of her crown as Miss California, but she certainly can stand tall. She has been given a crown of courage, even if many mock her and call her a hypocrite. She has stood up for marriage at a time when it is extremely important to do so.

Marriage really matters. It matters for all of society. Carrie has done her small part to witness to the beauty and truth of marriage.

Battles ahead

What does Carrie Prejean’s future hold? That remains to be seen. She still has many choices ahead of her.

One thing is for certain: The battle for the truth about marriage will continue. Legal experts foresee a very heated and difficult battle, because, with the approval of gay “marriage” in many states, the Christian view of marriage may be considered bigoted “hate speech” by government.

We Catholics, too, will be called on to defend marriage. Will we have the courage to stand firm as Carrie Prejean did — even when it means losing something we have worked hard for? When we experience loss, we can remember that nothing is truly lost when we stand up for truth.

On the contrary, we help others. Let us continue to speak the truth with love. Christ will give us our crown, and we will know the happiness of having helped others with our lives.

Arrr… Danger ahoy!

From Peter Pan to the Pirates of the Caribbean, everyone loves a good pirate story. But real pirates aren’t silly swashbucklers like the romanticized treasure hunters we know from movies and books.
On Wednesday, April 8, 2009, four ordinary-looking Somali fisherman, all less than 20 years old, used grappling hooks and rope ladders to board the merchant vessel ship Maersk Alabama. Armed with AK-47 assault rifles, they were seeking to take control of the ship and its crew at gunpoint.
The ship was off the coast of Somalia, carrying medical supplies and food destined for refugee camps. Some of these things belonged to Catholic Relief Services.

Violence breeds violence

Somalia is probably best remembered from the movie Black Hawk Down. Recently, however, this north-east African country has been in the news for many of these types of pirate attacks.
Years of civil war and unrest have left the country very poor, and so many people there turn to violent means of providing for themselves and their families.

Somalia has hundreds of miles of coastline along very busy shipping lanes in the Indian Ocean. Ships here are an easy target for these pirates. Sometimes the pirates are interested in stealing the cargo on the ships. However, most of the time they are looking to get ransom money.

Walking the plank

When they learned that there were pirates on board, the crew went below deck and locked themselves in safe rooms. They had managed to capture one pirate. Only the captain and one other crew member stayed on deck to negotiate with the pirates. What happened next is what makes this particular story very different from the other cases of piracy in the news lately.
The captain of this ship, Captain Richard Phillips, was so concerned about the safety of his crew that he did something unthinkable… He asked the pirates to take him as their prisoner, and in return let his crew take the ship and go free. Once the ship and crew were at a safe distance, they would exchange Captain Phillips for the captured pirate.

Tide turns against him

The three armed pirates liked the idea. Capt. Phillips led them to one of the ships small lifeboats, climbed in it, and had it lowered into the water. Captain Phillips was in close quarters with the men who could easily have killed him at any moment. He showed them how to operate the boat. And then the plan went horribly wrong. The crew of the Alabama, as they had agreed, brought out the injured pirate for the trade. But now that the pirates had their friend, they didn’t release their prisoner. They kept Capt. Phillips as a hostage, and were holding him for ransom.

For five days these bandits held him under constant guard. There was water and food, but there were no bathrooms or showers. It was unbearably hot in the enclosed lifeboat; so much so that Capt. Phillips said he dreaded the sun coming up in the morning. The captain and his captors sat, waiting. The pirates weren’t sleeping and were becoming agitated.

At one point, Capt. Phillips even tried to escape. He pushed one of the pirates guarding him overboard, and dove in the water and swam away. He swam towards a US Navy ship, the USS Bainbridge, that was following them. But it was nearly a half mile away. Before long, he was caught again; only now the pirates were very angry with him.

Is Davey Jones comin’?

By this point, the outcome didn’t look too bright for Captain Phillips. “It was just settling everything. Getting ready to die and just settling everything. You know, saying my last thoughts. Andrea, the kids.” He no longer believed he would leave that boat alive. He wondered why the pirates were dragging things out when he was certain they would kill him in the end anyway.

He had known when he went with them that there was a chance he would die. But he had been willing to take that chance freely, to spare his crew. Now, faced with what seemed certain death, he was at peace with his decision.

Watching and waiting

Thousands of miles away, in a tiny town in Vermont, the Phillips family was experiencing the turmoil of wondering what was happening to their husband and father. “We did not know what Richard was enduring while being held hostage on the lifeboat, and that was really the hardest part… the wondering,” said Mrs. Andrea Phillips.

Mariah, the captain’s 19 year old daughter, expressed the shock of learning that this had actually happened to her family: “This is something that happens to other people. Obviously, I am other people.”

They received visits from Fr. Danielson, their parish priest, who prayed with them and told them not to lose hope.  Captain Phillips was unaware that there were other forces at work in his story. There was prayer power gathering and there was planning by the US Navy.

Living the mystery

These events came about at a very appropriate time of year. The day Capt. Phillips was captured was the Wednesday of Holy Week. The time he made his escape attempt was probably around the time we remember Jesus’ agony in the garden.

On Easter Sunday morning, Fr. Danielson told the Phillips’ friends and neighbors that they should pray more intensely for Capt. Phillips. Father said he believed Capt. Phillips’ story would serve as an example; just like Christ Jesus’ suffering led to His Resurrection, once again God and His goodness would triumph over evil in the end.

A Storm breaks loose

Later in the evening on Easter Sunday, things became extremely tense on the little life boat. One of the pirates had gone aboard the USS Bainbridge for medical treatment, and to try and arrange the ransom payment. When the other three pirates hadn’t heard from him in a while, they got restless. They climbed out of the hatch of the life boat in plain view, and began firing warning shots in the air. The Bainbridge and the lifeboat were both moving, and the waves were bouncing them up and down in the darkness.

Capt. Phillips had no idea what was going on. As he heard the shots, he dove to the deck and got as low as he could. He thought perhaps the pirates were fighting against each other. Or perhaps they were getting ready to kill him.

Salvation is from the SEAL’s

US Navy SEAL snipers took advantage of the opportunity, firing one perfect shot at each pirate. After what felt like a long time, but was only a few seconds later, Capt. Phillips heard the beautiful sound of a US Navy SEAL’s voice, asking him if he was alright. He was saved.

“Hi, Honey…”

A short time later, back at home, Mrs. Phillips, their daughter Mariah, their son Daniel, and their whole family were relieved and elated to hear Captain Phillips himself, on the phone, telling them he was safe.
Mariah said, “You never know how strong your family can be when something like this happens.”
In a statement about how they survived the emotional torture of the five day ordeal, Mrs. Phillips said, “My family and closest friends held onto our faith knowing that Richard would come home.”

“I need a hero…”

What makes Captain Phillips a hero? Is it in conquering or strength? No. Like Jesus, his willingness to surrender himself as a prisoner, to suffer, and accept even death is where we find his true heroism.
Captain Richard Phillips is an example of love and respect for life. The lives of his shipmates meant so much to him, that he would offer up his own to save them. This is the ultimate sign of love and sacrifice. Whether he realized it at the time or not, Capt. Phillips was imitating Jesus Christ, at the very time when Jesus made the sacrifice that saves us all. He willingly offered himself to save others. He spent a few days in a little “tomb-like” capsule, and on Easter Sunday he got to taste a little bit of Jesus’ Easter victory.

Just doing his job

Captain Phillips does not consider himself a hero. For him, what he did was just part of his job. He had accepted the job as a captain, and that meant putting the safety of his crew above his own. Yet there is something we admire about this attitude. When we see his example, we know we have met a real man, a man who puts others first.
True manhood is about service and sacrifice. These are qualities we also admire in so many women, especially our own moms (Happy Mother’s Day to all our moms!), but there is something we typically think of as particularly masculine about the willingness to face danger and take a huge risk for others. Men were designed by God to be protectors. They are called to protect their family and protect their communities. They are designed by God to overcome the fear of danger, because sometimes real life is dangerous. Sometimes risk is necessary for really important things.

Imitating Christ

Jesus Christ was a real man. He overcame his fear of danger. He put our safety above his own. Christ, by his life and death, helps men discover what it means to be a man. Let’s ask Christ to raise up more real men today.
For those of us who are guys, we can make a resolution to learn to love others so much that we are willing to sacrifice for them.
For girls, let’s start thanking some of the real men in our lives for what they do for us, starting with our own dads, or those other men who help keep us safe. And let’s show the guys that we also know how to sacrifice with courage, putting our hearts and lives at the service of goodness and love. The world will be a better, safer place.
Christ wants us to help him do this. It’s part of the call to love that he makes to each of us.

During the Christmas season, we as Christians hope to focus on the coming of Christ.   We can do this individually by preparing a place for Jesus Christ in our hearts, and we can do this within our communities by sharing the gift of Christ’s love with others in our lives.

At the same time, as Christians we need to be aware that during the Christmas season, and throughout the year, there are also groups that are attempting to remove references to Christ from our public culture: from our schools, from our town squares and from the celebrations carried on around the Christmas holiday.   Let’s look at these efforts to remove Christ from the public celebration of Christmas and discuss how we should respond--with a spirit of charity, and with the goal of being effective.

History of Religion and Government

To understand the current debates on the public role of Christ in Christmas it is important to look briefly at the history of the relationship between religion and government in our nation.   The framers of our Constitution wanted to both protect the freedom of individuals to practice the religion of their choice, and to prohibit the government from establishing a state religion.   The 1st Amendment to the Constitution states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”.

Since our nation’s founding, various groups and the courts have debated the meaning of government not establishing a religion, while also maintaining the free exercise of religion.   Our courts have come to an agreement that the “Establishment Clause” isn’t violated when government pays for sick patients to receive care in religious hospitals, and pays for students to receive an education in religious schools.   The courts’ rulings often focus on whether individuals are forced through government action to participate in a religious endeavor, reasoning that if individuals are not forced or compelled, then the Establishment Clause is not violated.

Christmas and   the Establishment Clause

Some believe the Establishment Clause is violated when Christ is mentioned or depicted in Christmas celebrations within public schools and on public property.   Over the years, groups have challenged the actions of cities and states in presenting Nativity scenes on public property, and having Christmas carols sung within public schools.   Since the 1980s, various Supreme Court rulings have in general outlined that religious symbols and songs within public schools and on government property do not violate the Establishment Clause if they are presented as part of our cultural heritage, where the religious display or reference is one of several religious choices and / or non-religious references, reflecting the diversity of our nation (see references for Supreme Court ruling in the Resources section).

A Nativity scene by itself, though, in a town square would likely be ruled by the courts as violating the Establishment Clause for promoting one religious belief and promoting religion in general.   However, exhibits containing a Nativity scene along with other faith communities’ symbols and non-religious holiday symbols have been ruled as acceptable and not violating the Establishment Clause.

Looking at a recent example in a school setting in Salt Lake City, Utah students at West High School began to prepare for their annual Christmas concert tour. The group sang both non-religious and religious songs. One student named Rachel then decided that it was unfair to her that she be forced to sing songs that celebrated the birth of Christ. So she decided to sue the teacher who led the choir, the school, and the state of Utah. Rachel and the organizations that supported her, argued that since she didn’t believe in Christmas, singing songs about it restricted her religious freedom.

An advocacy group and legal foundation, The Becket Fund , came to assist the teacher and the school in defending the right of the teacher and students to sing Christmas songs in their concert. The Becket Fund wanted to defend the principle “that religion is a valid part of our culture and our heritage, and that the Constitution does not require us to pretend that it isn’t.” The Becket Fund agreed with the majority of parents that it was a case of defending public school students from anti-religious censorship. It argued that such censorship was against true freedom of religion .

The Becket Fund and West High School also argued that Rachel was not forced to join the choir. Religious freedom meant that the students, who chose to sing, should be able to sing Christmas songs at Christmastime. Furthermore, the Becket Fund argued, there were a mixture of Christian Christmas songs and other secular, holiday melodies included in the concert. The 10th Circuit Court ruled that the school was allowed to have a Christmas concert and include Christmas songs that mentioned Christ.   The court pointed out that Rachel “had a choice whether or not to sing songs she believedinfringed upon her exercise of religious freedom.” In this way, the free expression of religion of the other students and the teacher at West High school was protected.

Rising to the Challenge of Secularism

It’s important for us as Christians to respect the rights of others to follow different faiths than ours, or not follow any religion at all.   But, it is also important that we defend our own rights to practice our faith and to not allow some groups to eliminate religion and Christianity from our public life.   This endeavor to remove religion from our public life is a form of secularism.   As we have seen, a certain amount of separation between the government and religion is right, such as the government not establishing one religion as our country’s “official religion”.   However, intolerantsecularism , which seeks to eliminate any references, celebration or acknowledgement of religion in public life carries great risks.

Our nation’s founding fathers often spoke and wrote about how religion, which did not impose itself on others, was a great advantage for our new nation in helping our citizens to develop the virtues necessary for democracy to succeed.   Virtues such as respect for others, tolerance for others’ views, willingness to sacrifice for a larger good, charity toward others, are all effectively taught through the Christian faith and other religions.   If we were to eliminate religion from public life, then we would send to our children and citizens the incorrect message that religion is more of a personal matter that has little impact on the public good.   Over time, this cultural demeaning of the value of religion would harm us as individuals and harm our nation.

Current Challenges

This Christmas season new challenges have arisen.   Initially, the Christmas tree in front of the U.S. Congress was renamed a “holiday tree”.   Fortunately, the Speaker of the House, Denny Hastert, led a successful effort to change the name back to the Christmas tree.   This type of secularism that tries to publicly rename a faith community’s symbols shows a lack of respect for the culture and tradition of others.

In some communities and schools, officials are afraid of a legal challenge if they present anything religious in school activities, or present religious symbols on public property.   In these instances, we need to effectively state the truth that religion is a part of our heritage that should be celebrated, and to remind our communities of the great benefits that religion offers to us as individuals and to our nation.

Joyfully Live the Reason for the Season

In addition to raising others’ awareness of taking Christ out of Christmas, we can also look within ourselves to deepen our own observance of Christmas.   Simple things like making a point of earnestly wishing others a “Merry Christmas” instead of “happy holidays” can go a long way in moving us as individuals, and our culture at large back to Christ.   Focusing on the religious Christmas traditions such as prayers by the Nativity set or Advent wreath at home, instead of shopping for example, will also help us center our hearts and minds back on Christ. Finally, ramping up our acts of charity can help us to grow in love and generosity during Advent and the Christmas season.

The forces of secularism will likely always be with us tempting us to take God and religion out of our public life.   Our challenge is to maintain our vigilance, identify when these challenges arise, and be effective in countering them.   Sometimes we need to mobilize our talents and resources in defending our rights in the courts.   More often, we need to make our views known within our local communities and schools that it is important to keep God and religion in our public life, for our own good and the good of our nation.   And always, we need to strive to more completely and courageously live out the love of Christ, which will bring the most hearts and minds to Him and keep the focus on Christ in this Christmas season and throughout the year.

Bible Blurbs

“She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.“
(Luke 2:6-7)

So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.“
(2 Timothy 1:6-7)

“So they called them back and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. Peter and John, however, said to them in reply, “Whether it is right in the sight of God for us to obey you rather than God, you be the judges. It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.“
(Acts 4: 18-20)

Pope Quotes

“A just laicism allows religious freedom. The state does not impose religion but rather gives space to religions … and therefore it allows these religions to be factors in building up society.“
(Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Now Pope Benedict XVI) interview with La Reppublica 19 November 2004)
”…despite being steeped in a rich Christian heritage, (these countries) today face the pervasive advance of secularism. .… This loss of a sense of God … leaves many men and women… feeling disoriented and at times even without hope.“
(Pope John Paul II, Address to the bishops of England and Wales, October 23, 2003)
“In contemporary society, which shows such visible signs of secularism, we must not give in to despair or a lack of enthusiasm in pastoral projects. Remember that the Holy Spirit gives you the strength you need.“
(Pope Benedict XVI, Address to bishops of Mexico, September 23, 2003)
“People often invoke the principle of secularity, legitimate in itself if it is understood as the distinction between the political community and religions (cf. Gaudium et Spes, n. 76). But distinction does not mean ignorance! Secularity is not secularism! It is nothing other than respect for all beliefs on the part of the State that assures the free exercise of ritual, spiritual, cultural and charitable activities by communities of believers. In a pluralistic society, secularity is a place for communication between the different spiritual traditions and the nation.“
(Pope John Paul II Jan 12, 2004)
“In our times, secularism advances, threatening to lead societies of former evangelization to forms of agnosticism that constitute a real challenge for believers…In this context, the testimony of those who, out of fidelity to Christ and to the Gospel, have not hesitated to give their lives, acquires extraordinary eloquence… With their example, they encourage Christians to a courageous consistency” to the point of “heroism.
(Pope John Pual II December 11, 2004, Message sent to Bishop Salvatore Boccaccio)

Saints and Heroes

Defender of the Religious Freedom

ST. THOMAS BECKET
Thomas was born in 1118 in Normandy, France, which then was a part of England. Thomas grew up in a very well-to-do family and was educated at the finest institutions in Paris and London.
As an adult Thomas was given one of the highest posts in British government, that of Chancellor. He served King Henry II in a way that pleased the king, and was his close friend. When the Archbishop of Canterbury died, King Henry had Thomas appointed as Archbishop. King Henry hoped he could influence the Catholic Church in a greater way through Thomas.
His new responsibility brought a dramatic conversion of soul and attitude to Thomas. As soon as he became Archbishop, Thomas abruptly changed his relationship with Henry, showing his allegiance to the Church and the Pope instead of to his friend, the king of England.
Thomas sought to separate the Church in England from governmental control. After many disagreements with the king, Thomas fled England to live in France while continuing to shepherd his flock in England.
Thomas eventually came to an agreement with Henry II, and returned to England.
But just few days after his return, some knights, who were friends of King Henry, brutally murdered Thomas on the steps of the Cathedral in Canterbury. It was clear that he died because of his defense of the Church against control from Henry II. St. Thomas is remembered as a great defender of religious freedom.

Maker of First Live Nativity Scene

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
One of the Church’s most beloved saints, St. Francis was born into a wealthy family in Italy. He led a raucous life of partying, fought in two wars and was set to take over his father’s merchant business. But, shocking his parents and friends, Francis left all this to lead a life of prayer, penance and poverty. Francis began to attract followers who joined him in his life and they are now known as the Franciscans.
Francis’s spirituality of poverty and love for the poor stirred a great devotion to the birth of Christ. A few years before his death, St. Francis is credited with putting on the first live nativity scene and enriching our understanding of the mystery and beauty of Christ’s coming to earth in the poorest of environments. Several miracles happened in relation to this nativity scene (See instructor’s resources.)

Story of St. Francis and the Nativity Scene

One of Francis’ followers, St Benedict, describes the Nativity scene that Francis organized and the miracle that occurred in the small town of Grecio in Italy:
It happened in the third year before his death, that in order to excite the inhabitants of Grecio to commemorate the nativity of the Infant Jesus with great devotion, [St. Francis] prepared a manger, and brought hay, and an ox and an ass to the place appointed. The brethren were summoned, the people ran together, the forest resounded with their voices, and that venerable night was made glorious by many and brilliant lights and sonorous psalms of praise. The man of God [St. Francis] stood before the manger, full of devotion and piety, bathed in tears and radiant with joy. Then he preached to the people around the nativity of the poor King; and being unable to utter His name for the tenderness of His love, He called Him the Babe of Bethlehem.
A certain valiant and veracious soldier, Master John of Grecio, who, for the love of Christ, had left the warfare of this world, and become a dear friend of this holy man, affirmed that he beheld an Infant marvelously beautiful, sleeping in the manger, Whom the blessed Father Francis embraced with both his arms, as if he would awake Him from sleep. This vision of the devout soldier is credible, not only by reason of the sanctity of him that saw it, but by reason of the miracles which afterwards confirmed its truth. For example of Francis, if it be considered by the world, is doubtless sufficient to excite all hearts which are negligent in the faith of Christ; and the hay of that manger, being preserved by the people, miraculously cured all diseases of cattle, and many other pestilences; God thus in all things glorifying his servant, and witnessing to the great efficacy of his holy prayers by manifest prodigies and miracles.
St. Bonaventure (d. 1274)

Vocabulary:

Advocacy group: Organization that promotes or defends certain values
Courage: Bravery to do the right thing
Defend: Protect with courage
Duty: Obligation, responsibility
Faith: Commitment to God, trust in him
Fear: Cowardice, lack of bravery
Freedom of religion: Right of people to practice their own faith and express it in public
Heroism: Bravery in action
Intolerant secularism: Aggressive effort to expel religious expression from public
Respect: Fully acknowledging the dignity and value of every person
Responsibility: To accept and meet our duties in life
Secular: Belonging to this world and this time
The Becket Fund: “A bi-partisan and ecumenical public-interest law firm that protects the free expression of all religious traditions” (from their website)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What are some other holidays that have religious roots?
2. What are some of the shortfalls of a system of public expression which refuse to allow religion?
3. What is the difference between the free expression of religion and separation of church and state? At what point should we draw the line between state-supported and state-allowed religion? Is it necessarily wrong to promote your own religion (proselytize)? How would the secularist argue against proselytism?
4. What is the difference between culture and religion? How are these things related?
5. Benedict XVI spoke out against secularism. Does society really need religion? What happens when we completely remove faith and religion from society?
6. Although we cannot promote Christianity through our government, religion is recognized as legitimate by our government, and certain Judeo-Christian values have inspired many principles in our government, such as the respect for the dignity of every person. Are these values helpful to our society? Do they hurt our government or help it? How do they do this? What would happen if they were not there?
7. Why are some groups lobbying for elimination of religious expression in public institutions and public culture? How can this affect our society?
8. Is putting a manger scene in a town square promoting Christianity or celebrating Christmas? Is there a difference? Who loses out when this symbol is removed from our public view?

WEB LINKS:

Review of Supreme Court rulings concerning religious displays on government property: 1984 Lynch v. Donnelly, 1989 Allegheny County v. Greater Pittsburgh ACLU
The relevant text begins one third from the top

“It’s the best reality show on the air.” That’s what one commentator called it. If we saw it ourselves, we got the impression that we were watching a championship fight. Yet it was a simple procedure in our United States Senate. And this procedure will be repeated again now.

The procedure was the confirmation of a person nominated to be Chief Justice of our Supreme Court. And the nominee was not even the one doing the verbal slugging. At first he simply answered questions. Then he was simply watching the debate, and waiting for the final decision.

But he will do a lot more than watch now that he is confirmed. He will have real power, and both sides know this. They know he will be a main protagonist in a struggle that is much bigger than him.

His name is John Roberts. The U.S. Senate has just approved him as the 19th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of this country.

Almost immediately after Judge Roberts was confirmed, the President nominated another person to fill a second opening on the Supreme Court: Ms. Harriet Miers. Let’s look at what was in play in the confirmation of Judge Roberts to see what may happen also with Ms. Meirs.

Hope and fear

It is not yet clear exactly where he stands on many issues, but some senators fearhim, while others have great hopes for him.

Generally, the senators who favor abortion and homosexual marriage, fear Judge Roberts. They believe he will overturn decisions that have led to the death of millions of unborn children.   The pro-life senators generally support judge Roberts, hoping he will protect human life and promote solid values.

Big stakes

But this was not just a question of personal preferences and intuitions of particular senators. The media, the Church, and many others also confirm that the stakes are high. They know that the basic moral direction of our country is in play here. They are right. Supreme Court judgments affect all Americans, for better or for worse.

Dreadful decision

About 150 years ago, there was a dramatic case brought before our Supreme Court. It was about slavery. A black slave from the southern United States (where slavery was legal at the time) had escaped to the North, and was therefore free. Nevertheless, his former owner found him, and demanded he be brought back into slavery. The case was brought before the Supreme Court. The slave’s name was Dred Scott. Mr. Scott lost that decision. He was made a slave again, by decision of the Supreme Court.

Changing dread to freedom

Most Christians in the North were horrified at the decision, even though the Court claimed it was done legally. These Christians, members of other faiths, and even those who did not believe in God insisted more tenaciously over the next years that the words of our Declaration of Independence “…that all men are created equal…” guaranteed the right of Mr. Scott and all slaves to be free. They helped to elect members of the government who agreed with these moral principles . A man named Abraham Lincoln, who favored freedom for all, was elected president. There was a terrible civil war. But the result was the Emancipation Proclamation , giving freedom to the slaves.

Protecting basic freedoms requires moral courage . Our court system also needs people who possess moral courage.

New drama

In 1973 the Supreme Court of the United States made another stunning decision. Its consequences were even more dreadful: the Court ruled that a mother has a right to kill her unborn child. This decision ( Roe vs. Wade ) has deeply divided our country ever since, and has been followed by a series of decisions that have made many Americans and the Catholic Church extremely worried about the moral direction of our country.

Life, death, and bottle deposits?

In the debate about present moral issues such as abortion, homosexual marriage and prayer in public, both sides claim to be protecting the basic rights of others. Some call for a middle ground or a series of concessions . Yet what is in play is so radical that a middle ground is not possible.

We can use the example of abortion. We find that one side (the pro-abortion side) says that a woman always has the right to an abortion. The other side (the pro-life side) says that a baby always has a right to life.  

Other issues, like whether a state may require cash deposits on bottles or how high to raise gas taxes, may be negotiable, and can be discussed in our legal system, but the life of a baby does not have a “middle-ground.” Once someone decides he or she can kill, we are all in danger. A society without basic moral values is in danger of killing itself.

Slogan slugging

We have seen a lot of slogans flying around in these hearings. But slogans can sometimes destroy serious thought. One slogan that was often heard is “a woman’s right to choose.”

The Church sees this phrase, “a woman’s right to choose,” as a slogan for selfishness. This is a way to say that unborn babies can be killed. No woman would really want to choose this. What would be needed is ways to help women accept their babies and be respected.

When protecting moral values, a society has to look to something other than selfishness. It has to look deeper. Selfishness made abortion possible.  

For those who go deeper than slogans, it is clear that the conflict between the culture of life and the culture of death is in play in our Supreme Court. As confusing as the debate may sometimes become, it must be clear to us that, in basic moral issues, there is a right and wrong.

Catholics need not apply

Mr. Roberts is a Catholic. Ms. Miers is a Protestant Christian. The Catholic Church has clearly and always stood in favor of life--not just now, but throughout history.

Many of the dramatic issues that the Supreme Court faces (abortion, euthanasia, protection of marriage) were things Christians faced 2,000 years ago. Little by little, and in spite of persecutions, Christians were able to change bad practices in society and help others see the value of solid moral principles. They eventually convinced their leaders to create laws that protected solid moral principles.   As a result, society became more humane.

Today there are loud voices in the Senate and in our culture that claim a Catholic or Protestant Christian who defends moral principles has no right to be a judge, because he or she will “impose their beliefs” on others. But the Catholic argument is simple. It is not a matter of making someone believe in the specific things of our religion. For example, we are not trying to make non-Catholics believe that Jesus in really present in the sacrament of the Eucharist. It is simply a matter of fundamental values, which all people of good will can appreciate.

We do not know if Judge Roberts will defend these moral principles by the means allowed to him as Chief Justice. Nor do we know what Ms. Miers will do if she too is confirmed. But we can hope and pray that they will do this. If they do, we can also make their work easier by increasing public awareness of the fundamental values that make our society stand firm.

Not there yet

Mr. Roberts has just been approved, in spite of this very dramatic debate.

If Judge Roberts does favor life in his decisions, there are still two more rounds to win, and round two has already begun.

The second nominee, Ms. Meirs, could be even more crucial in swinging the Court in favor of life. So far there is even less known about her stand on these issues. If Judge Roberts and Ms. Miers do hold that a child’s right to life is protected in our founding documents, a third pro-life judge would still be needed to overturn the 1973 abortion decision.

Jesus once said that “the children of darkness are more astute than the children of light.” He meant that the laziness and apathy of Christians can be the reason evil grows in the world. We must work peacefully but tenaciously to create a culture of life in our government and in our society. Many people are doing this. Will you join in?

Bible Blurbs

“Then the Lord asked Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” He answered, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” The Lord then said: “What have you done! Listen: your brother’s blood cries out to me from the soil!” Genesis 4:9-10

“…and from man in regard to his fellow man I will demand an accounting for human life.” Genesis 9:5

“There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’ For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her…” Luke 8: 2-5

Pope Quotes

“…without an objective moral grounding not even democracy is capable of ensuring a stable peace, especially since peace which is not built upon the values of the dignity of every individual… frequently proves to be illusory…”
(Pope John Paul II, The Gospel of Life, no. 70)
“ … we are facing an enormous and dramatic clash between good and evil, death and life, the “culture of death” and the “culture of life”. ..we are all involved and we all share in it, with the inescapable responsibility of choosing to be unconditionally prolife.
(Pope John Paul II, The Gospel of Life, no. 27)

Other Church Teaching:

“Those who would view the moral duty of Christians as something that disqualifies them from political life … would be guilty of a form of intolerant secularism.”
(Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, The Gift of Life, no. 7)

Saints and Heroes

A Lawyer Martyr

ANACLETO GONZALEZ FLORES:
Anacleto was a lawyer and a father. He was born in Mexico in 1888. He was the son of poor farmers who had a strong faith, and he worked his way through law school As an educated Catholic, he saw the need to help evangelize his fellow Catholics better and have them teach the faith to others. For this reason he founded the Popular Union, a movement of laborers, women, and farmers. As head of Popular Union, he activated these lay Catholics to be teachers of the faith. In the secular scene he helped to organize very large public gatherings which promoted faith and family values and protested against government abuses. From 1918 and during the 1920’s the Mexican government organized a fierce persecution of the Catholic faith. Anacleto repeatedly insisted that his organization and all fellow Catholics not use violence. Still, he was a marked man. On April 1, 1927 he was visiting two of his cousins. Government police erupted into the home and demanded to know where the archbishop of Guadalajara was hiding. (Anacleto and his cousins were good friends with the archbishop.) The three refused to collaborate. They were arrested and tortured, but they would not disclose the archbishop’s whereabouts. At the end, they were lined up at a wall and shot. Anacleto’s last words were, “I die. But God does not die! Long live Christ the King!” This November he will be officially declared “Blessed” by the Church in an Mass in Guadalajara, Mexico.

A Protectress of Faith and Rights

QUEEN ISABEL “THE CATHOLIC” OF SPAIN:
Born in 1451, Isabel was proclaimed queen of Castile in 1474. Along with her husband, King Ferdinand, she fought ardently to keep her courts and her country faithful to the faith. Like any political fi gure, some of her decisions were and are controversial, but she strove ardently to inform herself and do the right thing. She is called the “Evangelizer of the New World” because she strongly promoted and inspired many missionaries to bring Christianity to the newly discovered Americas. During this time of the discovery of the Americas she was also confronted with the desire of the adventurers (“conquistadores”) to make the Indians their servants and slaves. She strictly forbade the enslavement of the Indians. When Columbus himself gave an Indian as a personal servant to each of his men, Isabel intervened: “Who authorized my admiral to dispose of my subjects in this manner?” and she sent them all back home to America. She also promoted the legal document that recognized the rights of the Indians. Even though her indications were often ignored by the adventurers, she continued to do all in her power to defend the native Americans from exploitation.

Vocabulary

PROTAGONIST: Someone who is an active, important player in an event or competition
HOPE: looking forward to something good. Anticipation of something desirable.
MORAL DIRECTION: Way in which a society is headed in relation to right and wrong.
BELIEVE: Hold fast. Trust in something or someone.
TENACIOUSLY: Holding fast in spite of great diffi culties.
MORAL PRINCIPLES: basic right and wrong. Usually the Ten Commandments is the best example of moral principles.
EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION: Legal decree made by President Abraham Lincoln which gave freedom to all slaves in the United States.
MORAL COURAGE: Bravery in living and defending good values.
RADICAL: Basic; at the very starting point; dramatic; no room for confusion
CONCESSION: Giving in
SELFISHNESS: Keeping things for yourself.
ASTUTE: Clever, smart
LAZINESS: Sickness that all teenagers have (according to their parents). Symptoms tend to become particularly acute when they have to clean up their room or do homework.
APATHY: Lack of interest; boredom

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Why is the nomination of new justices now so hotly contested in the U.S. Senate and in our country? What “hot topics” does the Supreme Court have to deal with today? Why are some of these so divisive for the country? Are some of these issues worth fighting for? Which ones? Why?
2. Are the reasons that the Catholic Church opposes abortion merely religious reasons? What are some of those reasons? Can people who are not Catholic also understand them?
3. One example of the difference between a specifically Catholic teaching and a teaching about basic right and wrong was mentioned. Do you remember what it was? Can you give other examples of some specific teachings that the Catholic Church does not demand that others follow?
4. What is the difference between proposing and imposing? Do Catholics and the Catholic Church impose its values on society?

Resources:

Power of the President to appoint Supreme Court Justices

The Judiciary: Article III of the U.S. Constitution

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Document highlighting the duties of Catholics in Political Life, June 2004

Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith: Doctrinal Note on some questions regarding the Participation in Political Life, November 2002

Podcast of Supreme Court Nomination hearings

You may have noticed all the buzz after all the votes were counted in our recent election. News reporters wanted to know what factors had turned the tide in President Bush’s favor. So they turned to the exit pollsters, the people who question voters about their views once they leave the voting area.

The news people expected voters’ top priority to be either the war against terrorism or the job market. Instead — to nearly everyone’s surprise — it was “moral values” that topped the exit polls as “the issue that mattered most” in the election.

What Was Different This Time?

There have been serious moral issues at stake in other elections, but this time many more people took this into account. The high turn-out of voters in this election also seems to suggest that more people were concerned about the issues involved.

One reason seemed to be the concern many people have about preserving the sanctity of marriage. Protection of marriage was on the ballot in eleven states, and in every one of these states it won by a vast majority. This issue surely gave the voters another reason to pause and consider each candidate’s positions on moral issues.

Another moral issue that people seemed to notice more this time was the attitude of the candidates toward pro-life issues.

A Chance to Help

Nevertheless, the issue of moral values was only a relative winner among the five priorities polled, not an absolute winner. 22% said it was the decisive factor, not 51%. If we are concerned about moral values, it is clear we still have much work to do. Young people have a key role in this work, since so much of popular culture is addressed to them, but we need to understand better what is at stake in order to take a stand ourselves.

What are moral values, really? And, when two people disagree on what makes one choice moral and another immoral — as so many did disagree in the presidential election — how can we know whose values are truly the most moral?

Right vs. Wrong

One definition of the word morality is “in accord with the principles of right and wrong.”

Another way to state that thought might be: Moral values are the deeply held beliefs that guide us when we need to decide whether it would be right or wrong to do something —or not do something.

It might help to illustrate the difference between a moral act and an immoral act by comparing two incidents that were recently in the news.

Morality Rocks

Last spring, a young lady from Redmond, Washington, wrote a short letter to the business executives who run Nordstrom department stores. Her name is Ella Gunderson, and she was concerned because she had a hard time finding modest clothing choices in their stores.

Ella wrote: “I am an eleven-year-old girl who has tried shopping at your store for clothes (in particular jeans), but all of them ride way under my hips, and the next size up is too big and falls down. I see all of these girls who walk around with pants that show their belly button and underwear. Your clerks suggest that there is only one look. If that is true, then girls are supposed to walk around half-naked. I think you should change that.”

A lot of local and even national publicity followed, including an appearance on NBC’s “Today Show” with Katie Couric. The most exciting development came when the Nordstrom executives promised to offer more modest clothing than in years past —leading other large retail-store chains to make the same pledge.

That’s a pretty impressive accomplishment for an 11-year-old girl.

From Ella’s experience, it’s easy to identify two ways her moral values made a positive difference in her life.

First, she said “No” to the immodest clothing choices she found when she went to the store. Simply by refusing to purchase the clothes, she made a moral choice.

Then she said “Yes” to doing something to change the situation. It might not have seemed like much to write a short letter, but just look at the results that followed from that one small, morality-based decision.

Immorality Rankles

Contrast Ella’s choices in a tricky situation with a choice made by Terrell Owens, the talented wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles who has become one of the most popular stars in the National Football League.

On Monday, November 15, just before the start of ABC’s Monday Night Football game between the Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys, Terrell appeared in a promotional advertisement for ABC’s racy soap opera “Desperate Housewives.”

In the ad, Terrell is in the locker room in his Eagles uniform, about to run out for the start of the game. Suddenly Nicollette Sheridan, an actress on the “Desperate Housewives” show, approaches him. Wearing only a bath towel, she tries to talk him into staying there with her rather than joining his team on the field. When he explains that he has a duty to his team, she jumps into his arms. With that, Owens changes his mind. “The team’s going to have to win one without me,” he says with a smirk.

Time to Speak Up

In the days after the ad ran, there was quite an outcry from the general public and from some influential people in the NFL. “When we turn on ‘Monday Night Football,’ you’re expecting to see football,” said Tony Dungy, head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. “I want my boys to watch football. I don’t want them to see what they saw.”

Lovie Smith, head coach of the Chicago Bears, added: “I’m a father. I have young kids at home, too. I’m a Christian man. I think it goes without saying that what happened was totally inappropriate.”

And Art Rooney, president of the Pittsburgh Steelers, called the promotion an “out and out disgrace. This is NFL football. We don’t do those things.”

Did he miss something?

For his part, Terrell seemed surprised at the moral outrage the ad provoked. He apologized — but not because he agreed that the ad was morally wrong. He said he was sorry only because some people felt upset about it. “I felt like it was clean,” he said. “I think it just really got taken out of context with a lot of people and I apologize for that.”

In other words, he believed the problem lay not in what he had done, but only in how people had reacted to it. This would be like smashing a neighbor’s window, on purpose — and then, when the neighbor came out and yelled at you, you say you were sorry about upsetting him even though you saw nothing wrong in what you did to his window.

You could say that this attitude points out that Terrell’s moral compass is malfunctioning. He doesn’t have a clear understanding of what is right and wrong. His moral values are not consistent with the full truth about God and man.

Tough Enough

Standing up for moral values takes courage. To clarify the morality (or lack thereof) of the choice Terrell made, let’s imagine he refused to make the ad or insisted on making the ad in a different way. Imagine if he insisted on telling Nicollette:

“I’m sorry, Nicollette, but I can’t do that. First, you are not my wife. Second, I have a job to do. Third, many kids who look up to me are watching.”

In other words

“It is morally wrong for two people to be intimate when they are not married to one another.

“I have a duty to my coach, my teammates, our fans and everyone tuning in on TV. It’s morally wrong to shirk my duties to others in order to satisfy my selfish desires.

“Being a man implies a responsibility. I have a duty to encourage people, especially young people, to be the best they can be — not to live an immoral and destructive lifestyle.”

Imagine if, after saying that, he turned away from Nicollette and ran out to the field to join his teammates. The ABC network would still have been morally wrong to show a scantily clad woman on TV, especially one who acted the way Nicollette acted with Terrell, but at least Terrell could have held his head high.

Terrell and ABC, you just lost a chance to help people.

The Conscience Clause

Have you ever heard a car alarm go off? It buzzes, it whistles, it screeches like a fire alarm. Your conscience is like that. It should go off when you are about to do something you know to be wrong in all circumstances (such as vote for a political candidate who strongly supports the right of people to destroy unborn babies).

But your conscience does not decide all by itself what is right or wrong. In order for it to guide you to doing the right thing, it has to be formed, because sometimes we can make mistakes, even big ones, especially when things get confusing. Only when your conscience has learned objective right from wrong will it be able to function as a reliable moral compass.

Proclaiming Morality

God does not leave us alone to be fooled by our selfishness or the passing fads. He puts his natural moral law into our consciences, and he further helps us with his teaching and grace.

Ever since God became man in the person of Jesus Christ, He has called on the Catholic Church to courageously stand up for what is moral and right in human society — and stand against what is immoral and wrong.

What a tremendous privilege it is to be a part of that Church — and what an awesome responsibility.

Of course, championing morality while challenging immorality won’t always make us popular. But it will always be the right thing to do, and it will always help our friends and our world find the way to real fulfillment.

It’s 2004. Do you know where your moral compass is?

Vocabulary

Duty – Conduct based on faithfulness to one’s responsibility.

Conscience — knowledge of right and wrong and the conviction that one should do what is right.

Modest — clean and proper in thought, conduct and dress.

Moral compass — a metaphor for the “internal pointer” in our heart that shows us the way to go in a situation with moral implications.

Moral values — the deeply held beliefs that guide us when we need to decide whether it would be right or wrong to do something -- or not do something.

Natural moral law — the standard of right and wrong that can be discerned using human reason and logic, even by people without religious faith or beliefs.

Priority —something coming before another in importance.

Privilege — a right or liberty granted as a favor or benefit.

Responsibility — the force that binds a person to his or her obligations; accountability.

Bible Blurbs

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

“Let no one disregard you because you are young, but be an example to all the believers in the way you speak and behave, and in your love, your faith and your purity.” (1Timothy 4:14)

“Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. (Matthew 10:16)

Catechism Quotes

1798 A well-formed conscience is upright and truthful. It formulates its judgments according to reason, in conformity with the true good willed by the wisdom of the Creator. Everyone must avail himself of the means to form his conscience.

1802 The Word of God is a light for our path. We must assimilate it in faith and prayer and put it into practice. This is how moral conscience is formed.

Saints and Heroes

St. Maria Goretti was just 12 years old in 1902, when she was attacked by a 19-year-old farm-hand named Alessandro Serenelli. He tried to rape her, but she refused to submit to his advances. She told him what he was trying to do was a sin and warned him that he would go to hell if he did not call off the attack. He stabbed her 14 times. She survived for two days in the hospital, where she forgave Alessandro and asked God to forgive him. She died holding a crucifix and a medal of the Blessed Mother. Eventually Alessandro repented of his sin and even testified at her cause for beatification.  (Note: the picture is from a movie about the life of Maria Goretti made by RAI, an Italian television network. The movie broke all records for audience numbers in Italy.)

Bishop Clemens Augustus von Galen (1878-1946).

Better known as the “Lion of Munster”. During the whole Nazi period in Germany, Bishop von Galen raised his voice in defense of the rights of the Jews, the poor, the sick, and the Church . He energetically opposed the spread of Nazi paganism.

His homilies of the summer of 1941 became famous, which brought him to the brink of being arrested and condemned to death. He will soon be beatified by the Holy Father.

Von Galen’s resistance to the Nazi euthanasia programs was kept up by other priests, among them the priest in charge of the Berlin Cathedral, Father Bernhard Lichtenberg.

Fr. Lichtenberg was arrested, tried and condemned in October 1941. He died in 1943 on the way to Dachau. John Paul II raised him to the honor of the altar on June 23, 1996.

Discussion Questions

Do you tend to view the popular culture through the eyes of the Church — or are you prone to viewing the Church through the eyes of the popular culture?

In what areas does the popular culture tend to agree with the morality of the Church? In what areas does it disagree?

What are the potential costs of “going with the flow” of the popular culture in deciding what values to live by? What are the benefits of standing with the Church’s values even when those choices make you unpopular?

Personal Reflection/Writing

One of the ways to consider the basis of our own moral values is to think about those times when it would be wrong not to do something. For example, if you came across a lost toddler in the city, it would be wrong not to help the child in whatever way you could — trying to find his mother, calling the police or whatever seemed most helpful and appropriate to the particular circumstance. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where it would have been wrong not to take some kind of action? Describe the situation. Tell what you did then, or what you now wish you had done, looking back.

Write a letter to Terrell Davis. Tell him why you think his appearance in the ABC promotion for “Desperate Wives” was wrong. Explain why it was wrong regardless of how he feels about it. Also tell about how morally loose behavior by admired sports celebrities encourages many young people to make bad decisions that can affect their lives in negative ways for years to come.

Resolution Idea

Go through your music and movie collections. See which of the recordings celebrate immorality as though it’s “cool” or “inevitable.” Consider getting rid of such recordings. With friends develop a collection of music and videos that promote courageous moral or Christian values.

Consider the TV shows you like to watch on a regular basis.  Review the programs from the eyes of morality.  (For example, does the program show non-married people in bed with each other?  If so, consider not watching this program again.

Further Formation: Catechism Tips

Conscience is man’s most secret core, and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths.

Conscience is a judgment of reason by which the human person recognizes the moral quality of a concrete act.

For the man who has committed evil, the verdict of his conscience remains a pledge of conversion and of hope.

Faced with a moral choice, conscience can make either a right judgment in accordance with reason and the divine law or, on the contrary, an erroneous judgment that departs from them.

A human being must always obey the certain judgment of his conscience.

Conscience can remain in ignorance or make erroneous judgments. Such ignorance and errors are not always free of guilt.

Quotable Quotes

“The talking heads are rushing to interpret the 2004 election as the year of the ‘values voter.’ A little skepticism is in order. Twenty-two percent of the electorate identified “moral values” as the “most important issue” shaping his or her vote. No other single issue garnered an equal or higher percentage. But that hardly yields the interpretation that values were the most important election issue. Even if we assume that the exit polls were completely accurate, the numbers do not add up to a moral-values election.

“I’d love to see the American people say with one voice that they are disgusted with the trash-mouth Hollywood types, the porn industry that invades our computers and our cable channels, the unethical businessmen, the foul reality shows, the abortion mills, kids killing kids over sneakers, the drugs, the child abuse, the shock jocks … well, I have only 750 words so I’ll stop there.

“The point is: We’ve got a long way to go before that day dawns.”

Related Websites

http://www.catholiceducation.org/ The Catholic Educator’s Resource Center, a resource clearinghouse for Catholic teachers and school administrators

http://www.heritage.org/ The Heritage Foundation, a research and education institute (a

“think tank”) stressing the principles of traditional American values

http://www.catholicyouth.org/ The Catholic Youth Foundation, a Catholic source of youth-ministry

resources

http://www.catholics-in-action.org/ Catholics In Action, a group based in Louisville, Ky., that works to restore the primacy of traditional family values:

http://www.sexnot4letters.com/ Sex Is Not A Four-Letter Word, a site of articles, testimonies and links all aimed at encouraging teens to reach for the beauty and rightness of chastity.

Introduction

There remains great debate about who was most responsible for the death of Jesus. Christians know that Jesus’ death was caused by the sin of each of us. But we also know that Christ died at one specific moment in history, and that those who lived at that time also had a part in it. They could have avoided it. We could have avoided it. We know Judas had a part in it, since he turned Jesus over to those who hated him. We know the religious leaders at the time had a part in it, since they handed him over to the Romans for crucifixion. Nevertheless, one thing is certain: Jesus was crucified because Pontius Pilate allowed it.  

Yet, Pontius Pilate personally opposed Jesus’ crucifixion; he said so several times during the course of Christ’s trial, and ultimately washed his hands of Christ’s blood before he turned him over for crucifixion.  So the question becomes: did his personal opposition to Christ’s being crucified truly absolve him of his responsibility in the matter?  Personally opposed or not, he still gave his permission for it to happen.  

Now fast-forward two thousand years to our current political climate, where our leaders must decide on many important issues- including matters of moral importance.  Since some matters are as serious as life and death, the Church has recently been reminding politicians and voters about five non-negotiable issues we must consider when choosing a candidate in the upcoming elections.  In this lesson, we will examine these non-negotiable issues, which we can call the “Big Five”: 

Abortion 

Euthanasia 

Embryonic stem cell research 

Human cloning 

Homosexual marriage  

Why so important?

Of course, Americans face more than these five issues during this election.  There are economic issues, security and world peace issues, including the war on terrorism and Iraq.  With so many pressing issues, why does the Church say these five issues are essential and non-negotiable?  The reason is that the right to life is antecedent to all other rights.

The Church is not trying to impose its religious creed on everyone. It is simply reminding Catholics and society about basic truth. The Church reminds us that these are basic human rights issues. Giving in on these issues will make our society crumble.

The first four non-negotiable, ethical issues are life-and-death issues, actions that always kill innocent human lives.  The fifth one deals with something essential for a healthy society: marriage and family.

The First Four: Life-and-Death Issues

Abortion and euthanasia are deliberate acts to terminate life in its most vulnerable stages: in the womb, and in sickness or old age.  Both are hot topics in current elections.  

Candidates fiercely debate the legality of abortion and partial-birth abortion-a procedure in which the baby is partially removed from the womb, and then killed.  The state of Oregon has approved euthanasia, but part of the federal government is challenging this. Many courts of law are dealing with the issue of the killing of the sick or elderly.

Embryonic stem cell research and a potential application of human cloning involve the manipulation and killing of human life for scientific purposes. Scientists want to use stem cells from human embryos to create healthy cells for sick people. But a human embryo is a baby at the very beginning of its life. All scientific data points to this, even though this is not obvious to the naked eye. Some scientists promote human cloning as a way to reproduce, or mass produce, healthy organs and body parts for medical use. 

Even though embryonic stem cell research and human cloning are proposed as a way to help the sick, they also involve inhuman production of human lives (manufacturing children), manipulation of these new human beings, and their destruction. Similarly, neither embryonic stem cell research nor human cloning is a proven method.  In fact, adult stem cell research has offered a positive alternative.  Nevertheless, the scientific community puts heavy pressure on elected officials to grant government money to these morally destructive pursuits.

The Fifth Issue: Protection of Marriage  

The last of the Big Five is homosexual “marriage.”  Some elected officials want government to allow and recognize the union of two people of the same sex as a marriage.  Some judges or politicians have declared homosexual marriages legal even though these decisions often disregard laws that have been enacted to protect the definition of marriage. Even though most Americans oppose legalizing same-sex marriages, a very vocal minority is gaining the sympathy of many politicians and judges. 

The Church’s Role:  Reminding about Basic Human Rights

The Church is not interested in political parties.  In this case it is interested only in helping us distinguish between right and wrong.  That is why it offers guidance also during election years, when we face the responsibility of choosing legislative leaders.  The Church has always confirmed the importance of certain basic ethical values, even when doing so has made it very unpopular, and has even lead to persecution.

Right to Life

Abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem-cell research and human cloning all result in the deliberate ending of human life. They go against the most basic human right: the right to life. 

Some argue that embryos are not human beings, but consider this: either the embryo is a human being or it is not.  If it is not, then it should not become a child and then an adult. To use a simple example: a human embryo will definitely not grow into a cabbage or a kitten. From the moment of conception, a human embryo has all the elements necessary for its full development. Saying that it only becomes a human life after a certain amount of cell multiplication is arbitrary, and contradicts the facts. The embryo becomes a human life because it already is a human life. 

As discussed above, this is not just a faith issue. Even though as Christians we know that these things directly violate the Fifth Commandment, “You shall not kill”, every human being is capable of understanding that killing innocent human beings is gravely wrong, whether he believes in God or not. Only selfishness and superficialness can make someone deny this.  

That is why the Church is very clear when it speaks on these issues.  Abortion is a “moral evil” and this teaching is unchangeable (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2271).  Euthanasia is “morally unacceptable” and “constitutes a murder” (CCC, 2277).

Likewise, human cloning and embryonic stem cell research violate human dignity because they involve creating, manipulating, and oftentimes the killing of human embryos solely for research.  “It is immoral to produce human embryos intended for exploitation as disposable biological material” (CCC, 2275).  The reason is that a newly formed embryo carries all the genetic material the person will ever need during his or her entire life.  A new human being is there- just not in the form that is obvious to the naked eye. Therefore, any attempt to manipulate the embryo or genetic material is the manipulation or destruction of a human being.

Respect for Marriage

In regards to homosexual “marriage,” the Church has always upheld and defended the sanctity of marriage as an intimate union between a man and a woman. In marriage, a lot is at stake: the psychological and physical health of the spouses, the psychological and physical health of children, and the virtues that spouses and children will live in society. The health of society depends tremendously on the health of marriage and the family.  

There are real consequences for everyone when marriage is called something it is not. It promotes a culture of deception and moral confusion.  The very things that give society stability will be considered optional, and eventually will be despised. Calling homosexual unions marriage will promote a lack of respect for the essential things in real marriage. 

These essential things in marriage, such as the sexual complementarity of the man and woman and the openness to the proper conception and education of children, work for the good of society and he good of children. They are an indispensable help for deeper happiness, maturity, and fulfillment of the husband and wife, and especially for the healthy formation of children. Every child has a right to a true father and mother, and a real family.

While the Church acknowledges some persons may have an attraction to other persons of the same sex, it is firm in its teaching: “Homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered…contrary to natural law” (CCC, 2357).  Homosexual persons are called to abstaining from sexual acts that go against the correct use of their sexual faculties, as every Christian person is.

The Church never tells people who to vote for, but it continues to educate and inform voters on matters of moral importance.

Election 2004

While the Church does not endorse either candidate in the current presidential election, its guidance helps us compare and contrast their views on the Big Five issues.  

	President Bush	Senator Kerry
Abortion	Signed into law a ban on partial-birth abortion ban and signed the Unborn Victims of Violence Act  Appointed several federal pro-life judges  Has repeatedly stated he wants to promote a culture of life. Stated many times that a compassionate country should have room for all human beings, including the unborn.	Voted six times against the ban on partial birth abortions  Voted in favor of using tax dollars to fund abortions Voted against Unborn Victims of Violence Act Voted against the appointment of pro-life judges Promised to appoint only pro-abortion judges
Euthanasia	The Bush Administration challenged Oregon’s assisted-suicide law in court	Claims he is personally opposed to assisted-suicide, but would not challenge any state’s law regarding it
Embryonic  Stem-Cell Research	Blocked federal funding on new embryonic stem-cell research	Promises to end the President’s block on funding for embryonic stem-cell research
Human cloning	Regards human cloning as “morally wrong” and called for a ban on it	Voted against a ban on human cloning and even introduced his own bill to make it legal
Homosexual “Marriage”	Supports a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman	Voted against the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996 and then against allowing even a debate on the proposed marriage amendment

A fundamental difference in the candidates is the role they give their faith when making decisions.  President Bush, a born-again Christian, believes strongly that his faith should influence his decisions.  Senator Kerry, though a professed Roman Catholic, believes his faith should not influence the way he votes as a politician.  He has said many times that he is personally opposed to certain issues, but would not impose his personal beliefs on others. 

Other Elected Officials  

In this election many other political positions are also being filled. One third of U.S. senators face election. All the members of the House of Representatives will be chosen. Many state and local officials will be elected. All these positions are important in defending these five non-negotiable issues. A responsible citizen will promote candidates in all these positions who defend human life and the family, since our society is affected by the laws that are proposed, enforced, and interpreted by all levels of the government. Of course national positions have more universal effect, but state and local levels are also essential in promoting and protecting a culture of life and a culture of respect for marriage and family. In addition, most national politicians and judges start first at a local level.

Vices and Virtues in the Political Process

In a perfect world, the sound moral judgments of voters would put moral leaders in office.  Unfortunately, certain negative factors can affect the outcome of an election.  One is the deceit and confusion that occurs when politicians give false information about issues or are not clear with us about where they really stand.  News media can sometimes add to this problem. Voters must show discernment when choosing a candidate.  Discernment is figuring out which issues are the most important, based on what is right and wrong, then prioritizing them accordingly. 

Another negative factor is moral cowardice on part of politicians.  Even if politicians are convinced of the right thing, it is difficult for them to stand up for it.  This leaves voters with imperfect or poor options when going to the polls.  It takes moral courage to stand up for what is right, both as a politician and as a supporter.  When a candidate shows strong moral values, we should do all we can to support him or her.  Sometimes this takes a spirit of initiative and networking for essential causes.  An example of this is a campaign by Catholic Answers, an apologetics organization, for national distribution of a voter’s guide outlining the Big Five issues.  They advertised the guide in full-page ads in a national newspaper and on radio stations in order to reach the most people.

Voters may also hinder the political process by way of their laziness and indifference.  Either they do not make the effort to inform themselves properly on the candidates’ true positions or they do not vote because they think their effort will not amount to anything.  In fact, little more than half of all eligible voters actually vote.  Victory, however, results from tenacity and action.  The beauty of democracy is that it rests in our hands.  It is our responsibility to make our government a reflection of truth.

Get Involved 

Some say the Church has no place in politics, but there is more than politics involved in an election.  The Church has a duty to educate consciences on moral matters, just as lay people have a responsibility to spread Gospel values in the secular world.  Many times during his pontificate, Pope John Paul II has reaffirmed this vocation to evangelize by reminding us, “Be not afraid.”  

While we do not have the right to impose our beliefs on others, we have a right and a duty to propose the truth to them.  Truth has a special power because it makes sense, like the difference between life and death.  It also carries a special grace, as God uses it to convert hearts and minds.  

The good news is that young people today are more pro-life and pro-family than in the very recent past. And we don’t have to be over 18 to have an impact.   Often “campaigning” done by young people such as discussing these issues with friends and family, can make a huge impact. Ignorance is the greatest enemy to truth.  We can make a difference by educating others on the importance of the Big Five issues and the stance that candidates take on them.  Begin by understanding theses issues ourselves, and then we can find effective ways to help others understand them. 

Let’s keep in mind that our efforts to educate others on these issues cannot end with these elections. The Holy Father has called young people to be active protagonists in promoting a culture of life and in spreading the Good News about marriage and family. He believes deeply in young people. We need to remember, however, that people are won over by charity in proposing the truth and by respect for their free will.  

Vocabulary

Human Embryo- A human life in the earliest stage of human development.  

Discernment-Wisdom and judgment in determining the moral importance of issues or problems and prioritize them accordingly. 

Moral Courage-Facing and dealing with what is important without withdrawing when it is dangerous or difficult. The virtue that helps us put into action and defend essential values, especially when they are contrary to popular opinion

Initiative-Personal capacity for thinking up and carrying out a positive action. Ability to think and act without being urged or obligated

Networking- Making the most of one’s personal relationships to spread information and inspire action

Apologetics- The art of using reason and knowledge to defend one’s faith. Explaining the specifically Christian faith to non-Christians and explaining the Catholic faith to non-Catholics 

Tenacity- Endurance, strength, persistence. Holding fast to ideals and actions. Opposite of laziness. 

Arbitrary- depending on individual discretion (as of a judge) and not fixed by standards, rules, or law

Antecedent- something that precedes- or comes before- something else

Complementarity- the state of filling up or completing; supplying mutual needs or offsetting mutual lacks   

Bible Blurbs

“I have set two things before you: life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life.  (Deuteronomy 30:19)

 “What you did you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.”  Mt. 25: 45

“No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lamp stand so that those who enter may see the light. (Luke 8:16)

“…for if these things are done when the wood is green what will happen when it is dry?” (Luke 23:31)

For the children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light.’ (Luke 16:8)

Saints and Heroes

White Rose Martyrs (1942)

As Hitler’s Nazi party consumed Germany and threatened the rest of the free world, a group of university students in Munich decided to educate the German public about what was taking place.

Hans Scholl, a medical student, was a natural leader with a charismatic personality.  His sister, Sophie, was intelligent and gutsy, never backing down from the truth.  With fellow students Christoph Probst, Willi Graf, and Alexander Schmorell, they formed the White Rose, an underground resistance movement against the Nazis.

Though from different religious backgrounds - Orthodox, Protestant, Catholic - the students recognized and wrote about the fundamental evils in Hitler’s plan.  They printed and distributed thousands of anti-Hitler leaflets to leaders throughout Germany.  Three of the White Rose, the Scholls and Probst, were caught passing out leaflets at the university.  At trial, when asked why she participated, Sophie proclaimed, “Somebody had to make a start!”  Hours later all three were beheaded.  Today, over 200 schools in Germany are named after the students who gave their lives to promote truth.  

Blessed Alberto Marvelli (1918-1946)

Alberto Marvelli grew up in Rimini, Italy.  A boy of great energy and determination, Alberto excelled at sports, especially cycling.  After serving in the army, Alberto became an engineer and worked for Fiat, a famous sports car manufacturer.  When the German army destroyed his hometown, he returned to help the people left injured, homeless, and hungry.  He traveled all over by bicycle delivering food, clothing, and medicine.  Once, he sent the windowpanes of his own house to a sick priest whose house was without windows.

His tireless works of charity earned him such a reputation that local authorities asked him to lead the committee for rebuilding the area.  He oversaw building projects and managed large sums of money for those in need.  He made the most of his responsibilities by founding a university, soup kitchens, and an association for construction workers. 

Alberto enjoyed serving people through political action.  He became a candidate for political office in the new government.  Unfortunately, Alberto was struck by a military truck and killed on Election Day while riding his bicycle to the polling station.  Even his political enemies mourned the loss of this sincere, courageous young man.  

Discussion Questions

A. Using the Big Five guidelines, which presidential candidate, which senatorial candidates, and which candidates for the House of Representatives most support a culture of life and family?    

B. What is the difference between the Big Five and other life-and-death issues such as war and capital punishment?  (Note: Help students distinguish between situations that are “intrinsically evil” and those that prudential decisions made with certain criteria and which the Church has never said they are always intrinsically evil (Criteria for defense of society combined with respect for human life. Final decision left to the prudent judgment of “those who have responsibility for the common good”, etc.) See resources: 

Abortion: CCC 2771; Euthanasia CCC 2277; Embryonic Stem-Cell Research: CCC2275; Human Cloning: CCC2275;  Homosexual “Marriage”: CCC2357; 

Capital Punishment: CCC2266; War:  CCC2307-2317 

C. Is it possible to believe one thing but to do the opposite?  Give examples of how some politicians act this out in their political offices.  Why would a politician do this?  Is this a good characteristic to have in a leader?  

D. Some people staunchly identify themselves with a certain political party to the point of disregarding these five non-negotiable issues.  Is this a good rationale to have if one wants to be a serious Catholic voter?  

Writing Activities

A. In your journal, make a list of some things you really believe in.  Next, write what you would do if these beliefs were challenged.  Which beliefs are objective truths?  Can you prove them?  Which beliefs are your own personal opinions? Can you support them?

B.  Write down the process of discerning a political candidate’s views.

Resolution Ideas:  

1. Gather information on your local and state political candidates.  Make a bulletin board for your classroom or school delineating the candidates’ positions according to the Big Five criteria.  Make handouts available with the same information and offer them to your fellow students so they may disseminate the information.  

2. Distribute the Catholic Answers Voter’s Guide for Serious Catholics ( HYPERLINK “http://www.catholic.com” www.catholic.com) to neighbors, relatives, friends, and other Catholics.  

3. Organize a debate to encourage students to further research the moral aspects of campaign issues, and to express their own opinions to rest of the class, or to the whole school.  Explore the issues of just war and capital punishment in addition to the Big Five.

Further Formation 

From Doctrinal Note on Some Questions Regarding the Participation of Catholics in Political Life

About the Five Non-Negotiable Issues:

“When political activity comes up against moral principles that do not admit of exception, compromise or derogation, the Catholic commitment becomes more evident and laden with responsibility. In the face of fundamental and inalienable ethical demands, Christians must recognize that what is at stake is the essence of the moral law, which concerns the integral good of the human person. This is the case with laws concerning abortion and euthanasia (not to be confused with the decision to forgo extraordinary treatments, which is morally legitimate). Such laws must defend the basic right to life from conception to natural death. In the same way, it is necessary to recall the duty to respect and protect the rights of the human embryo. Analogously, the family needs to be safeguarded and promoted, based on monogamous marriage between a man and a woman, and protected in its unity and stability in the face of modern laws on divorce: in no way can other forms of cohabitation be placed on the same level as marriage, nor can they receive legal recognition as such.” (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, , November 24, 2002, number 4)

From The Catechism of the Catholic Church 

About discernment, prudence, justice, and fortitude:

1835 Prudence disposes the practical reason to discern, in every circumstance, our true good and to choose the right means for achieving it. 

1806 …With the help of this virtue (prudence) we apply moral principles to particular cases without error and overcome doubts about the good to achieve and the evil to avoid.  

1836 Justice consists in the firm and constant will to give God and neighbor their due. 1837 Fortitude ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good.

  “All sinners were the authors of Christ’s Passion … the Church does not hesitate to impute to Christians the gravest responsibility for the torments inflicted upon Jesus.  (Catechism of the Catholic Church number 598)

 ”…This Biblical language does not mean that those who handed him over were merely passive players in a scenario written in advance by God.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church number 599)

 “No ideology can erase from the human spirit the certainty that marriage exists solely between a man and a woman…”( Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Note on Legal Recognition to Unions of Homosexual Persons, November 24, 2002, number  2)

 “Society owes its continued survival to the family, founded on marriage.”  (Note on Legal Recognition to Unions of Homosexual Persons, number

 “Legal recognition of homosexual unions or placing them on the same level as marriage would mean… making it a model in present-day society..(and) would also obscure basic values which belong to the common inheritance of humanity.”(Note on Legal Recognition to Unions of Homosexual Persons, number 11)

This past summer the Olympics gave us the opportunity to watch some of the greatest athletes in the world achieve success in a wide variety of sports. Many stood in the spotlight for their extraordinary athletic talents, and shone for the virtues they exhibited under pressure. One of these men, Jason Read of the United States men’s rowing team, had already demonstrated a great confidence and faith in himself in the September 11th rescue squad. However, the Olympics challenged him to take a step higher, to a deeper faith and confidence in God rather than himself.

The greatest day of this athlete’s life was not the day he lead his eight-man rowing team to win the Olympic gold. He had already celebrated a golden day in the Easter Vigil Mass of 2002 when he became Catholic. As the pacesetter at the head of the first-place team, Jason Read not only crossed the finish line first, but set an example of faith for all to follow.

The beginning of the training

In eighth grade, Read became interested in the powerful sport of rowing, and worked hard to play even though everyone thought he was too small to be a competitive rower. As an adult, he is only 6’1″, and weighs 180 lbs, while most rowers are bigger and heavier, but he has faith in himself: “I hate to lose, no matter what the endeavor. I will do everything in my power to win. Most of my rowing competition presupposes that because I’m small, I somehow won’t be able to beat them. You must have confidence in your skills and continually strive towards reducing or eliminating your own weaknesses.”

The terrorist attack of September 11th

Also as a young teenager, Read became interested in giving his time to help others, and volunteered with the Hopewell, New Jersey Fire Department at age 14. Two years later he was an emergency medical technician, and at 21 became the youngest person in his state to be chief of the rescue squad.

Only one hour outside Manhattan, Read’s life changed completely on September 11, 2001. He received one of the first calls after the first plane hit the Twin Towers, and raced to a command post to help coordinate 800 rescue workers, set up a field hospital, and finally go personally to Ground Zero to free the victims trapped below.

Along with many other 9/11 heroes Read worked for five days straight, stopping only once to sleep for eight hours at a hotel. He explains how this was possible: “In the face of entire shifts of firefighters killed in a matter of seconds, there was hope we would find people alive. Hope we would bring joy to a family that had loved ones missing. That kind of tenacity and gumption enabled many of the rescuers to work for days and days without sleep.”

The experience was so strong that Jason began to take a look at the meaning of his life on earth. What was the purpose of everything that he was doing, if he would not live forever? What was waiting for him after his death? “I had a sense of apathy about all things in the world that had meant so much to me,” he said, “Did I want to row anymore? Did I want to be chief of a volunteer rescue squad? What did it mean? All those people had been killed. Game over. Mortality became reality in a matter of seconds.”

The decision to become Catholic

Read already had a strong faith in himself, but now he knew that he needed a stronger faith in God. Even though he was not Catholic, the day after returning from Ground Zero he went to Mass. “It was emotional and revitalizing,” he said, “I prayed very hard -for the first time in my life.”

Father Tom Mullelly, chaplain of the Olympic rowing center at Princeton University, had been a friend of Jason’s. Now he helped the athlete in his search for a deeper faith. That next Easter, Jason experienced the hope of a real resurrection. He described this day as “one of the happiest days of my life. Fellowship, becoming Catholic as an adult and my uncanny ability to be relentlessly optimistic no matter how tumultuous and ugly life can be helped bring me back to life.” The confidence he had in himself had been shaken when he realized that he was not going to live forever, but it was replaced by something more steady, a confidence in God.

Family also played a key role of support, and Jason’s younger brother, Gunther, was baptized along with him. Jason’s faith became real and active in helping him live these relationships in a better way. “I’m a better brother, uncle and son. Now I understand how precarious life can be, how quickly things can change. And I am grateful for each and every moment.”

Victory on all fields

This spiritual victory went hand in hand with athletic success, and Read began to win medals and championships till the moment he earned the key seat in the Olympic team. However, even though he and his team’s victory is also the fruit of tremendous dedication and effort, Jason, like many other Olympic athletes, is grateful to God for his successes in sports. This does not mean that God makes some athletes win and the others lose. “Although prayer does not guarantee victory, it helps players put things in perspective and do all for God’s glory and not just their own” says Fr. Kevin Lixey, L.C. of the new Vatican sports department, “The virtue of gratitude, by which we recognize that all good things come from God, is both an act of humility as well as of praise and adoration.”

Jason was awarded the U.S. Rowing’s Man of the Year Award, but more important than what he did was why he did it. Before, he was rowing for himself, after his experience at Ground Zero and at the foot of Christ’s cross he learned to row for something besides himself. He rows for love of the sport, for love of his country, and for love of God who gave him the talents of an athlete. “After 9/11, I changed my approach to rowing. I no longer was fueled by vengeance and anger to beat other crews. My desire was to become the absolute best rower for America.” St. Paul says “Run so as to win (1 Corinthians 9:24),” but also emphasizes that any activity we do, if it is without love, is empty. Jason mastered both aspects, driving his team to win the gold while doing it not for himself, but for God.

Bible Blurbs

• “I do not think of myself as having reached the finish line. I give no thought to what lies behind but push on to what is ahead. My entire attention is on the finish line as I run toward the prize to which God calls me-life on high in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14
• “Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’” John 11:25-26
• “I myself am the living bread come down from Heaven. If anyone eats this bread he shall live forever.” John 6:51
• “Do you not know that in a  all the  , but only one gets the prize?  in such a way as to get the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:24

Saints and Heroes

Pope John Paul II

As a young man he had the dream of becoming a teacher, a writer, and an actor, but God had a bigger plan. During the tragic events of World War II and after the death of his father he felt the call to be a priest. His dedication and faith have eventually led him, to his own surprise, to be called to be a bishop, cardinal, and also the Pope, the visible head of our Catholic Church. He has often been called “God’s athlete” because of the millions of miles he has traveled to encourage his brothers in the faith in every part of the world, and because neither an assassination attempt nor numerous illnesses have stopped his efforts. During his time as our Holy Father he has helped in the fall of Communism, created the World Youth Days, and inspired thousands of young men to become priests. His deepest purpose is the new evangelization of the modern world. His rallying cry is: “Be not afraid!”

Edel Quinn

Born in Ireland. After a happy childhood she felt the call to be a contemplative nun, but the death of her mother obliged her to help care for her family for a number of years. Then tuberculosis (a sickness of the lungs) made it impossible for her to enter the convent. Nevertheless she consecrated herself privately to God and became very active in door-to-door evangelization in the poorest neighborhoods of Dublin through an organization called the Legion of Mary. In spite of her poor health she insisted with the leaders of the Legion of Mary that she wanted to go to Africa to spread this good work. She eventually received permission and worked tirelessly in as a lay missionary in spite of her poor and failing health. Her dedication and love resulted in much success in that continent.

Vocabulary

Confidence: Firm belief, trust

Faith: (In self) Confidence that one can do a good job.
(In God) Personal relationship with God. Trust in God’s love and readiness to do God’s will

Hope: (Human hope) Belief that what one desires can happen
(Theological hope) Confidence in God’s gift of eternal life, Confidence in God’s mercy

Humility: Freedom from pride and arrogance. A modest estimate of one’s own worth

Tenacity: Ability to persevere in the midst of difficulties

Fellowship: Friendship and encouragement of others with the same values. Christian friendship

Gratitude: Thankfulness. Ability to honor the help of God and others

Discussion Questions

1. What are the different moments when this story speaks about hope? Are they different kinds of hope? What are some examples of the difference between hope in other people, and hope in God?
2. What are the different moments when this story speaks about faith? Are they different kinds of faith? What are some examples of the difference between faith in other people, and faith in God?
3. Would you say that September 11th was a tragedy for Jason, or an important moment in his life? Why? What made it either negative or positive for him?
4. Was there something deeper that Jason discovered in the faith than just a solution to death? What was it?
5. What was the difference in the way that Jason played sports before and after September 11th? What were the things that motivated him before and after?
6. When athletes thank God for their triumphs, is it because he makes them win? Does he make the other people lose? If you lose during a game, does that mean that you did not pray as hard as the other person did?
7. Jason Read became Catholic, but it was more than just a name that he called himself. How can you tell that he began to live as a real Catholic? How did he live his Catholic faith in his daily life.
8. Let’s try to pick out some the key moments that God was working in Jason’s life. Let us try to imagine how God was trying to do something to help Jason and make him into a great person. What moments can you see in his life where God was working?
9. Does receiving Christ in the Eucharist give you confidence and hope? Does it push you to be better? Why? Is the Eucharist just a symbol of God or is it something more? What more?

Writing Activities

1. Try to imagine how God is working in your life right now. What are some things that have happened recently, either big or ordinary, that might be ways God is trying to help you become a better person, student, son or daughter, friend, Christian, etc.?
2. Do you thank God for the talents and successes he has given you, or do you forget? Take some time to write a thank you letter to God, for all of the things he has done for you recently, the happy moments, and the good things he has given you.

Resolution Ideas

• In small groups, look for other inspiring cases of Olympic athletes, how they lived different virtues in their games. Write a short biography on these athletes, picking out 2-3 virtues that they demonstrate, and present it to the rest of the class. Some examples might be: Mariel Zagunis, Cesar Garcia, the Iraqi soccer team, etc.
• Go to Mass as a class, and try to imagine what it was like for Jason in that first Mass where he “prayed like he never did before.” Invite the pastor or a local priest to the class to speak moments when he has seen the power of the faith in others. Students each write a paragraph to try to answer this question: “What’s so great about your Catholic faith?”
• As a class, brainstorm ways that an athlete can give credit to God in sports (if they have the chance to say some words after the game, wearing a medal in the game, doing a team prayer before the game, giving a good example, showing joy, showing dedication in training, congratulating and encouraging others, using good language, etc.). If there are enough students on one of the school sports teams, encourage them to start a trend in the team to remember to ask God’s help and thank him for the successes he brings.

Web Resources

More information on Olympic athletes:

http://www.usatoday.com

http://www.nbcolympics.com/index.html

Information on becoming Catholic:

http://www.ecatholic2000.com/rcia/rcia.shtml

Part I

Everyone has heard of Jessica Lynch and her bravery as a prisoner of war.  Few people, however, know the story of Pfc. Patrick Miller, whose heroism truly saved the day for Lynch and many other American soldiers.  Private Miller exhibited outstanding courage and duty while under fire in Iraq, and he continues to show great humility, befitting a true hero.

The Story

Patrick Miller did not enlist in the Army seeking glory and fame.  The 23-year-old from Valley Center, Kansas simply wanted to serve his country and earn some money to pay for an education.  Certainly, his prospect for valor did not seem likely at first.  After failing his first marksmanship test, Patrick was assigned to the 507^th Maintenance Company as a welder.  When he was sent to Iraq eight months later, he was not afraid.  As a mechanic, he thought he would be far from combat action; but circumstances proved otherwise.

Four days into the war, Private Miller found himself driving a truck at the rear of a large convoy heading toward Baghdad.  Unfortunately, a group of vehicles, including Patrick’s, fell behind the convoy and became lost.  While trying to reunite with their convoy, the group drove right into a deadly ambush of Iraqi troops.  Suddenly, a hailstorm of enemy bullets was pounding on Miller’s truck.  As he reached out to adjust his mirror, one of the bullets shattered it to pieces.  At the same time, another bullet killed one of his passengers, Pfc. Brandon Sloan.  “It just felt like a real bad war movie,” Miller recalls.  “You were actually seeing people die in front of you.”

When his truck finally lost power, Miller bailed out and ran for cover.  He first came upon an overturned Humvee, inside which lay a badly injured Jessica Lynch.  The only chance for escape, he thought, was an Iraqi dump truck parked 50 yards up the road.  He made a run for it.  According to Patrick, “All I could see was the bullets that were hitting the dirt around my feet.”

Before he reached the truck, Private Miller noticed a group of Iraqis setting up a mortar position in front of it.  They were aiming for his fellow soldiers taking cover behind him.  Though outnumbered seven to one (Rather than take off in the truck), Patrick decided to protect his friends.  Taking cover behind a nearby sand dune, he steadied his rifle.  After each shot, his gun jammed; but each time, he fixed it and shot again.  Soon, the firing stopped.  The young man who had failed at marksmanship did his job.

Part II

Courage under Fire

Private Miller’s courage was tested in that life-threatening situation.  No doubt his own fortitude contributed to his brave actions.  “Fortitude is the moral virtue that ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good… It disposes one even to renounce and sacrifice his life in defense of a just cause” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1808).  Even at great risk to his own life, Private Miller put the well being of others first.

Miller and his fellow soldiers were eventually captured by the Iraqis.  Friends and family were afraid for their safety, but Patrick was brave.  He sang American songs and told jokes.  His captors did not like it much, but his friends took courage from Private Miller’s example.  “It’s small victories that keep your hope up,” he says.  “You got to have small victories for yourself when you’re in situations like that.”

All in a Day’s Work

Although his actions were heroic, Private Miller does not think that he did anything out of the ordinary.  His courage was accompanied by a strong sense of duty.  Duty is unfailing commitment to a task, no matter how big or small.  To us, Patrick’s actions are amazing, but to him, it was simply part of his job.  “I don’t feel that I am a hero,” Miller insists, “because I feel that I was doing my job as a soldier.  I was doing what I volunteered to do.”

God has a mission for each of us.  The better we are prepared, the stronger we will respond to special challenges.  Private Miller never expected to be in such a situation, but he knew his duty and was ready to respond.  We can prepare ourselves by following through with our duties at home, at school, and with our friends.

Humility

Private Miller received the Silver Star for valor, the fourth highest honor for a soldier.  He was one of only 90 out of 150,000 soldiers to receive the award and the only one from his Company.  Circumstances have helped Miller practice humility.  Humility is the virtue that helps us recognize our equality with others and restrains our desire to rise above them.  Private Miller does not feel insulted that Jessica Lynch has received more fame, and he has not sought out media attention for himself.

Nor does Private Miller feel superior because of his own recognition.  Months later, he is back quietly working in the motor-pool at Fort Carson, Colorado.  Upon returning home, he was offered a chance to leave the Army, but turned it down, saying he didn’t want to look like a quitter.

Vocabulary

Pfc. – abbreviation of “Private, first class” the lowest rank in the U.S. armed forces

Valor – special courage or bravery

Convoy – a line of vehicles traveling toward the same destination

Fortitude - moral virtue that ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good

Duty - unfailing commitment to a task

Humility - virtue that helps us recognize our equality with others and restrains our desire to rise above them

Bible Blurbs

“Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, but humility goes before honor.”   Proverbs 18:12

“Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9

“So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’ “  Luke 17:10

“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”  John 15:13

Saints and Heros

Blessed Miguel Pro

In a time of intense religious persecutions, Miguel Pro left his home in Mexico to become a priest.  After his ordination in 1926, Miguel returned to Mexico to minister to the people there.  At that time, the open practice of religion was not allowed, but Fr. Pro felt strongly about fulfilling his duties as a priest.  Traveling by bike using various disguises, he administered the sacraments, despite the threat of death from soldiers and police.  Holding up his crucifix, he would say, “Here is my weapon.  With it along, I have no fear of anyone.”  Eventually, Fr. Pro was captured and sentenced to death.  He proclaimed, “I am ready to give my life for souls, but I want nothing for myself.  All that I want is to lead them to God.”  Facing the firing squad, he shouted his last words: “Viva Cristo Rey!”  (Spanish for “Long live Christ the King!”).

Saint Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc was a peasant girl who became a national heroine by leading the resistance to the English invasion of France in the Hundred Years War.  Her childhood was spent attending her father’s herds in the fields and learning religion and housekeeping skills from her mother. When Joan was about 12 years old, she began hearing the voices of saints, including St. Michael the Archangel.  At first, she was inspired by the simple duty to “be good and go to church regularly.”  Soon, however, she felt the saints calling her to serve her country in a greater way.  At 17, she managed an audience with King Charles and persuaded him to give her an army, which she led with much success against the invading English.  Though sustaining numerous injuries and insults, she led the French until her capture and execution in 1431.