Diversity of Opinion
by Fred Schaeffer, SFO

Despite my own misgivings about the commencement address of President Obama at Notre Dame University, now that this speech is history, it would be a good idea to reflect on the diversity of opinion people hold on many different subjects. The Roman Catholic Church is not going to change its mind or teaching on the subject of Life, namely that life begins at conception and ends with natural death. That is a deeply ingrained belief in our Church, and as most of you know, no matter what level of compromise reached in many discussions, the Church shall NEVER compromise on the issue of Life and its teaching on this subject.

Unfortunately, not all Catholics accept the Church teaching on Life verbatim. So you're going to have a diversity of opinions as the polls have shown. This is brought out by the PEW Forum surveys and other surveys. Those who have a conservative view of the Church's teaching will not agree with those who have a more liberal view of these matters but we all know that Our Lord would want us to live together in peace. It is like any other diversity, we are one people, the human race, and despite the millions of different views on any subject, we inhabit this earth together, and must learn to live together without escalating conflicts. After all, what are conflicts that lead to wars? They are small differences that escalate into large differences because we stand on our viewpoints and we fail to compromise. Sometimes that's sound thinking, but oftentimes that gets us into more hot water.

The case in point I am thinking of, is the volatile political situations in the Middle East. The reason there isn't peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians is because political viewpoints are so entrenched that compromise seems unlikely. How Mr. Obama and Mr. Netanyahu's discussion will progress in the long run depends on who is willing to "give a little."

It is my hope that compromise can be affected in potentially explosive situations, such as Iraq, Afghanistan, and now, also Pakistan vs. Taliban. These situations, regardless who escalated the bad will that brought us to current levels are extremely dangerous to the welfare of the human species as such. So there is something to be said for seeking Common Ground. Just as different religions sometimes seek Common Ground, governments can do the same thing. But we must begin at home. There are situations crossing family and neighborhood lines that can only be resolved by careful diplomacy, otherwise these diversities will cause further harm.

Mr. Obama when he delivered the commencement address at Notre Dame University last Sunday, spoke of reaching Common Ground. There is really NO common ground possible as far as abortion itself goes, but yes, Mr. President, we can and should reach out to those women who are suffering through these heart-wrenching life decisions. But the problem is, that while many women really struggle with the moral implications of choosing between life and death, there are very many who take a much lighter attitude toward abortion, and that is scary in itself. An act of murder cannot be trivialized, it is always serious. Could I compromise on this issue? No, I cannot, because I have no desire to plunge into that inferno called "Hell" after my life is over. But it goes deeper than that. I so love Our Lord Jesus Christ, the giver or Life, that I would never even comtemplate insulting Him by wavering on my stand concerning abortion. I cannot, and I will not.

Ultimately, this is, for me, not a political issue. It is a moral imperative! Mr. Obama's speech could have been a lot worse. As it is, he did his best, but inviting him to speak at a Catholic University in the first place, seemed very unwise. It is unwise because it gives people the impression that the Catholic Church can compromise on this issue, and over time, you will see, that this is not the case. The Church isn't a democracy; it isn't run by popular opinion, rather it is run by a 2000-year history, sometimes violent to be sure, but a tradition of long-standing values beginning with Jesus Christ, whom we consider to be the Son of God. /FSS - 5/18/2009

© 2009, Fred Schaeffer, SFO