NO Compromises!

God created man and woman.  In the mystery of life, we are each given our own crosses to bear.  Some of us are born healthy and whole (for which we should thank God) and some of us have disabilities.  Some of us succumb to disease, and suffer greatly, others live long, healthy lives.  God's culture of life places a high value on each and every one of us, whatever the state or stage of our lives is. This is the measure of God.  Consider John 9, 2-3:

His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

Jesus answered, "Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him.

Man's culture of death subjectively assesses the quality and/or importance of a life and disposes of it accordingly.  This is the measure used by our society.  This measure, however is contrary to natural law and basic human dignity; it is against God.

The cloning controversy has opened up abortion arguments again.  When does life begin?  What happens to the embryos created when attempting cloning?  Are they persons? Are they someone's property?  With the guidance of faith, these questions are easy to answer.  Every embryo is a person.  Every unsuccessful attempt ends in a person dying.  Without it, the culture of death dictates they are only things, disposable, expendable.

My mother often expresses concerns about the dignity of her life.  She is in her mid-sixties, and she has a few medical conditions which she controls well with diet, exercise and medication.  Her concern is that if her condition would deteriorate, that some unknown doctor in a hospital would decide that her life is not good enough. He would then act to "help her along" by giving her an overdose of medication or some other drastic thing.  She wants to be able to live the Gospel of Life without someone else deciding about the quality of her life for her.

In the Buffalo area, James Kopp dominates our newscasts.  He allegedly killed an Amherst doctor Barnett Slepian because of the abortions the doctor performed.  He allegedly felt justified in killing the doctor because Slepian performed abortions.  Someone who is truly Pro-Life cannot consciously condone murder.  The Bible does not have an exception clause on "Thou shall not kill."  Now that Kopp is caught, France will only extradite him if the U.S. agrees not to ask for the death penalty!  This whole dreadful situation, in all its twists and turns, truly demonstrates how this culture of death has infiltrated our society and philosophy.

The pro-abortion stance of Dr. Slepian did not diminish the value God had for his life.  The alleged murderous tendencies of James Kopp do not diminish the value God has for his life.  The state of a person's body, be it disability,  illness, or disorder, does not diminish the value God has for that person's life.  The unborn state of a child does not diminish the value God has for that child's life.

The Gospel of life is not for the faint of heart or the weak of stomach.  It is easier in our mind's eye to defend an unborn child by picturing a baby being born.  It is much more difficult to find it in our hearts to "turn the other cheek" and extend the principles of the Gospel of Life to a hardened murderer.  It is also incredibly difficult to see the suffering of our ailing loved ones without wishing it (or wanting to help it) to end.  But it is our duty as followers of Christ to live the Gospel of Life!