In my inaugural blog I referred to a number of factors that have lead me to attempt to do a Blog. One of the factors, the one that pushed me over the edge so to speak was the recent move by New York State and then Virginia to create an even more dangerous world for the unborn.  This latest step toward madness, yes I mean that, was for me just too much.

   We live in this world where social media, which is not always so social, has taken over as the predominate form of expression. It is a way for anyone to almost instantaneously and somewhat anonymously announce to the world what he or she thinks about anything. 

   Like me, many of you would never say some of the hate-filled things and profess to know the intentions of someone’s heart and actions to their face just as you would not do so on any of the social media platforms or on the internet in general. Others apparently do not share that hesitation to cast invective or respond with threats of violence to those who hold opposing views.  That goes for people on all sides of every argument or issue. This has led, unfortunately to folks like me being hesitant to speak up in the digital world and even in person at times. Frankly, it’s scary. Recent events like the Covington Catholic High School situation, among many, only support this ugly trend and I think the problem is not soon going away.  We have come to a place in our culture that to disagree on anything is immediately attributed to hate, or racism or some other ism.

   So where am I going here? Well I’m not writing today to defend the right of the unborn to be born. I’ll work on that a bit at time in the future. Today I focus on why those of us who have strongly held beliefs on touchy subjects like abortion, marriage and a many other things need to stop being quiet and speak up, regardless of the consequences.  To be honest many are speaking up, and we see what sometimes happens to them.  They are subject to actual physical threats and the most horrific personal attacks.

    I grew up in a time when it was said that politeness involved not bringing up politics and religion. But that time has passed. To many issues that should not have ever been political or religious have become so.  I do not see abortion as a political issue, it’s a human rights issue that screams for those who know it is wrong to stand up and say so.

   Like myself you may have strong beliefs in the sanctity of human life. Like me you may have attended the March for Life, spoken to people here or there but are rightfully guarded in how and when you speak up. 

   But lets be clear here. We now have places in this country where a child, moments from being born full term can be terminated (that would be killed).  The Govenor of Virginia spoke openly of keeping an aborted baby accidently born alive comfortable until the mother and doctors could decide what to do. This is madness.

There’s that word again, madness.  I chose that word because it reminds me of a scene from the Lord of Rings film. The scene is when Gandalf the Grey ( a Wizard, for those who know not of what I speak), confronts Saruman the Wise (another Wizard, who should know better), and realizes Saurman has sold out to evil.

Saruman: “Against the power of Mordor (hell) there can be no victory. We must join with him, Gandalf. We must join with Sauron (Satan). It would be wise, my friend.

Gandalf: Tell me, “friend”, when did Saruman the Wise abandon reason for madness?

  Then the two old guys go at it with staves in an epic fight, but I digress.

  That line has always hit me like a hammer blow each time I hear it and I think it fully explains the terrible place in which we find ourselves. Gandalf’s response was to say no, I’m not joining you, and he paid for it in the short term. This almost demonic fixation on killing babies is without cause or reason. Look this is not the “clump of cells” argument here. This is infanticide.!

   There is no other way to describe a discussion on whether a baby alive and on a delivery table should get to live or die regardless of what reasons the mother or doctor can come up with. It’s madness. Period.  In part two of the Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, Théoden, King of Rohan exclaims at the height of the attack on Helms Deep when all hope seems to be lost, “What can men do against such reckless hate?” Aragorn responds, “fight.”

   So here I stand, I will fight this and other madness in our times with massive amounts of prayer, and I will speak up wherever and whenever I can.  I cannot defend my silence in the face of this madness to my Savior.  I will take my cue from my Leader Jesus Christ to pray for those who persecute me and those who think I am their enemy. Those who disagree with me are not the enemy. We must treat them with the truth delivered in charity. The enemy is “the Enemy” and his Culture of Death. I pray that His Divine Mercy will save us all.