Cultural Divide

It is no secret that there is a cultural divide in our once-civilized country between proponents of the killing of unborn babies by abortion and opponents of killing the most helpless members of our human family, the innocent unborn.

Words of wisdom from Albert Schweitzer to keep in mind are: “If a man should lose reverence for any part of life, he will lose reverence for all life.”

Candidates might be right on every other issue; but if they are wrong on abortion, then they are wrong. Induced abortion, the direct and deliberate destruction of defenseless human beings before birth, is wrong — and a “wrong” cannot be a “right.” In the next election, and in every other election thereafter, vote for candidates who will vote for life. By voting pro-life, you will help restore to our nation the most fundamental right, upon which it was founded: the “unalienable” right to life.

 Richard A. Carey

Needham, Massachusetts

 

Christian Leadership

Relative to “Love Over Hate” (front page, Nov. 11 issue): I would just like to express a concern as a fellow Catholic-Christian and American. My concern is that there seems to be a lack of Christian leadership or Christian entities of influence that are willing to put aside political affiliations and speak out about the culture of hate that is spreading in our country like a cancer. It is obvious every time you turn on the news that this is a growing problem. Unfortunately, the tragic events in the Pittsburgh synagogue as well as the mail bomber who sent dangerous packages to political opponents of President Donald Trump are examples of the fruit of such hate. I have never before seen a time in our country where all Christians need to speak out more about Christianity and its core teaching, which is love. The greatest commandments, as you know, are love of God and love of neighbor. If everyone honestly evaluates the words that come out of our president’s mouth, whether it’s on social media or at rallies, it’s obvious he does not inspire this. On the contrary, his words invoke hateful speech, hateful emotions and divisions. Regardless of if you are a Democrat or Republican, as a Catholic-Christian, one should be able to clearly see that hatefulness is not from God.

God is love, and in Scripture it reminds us that it is the most important thing — more important than hope, even more important than all that we do in our faith, and definitely more important than political affiliation; yet, strangely, there is an eerie silence from major Christian organizations and leaders today in regard to the president and this culture of hate that is brewing. I will continue to pray for our country.

Rose Dennis

Toledo, Ohio

 

Overwhelming Proportion

Please do not use the misleading phrase “child sexual abuse.”

The Church’s problem is overwhelmingly one of male-on-male homosexual predation and abuse.

Sociologic studies of abuse in secular settings routinely find girls victimized 2:1 over boys, yet the John Jay study found the reverse: boys victimized 4:1 over girls.

Moreover, these were preadolescent and mostly adolescent males, and even, we now know, seminarians — adult men.

We must never forget that homosexuality is one of the five sins that cry out to heaven for vengeance (Catechism of the Catholic Church,  1867).

This problem of homosexuality in the clergy is not new.

St. Peter Damien in 1050 wrote The Book of Gomorrah, in which he condemned the toxic sin of homosexuality among the clergy of his day, and sent it to Pope St. Leo IX.

We are still afflicted with this same evil, and until we eradicate the homosexual mafia from the Church, such abuse of boys and young men will continue.

While the man afflicted with same-sex attraction who struggles against it deserves our welcome, encouragement and support, the man who identifies himself as “homosexual” is not struggling against this perversion but acceding to it.

He does not merit our welcome or support any more than the unrepentant murderer or human trafficker, for without repentance, there can be no mercy.

Gary Yarbrough, M.D.

Parsons, Kansas