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Taking Life, Love and Faith Seriously

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Affirming a Culture of Life Together

October 22, 2006 by Taking Life, Love and Faith Seriously

That They May Have Life
A Statement of Evangelicals and Catholics Together

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
John 10:10


I

We are grateful that as Christians, Evangelicals and Catholics together, we can speak with one voice on a matter of paramount urgency for our society and the world. We address this statement to all who confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and to all people of goodwill who share our concern for a more just and humane social order.

 

Recent years have witnessed a new pattern of convergence and cooperation between Evangelicals and Catholics. We are grateful that the project known as “Evangelicals and Catholics Together” (ECT) has played a part in this development—a development that has occasioned both controversy and high hopes within our respective communities. In the public life of our country, the changing relationship between Evangelicals and Catholics has also occasioned curiosity, anxiety, and even alarm.
This convergence has implications for our culture and civil order. In the present statement we intend, however briefly and inadequately, to make the case for what is commonly called “a culture of life”—and to do so in a way that invites public deliberation and engages questions of public policy. Our primary purpose, however, is to explain to our communities why we believe that support for a culture of life is an integral part of Christian faith and therefore a morally unavoidable imperative of Christian discipleship.
To those who do not identify with our communities, or with any Christian community, we respectfully suggest that it is in our mutual interest that they try to understand better the reasons and convictions that have recruited so many millions of their fellow citizens to the cause of the culture of life. Greater understanding does not necessarily lead to agreement, but it at least makes possible a more civil engagement of our disagreements.
The present moment in American public life is frequently described in terms of “culture wars,” and there is some merit in that description. We need not and must not, however, resign ourselves to unremitting warfare. A culture is composed of many parts, but different cultures are distinguished by different understandings of reality, of the meaning of life and death, of rights and duties, of rights and wrongs.
There is what is called a Judeo-Christian worldview, a worldview that was crucial to the formation of our civilization and is, we believe, clearly reflected in the convictions that inspired the American founding. To speak of American culture today is to speak of a culture marked by different worldviews in conflict. So severe is the conflict, also in the political realm, that many despair of finding any commonalities by which warfare can be replaced, or at least tempered, by civil discourse.
We refuse to join in that despair. We refuse to despair because we share with those who oppose us a common humanity. We also share a common interest in sustaining the American experiment in its aspiration to be a free, just, and virtuous society. In our common humanity, we share a Godgiven capacity to reason, to argue, to deliberate, to persuade, and to discover moral truths regarding questions related to the right ordering of our life together. As members of the community of Christians, we are obliged to bear an uncompromising witness to our faith. As members of this civil order, we are also obliged to engage respectfully those who do not share our faith. In this statement, we intend to do both.
Between Evangelicals and Catholics there have been long-standing differences on the capacities of human reason. To put it too briefly, Evangelicals (and the Protestant traditions more generally) have accented that human reason has been deeply corrupted by sin. Catholics, on the other hand, while recognizing that human reason has been severely wounded by sin and is in need of healing, have held a higher estimate of reason’s capacity to discern truth, including moral truth. We, as Evangelicals and Catholics together, affirm that the knowledge of God necessary for eternal salvation cannot be attained by human reason alone apart from Divine revelation and the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith’s response to Jesus Christ the only Savior. (These questions are addressed in more detail in our 1998 statement, “The Gift of Salvation.”)
We also affirm together that human reason, despite the consequences of sin, has the capacity for discerning, deliberating, and deciding the questions pertinent to the civil order. Some Evangelicals attribute this capacity of reason to “common grace,” as distinct from “saving grace.” Catholics typically speak of the “natural law,” meaning moral law that is knowable in principle by all human beings, even if it is denied by many (Romans 1 and 2). Thus do we, as Evangelicals and Catholics together, firmly reject the claim that disagreements over the culture of life represent a conflict between faith and reason. Both faith and reason are the gift of the one God. Since all truth has its source in Him, all truth is ultimately one, although our human perception of the fullness of truth is partial and inadequate (1 Corinthians 13:12). Thus do we invite those who disagree, including those who do not share the gift of faith in Christ, to join with us in attempting to move beyond “culture wars” to a reasonable deliberation of the right ordering of our life together.
As Christians, we are informed, inspired, and sustained by our faith in a commitment to a culture of life, which includes the protection and care of the unborn, the severely disabled, the dependent elderly, and the dying. The culture of life encompasses also the poor, the marginalized, and those who, for whatever reason, are vulnerable to neglect or exploitation by others. This is not a uniquely Christian commitment. Disagreement on our obligations to those in need should not be viewed as a conflict between Christians and non-Christians.
We are sadly aware that many who identify themselves as Christians do not share our understanding of a culture of life. It is not the case that we wish to “impose” our moral convictions on our fellow citizens or, as some recklessly charge, to establish a “theocracy.” Our intention is not to impose but to propose, educate, and persuade, in the hope that, through free deliberation and decision, our society will be turned toward a more consistent respect for the inestimable gift that is human life.
This statement and the questions addressed are emphatically public in nature. Christianity—its scriptures, doctrine, intellectual tradition, and institutions of communal allegiance and mission—are part of our common history. Christianity claims at least the nominal adherence of the great majority in our society. To be a Christian is a personal but not a private decision. To be a Christian is to be associated with a historical movement bearing public witness to universal moral truths.
Such truths are not accepted by all in our society, nor is there complete agreement about their meaning and implications among all who do accept them. But the assertion of these truths, including their significance for public policy, is part of, and in no way to be excluded from, genuinely public discourse. Whatever is meant by “the separation of church and state,” it cannot mean the separation of public life and public policy from the deepest convictions, including moral convictions, of the great majority of a nation’s citizens.
As Christian truth claims are public, so also are the questions pertinent to a culture of life. There is no more inescapably public and political question than who belongs to the polis of which we are part. The contention over abortion, for instance, is not about when human life begins. That is a biological and medical question about which there is no reasonable dispute. The moral and political dispute is over which human beings, at whatever state of development or decline, possess rights that we are bound to respect. The question is this: Who belongs to the community for which we accept public responsibility?
In what follows we hope to make the case that the defense of the humanum is made imperative by the Christian understanding of reality. Our position with respect to questions such as abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, and the creation and destruction of 19 embryos for research purposes is integral to that understanding of reality. Every human life is, from conception, created by God and is infinitely precious in His sight. The fulfillment of human life is, by the grace of God, “life and life abundant” through faith in Jesus Christ, who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).
We believe it is of utmost importance that everyone involved in the public discussion of these questions understand the unbreakable connection between a Christian worldview and the defense of human life. We can no more abandon our contention for a culture of life than we can abandon our allegiance to the lordship of Christ, for our contention is inseparably part of that allegiance.
At the same time, we contend that the public policies pertinent to the defense of the humanum are supported by reasons that are accessible to all and should be convincing to all. The term “humanism” is frequently employed in opposition to Christian faith, as in the phrase “secular humanism.” We propose a deeper and richer humanism that is firmly grounded in the bedrock of scriptural truth, that is elaborated in the history of Christian thought, that is in accord with clear reason, that honors the best in our civilization’s tradition, and that holds the promise of a future more worthy of the dignity of the human person who is the object of God’s infinite love and care. This more authentic humanism is in no way alien to Christianity. There is in world history no teaching more radically humanistic than the claim that God became a human being in order that human beings might participate in the life of God, now and forever.
II
Our contention for a culture of life is made possible and imperative by the gospel of life. The word gospel is used in different ways. Gospel (from the Greek euangelion) means “good news.” The Apostle Paul writes: “Now I would remind you, brethren, in what terms I preached to you the gospel, which you received, in which you stand, by which you are saved, if you hold it fast—unless you believed in vain” (I Corinthians 15:1–2). The good news is centered in Jesus Christ—his birth, teaching, healing ministry, holiness of life, redemptive suffering and death, his resurrection victory over sin and death, his present reign, his abiding presence with his disciples, and his promised coming in glory to restore all things to God. “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:19). The good news is that, despite all the evil for which we human beings are responsible, “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:16–17).
The gospel of life includes the very creation. All that exists is brought into being and sustained in being by love and for love, for “God is love” (1 John 4:8). The whole of creation is a gift and constitutes an order graced by the love of God. In that same love, God bestowed upon humanity a unique dignity. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it’” (Genesis 1:27–28). Of life in all its created forms we are told, “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31).
God did not recant that judgment even when man turned against God and, as a consequence, against his brother. To Cain, the first murderer, God says, “The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground” (Genesis 4:10). The cry of innocent blood did not go unheeded but began the long gospel story of restoration, including the covenant with Abraham and the people of Israel that prophetically points toward the culmination of God’s self-revelation and redemptive work in Jesus Christ. Thus humanity is called “to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks more graciously than the blood of Abel” (Hebrews 12:24). In Christ the dignity and eternal destiny of humanity is restored. St. Paul declares, “For as by a man came death, by man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:21–22).
The radical humanism of Christianity was and is a new thing in history. Irenaeus, the second-century Church Father, declared, “The glory of God is man fully alive.” From the earliest noncanonical Christian writing, the Didache (probably written in the latter half of the first century), we learn how Christians confronted the pagan culture of the time:
There are two ways, a way of life and a way of death; there is a great difference between them. . . . In accordance with the precept of the teaching “You shall not kill,” you shall not put a child to death by abortion or kill it once it is born. . . . The way of death is this: They show no compassion for the poor, they do not suffer with the suffering, they do not acknowledge their Creator, they kill their children and by abortion cause God’s creatures to perish; they drive away the needy, oppress the suffering, they are advocates of the rich and unjust judges of the poor; they are filled with every sin. May you be ever guiltless of all these sins!
There are many ways in which the dignity of the human person, created in the image and likeness of God, is violated. Both historically and at present there is genocide, unjust war, innocent victims of just wars, economic exploitation, the neglect and abuse of children, the disrespect and mistreatment of women, the abandonment of the aged, racial oppression and discrimination, the persecution of religious believers, and religious and ideological fanaticisms that are the declared enemies of freedom. The depressing list goes on and on. We have no delusions that such evils will be entirely eliminated before Christ returns in glory to set all things right. But, as in the apostolic era, so also in our time, Christian witness and life is to stand in clear contrast and opposition to such evils, for we are called to be “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13–14).
While we cannot remedy all the evils in the world, we can—if we are prepared to suffer and even die rather than to do evil—always refuse to willingly participate in, support, or condone the doing of evil. The way of the gospel of life is in the keeping of God’s commandments, which are summarized in this: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus said, “Do this and you will live” (Luke 10:28).
The love of neighbor takes many forms. In Matthew 25 the righteous are rewarded and the wicked condemned by the measures of whether they fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, welcomed the stranger, clothed the naked, and visited those who are sick or in prison. By these and other measures of love for our neighbor, we all fall short. Love for the neighbor begins, however, with respect for the neighbor’s right to be, by honoring the gift of God that is the neighbor’s life. Thus the most basic commandment of neighbor-love is “You shall not kill” (Exodus 20:13, Deuteronomy 5:17). “You shall not kill” is rightly understood as “You shall not murder.”
Recognizing the honorable exception of those who embrace absolute pacifism, Christians believe that there are moral duties to protect life that may entail the taking of life, as in defense against lethal aggression. Most Christians, past and present, have also considered capital punishment to be morally permissible, citing the words of St. Paul that the ruler “does not bear the sword in vain; he is the servant of God to execute his wrath on the wrongdoer” (Romans 13:4). Some hold that capital punishment is not necessary to protect society and therefore is not morally permissible, while others hold that it is both permissible and necessary.
Our differences on capital punishment are not differences between Evangelicals and Catholics, but are based on different judgments regarding the need for capital punishment, at least in developed societies, and on the widespread perception that capital punishment is in tension, if not conflict, with a consistent ethic of life. At the same time, we are in firm agreement on the critical moral difference between killing the innocent and punishing those who are guilty of killing the innocent.
The ominous, and still recent, development in our society and others is the addition of new justifications for killing. Beyond self-defense, just war, and capital punishment, the principle is now asserted and supported by appeal to law that we are justified in killing human beings who are, for whatever reason, unwanted or deemed to be an excessive burden to others.
There is today no rational disagreement that the child in the womb is, from conception, a living being that is undeniably a human being. Barring natural tragedy, as in miscarriage, or lethal intervention, as in abortion, this being will become what everyone recognizes as a human baby. It is false and pernicious to claim that the unborn child is, at early stages of development, only a potential human being. No life that is not a human being has the potential of becoming a human being, and no life that has the potential of becoming a human being is not a human being.
Every human life is intended by God from eternity for eternity. Human life is sacred because it is the creation of God, the Lord of life. “For you did form my inward parts, you knit me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13). Nature shares in the consequences of sin and innumerable lives are lost before they have an opportunity to develop in the womb, as many die in disasters such as famine, earthquakes, and hurricanes. Mortality is the common denominator of all life on earth. We are morally responsible, however, for the protection and care of life created in the image and likeness of God. The commandment “You shall not kill” is the negatively stated minimum of what we owe to our fellow human beings.
The direct and intentional taking of innocent human life in abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, and embryonic research is rightly understood as murder. In the exceedingly rare instance of direct threat to the life of the mother, saving her life may entail the death of the unborn child. Such rare and tragic instances are in sharpest contrast to the unlimited abortion license created by the Supreme Court, resulting in more than forty million deaths since 1973.
The blindness of so many to this moral atrocity has many sources but is finally to be traced to the seductive ways of evil advanced by Satan. Jesus says, “He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).
The direct and intentional taking of innocent human life may be attended by what is believed to be compassion, especially in the case of the dependent and debilitated aged. While we can sympathize with those who view their own life or the life of another as a burden and not a gift, and while, by the grace of God, there can be repentance and forgiveness for those who are guilty of committing great evil, there can be no moral justification for murder. We are determined to employ every legal means available to protect, in law and in life, the innocent and vulnerable members of the human community.
We plead also with our fellow citizens who do not accept the authority of God’s commandments or the good news that is the gospel of life to consider the consequences of having created a license to kill. In the present state of our tragically disordered law, citizens are given, in the case of abortion, a private “right” to kill those who are too young, too small, too handicapped, too burdensome, or, for whatever reason, not “wanted.” When this “right” and the lethal logic that supports it is established in law, there is no principled reason why it should not be applied to the “unwanted” at any point along life’s way, as advocates of eugenics, euthanasia, and assisted suicide logically contend.
The inescapably public question posed is whether we as a political community adhere to the founding proposition articulated in the Declaration of Independence that all people are endowed by their Creator with certain “unalienable rights,” beginning with the right to life. The course of progress in our political history has been one of inclusion rather than exclusion. Most notable has been the inclusion of slaves and their descendants, and the recognition of the political rights of women. The foundational moral claim on which our polity rests is the claim that all human beings are created equal and are the bearers of rights that we are obliged to respect.
Among the most encouraging developments of recent decades, in our society and the world, is the increased interest in the defense of human rights. This has occurred in large part in reaction to the unspeakable horror of ideologically driven mass murder under the regimes of Nazism and Communism, which denied the equal rights of all. Especially heartening is the growing involvement of Christian communities in the defense of religious, political, and civil rights around the world. Such concern is premised upon the conviction that all human beings are created equal with respect to God-given rights that we are bound to respect. That is the premise attacked by the current abortion regime and related aggressions against the gift of life. Rights are not to be confused with individual desires or felt needs. Rights are joined to duties. Those who cannot assert their rights depend upon others doing their duty. The right to be protected entails our duty to protect.
The inescapable question is this: Why should we care about those who are weak, dependent, burdensome, unproductive, and undeveloped or gravely diminished in their capacity for the interactions we associate with being human? If we are unable to give a morally principled answer to that question, the very concept of human rights is emptied of obliging force and reduced to utilitarian calculation or arbitrary sentiment. The lethal logic invoked in support of the abortion license imperils the lives and well-being of millions who are severely handicapped or who are cared for in the many thousands of facilities for the aged and radically dependent.
Those most in need of defense are those who cannot defend themselves. We are called to speak on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves. Among the most defenseless are the unborn child, the severely disabled, and the dependent elderly. There are today legal protections of the disabled and elderly, but the unborn are totally dependent and totally vulnerable to the will of others. Once fully born, they are deemed to have rights that are protected in law, even though they are at that point no more human beings and no less dependent than they were hours, weeks, or months before. Yet before birth, and even in the very process of being born, they are now deemed not to have rights that society is obliged to respect. This perverse view of human rights is irrational and incoherent. Its result is the unjust killing of many millions of those who are indisputably human beings and the undoing of the very concept of human rights.

We recognize that, short of Our Lord’s return in glory, there will always be great evil in the world. Human history is the drama of conflict between truth and falsehood, light and darkness, life and death. The witness to the gospel of life echoes today the words of Moses to the children of Israel: “I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life that you and your children may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19). With the apostle Paul, we contend, and call others to contend, against the “principalities and powers” of the present darkness (Ephesians 6:12).

There will likely always be abortions, as there will be other great evils. In the words of Jesus, “Temptations to sin are sure to come; but woe to him by whom they come” (Luke 17:1). While sin and temptations to sin are constant, the notion that the killing of the innocent is a “right” in law is relatively recent and has thrown our society into legal, political, and moral confusion and conflict. The way to justice and restored civility is a firm commitment to the goal of a society in which every vulnerable human being, including every unborn child, is protected in law and welcomed in life.
The healing professions in our society have been deeply corrupted by the culture of death. Not only in abortion but also in practices such as doctor-assisted suicide, the noble calling of medicine has been grievously debased. In medical education, we witness the ominous abandonment of the Hippocratic Oath and its prohibition of killing.
We earnestly plead with medical practitioners to recover the moral integrity of their profession. With specific reference to the aged, the debilitated, and the dying, it is often the case that restoration to health is not possible. But no life is without value or is unworthy of life. While there is no obligation to prolong the process of imminent death, the intentional hastening of death is morally prohibited. The healing profession is also the caring profession. We cannot always heal, but we can always care. Also in the most difficult of cases, it is a perverse and twisted idea of compassion that seduces medical practitioners into violating the imperative always to care and never to kill. We gratefully acknowledge and prayerfully encourage medical practitioners who strive to restore their profession to the unqualified service of life.
We are keenly aware of the burden of guilt borne, and often painfully experienced, by those who have been complicit in the culture of death. Women beyond numbering mourn for their children whom they denied the living of the life that was theirs. As with King Herod’s killing of the innocents, so also now: “A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she could not be consoled, because they were no more” (Matthew 2:18). A striking feature of the movement against abortion is the leadership of women who have experienced the horror and heartbreak of abortion and plead with their sisters to choose life. They and many others work selflessly in helping women with crisis pregnancies and also in assisting with adoptions.

Men beyond numbering are complicit in the culture of death. The legal abortion license has made it easier to exploit women sexually; to abandon them or refuse to support them in the bearing of the new life for which men are equally responsible; and even to coerce them into having the child killed. This is a wickedness of unspeakable proportions and is only compounded by men who self-servingly construe the abortion license as a form of liberation for the women they exploit.

As the sin is great, so is God’s mercy greater. “In this God shows his love for us, that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we are now justified by his blood, much more shall we saved by him from the wrath of God” (Romans 5:8–9). As the psalm declares:
For as the heavens are high above the earthso great is his steadfast lovetoward those who fear him;As far as the east is from the west,so far does he remove our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:11–12)
We thank God for the women and men who, having been complicit in the evil of abortion, have been led to contrition, repentance, and newness of life; for abortionists who have abandoned their trafficking in death; for those who have established thousands of crisis-pregnancy centers to assist women in troubled circumstances to welcome the gift of new life; and for all who have over the years sustained a growing prolife movement for change toward a culture of life. This is a movement for change that, more than any in American history, claims the allegiance of millions who have no personal stake in the cause other than the protection of the innocent. It is most particularly gratifying that the leadership of this movement is now passing to a younger generation that views with horrified repugnance an abortion regime to which so many of their elders had become morally numbed.
Even as the dark years of the unlimited abortion license may be coming to an end, the culture of death insinuates itself into the sciences and most particularly into the field of biotechnology. The creation and destruction of human life for research, cloning, and related purposes underscore the truth that the pro-life movement is for the duration, meaning until Our Lord returns in glory.
Our churches do not simply support the pro-life movement as a social cause. Because the gospel of life is integral to God’s loving purpose for his creation, the Church of Jesus Christ, comprehensively understood, is a pro-life movement continuing God’s mission until the end of time. In the light of this truth, we plead with Christians who support the legal license to kill the innocent to consider whether they have not set themselves against the will of God and, to that extent, separated themselves from the company of Christian discipleship.
 

There are no doubt many reasons for our society’s perilous drift toward a culture of death. One major cause is the abortion regime established by the Supreme Court by the Roe v. Wade decision of January 22, 1973. That decision is rightly described as an act of raw judicial power that eliminated in all fifty states existing legal protections of unborn children. It is an encouraging measure of the moral health of our society that the abortion license decreed by Roe has not been accepted by the great majority of Americans. It now seems possible that this question will be returned to the process of democratic deliberation and decision in the several states. In that process, we as Evangelicals and Catholics together pledge our relentless efforts to persuade our fellow citizens to secure justice in law for the most vulnerable among us.
While political and legal developments are important, they are not of paramount importance. Deeper and of greater consequence is the moral and cultural impoverishment in our understanding of the gift of life, of our duties to others—especially to those who are most dependent—and of individual freedom that finds its true fulfillment not in license but in love.
Our public culture is debased by distortions of sexuality that are antithetical to the flourishing of marriage, fidelity, and parenthood. The indispensable institution of the family, which is the sanctuary of life, is widely devalued and weakened by divorce. Moreover, while we are not agreed on the moral permissibility of artificial contraception, we recognize the sad effects of a widespread “contraceptive mentality” that divorces sexual love from procreation and views children as a burden to be avoided rather than as a gift to be cherished. We plead with the members of our communities, Evangelical and Catholic, to consider anew the call to be open to new life, and the meaning of that call for the relationship between unitive and procreative sexual love within the bond of marriage.
Finally, our society’s drift toward a culture of death will not be arrested and reversed without a bolder and more persuasive witness to the gospel of life centered in Jesus Christ who is “the way, the truth, and the life.” Whatever our cultural circumstance, whatever the ebb and flow of political and legal fortunes, our first duty is evangelization: to share “in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2) the good news of the unsurpassable gift of eternal life, beginning now, in knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
To know him is to serve him, also in contending for a more just social order that defends the gift of life wherever it is threatened. As did the early Christians to the society of their time, so we propose to our fellow citizens a new humanism. This biblical humanism is deeply grounded in the dignity of the human person at every stage of development, disadvantage, or decline; it is supportive of the founding convictions of our nation; and it holds the promise of keeping at bay the barbaric devaluations of human life to which history is so manifestly prone.

We cannot and would not impose this vision of a culture of life upon others. We do propose to our fellow Christians and to all Americans that they join with us in a process of deliberation and decision that holds the promise of a more just and humane society committed, in life and law, to honoring the inestimable dignity of every human being created in the image and likeness of God. For our part, as Evangelicals and Catholics together, we refuse to despair of the power of public witness and persuasion in the service of every member of the human community, for whom Christ came “that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

Evangelical Protestants
Dr. Harold O.J. Brown, Reformed Theological Seminary

Mr. Charles Colson, Prison Fellowship

Dr. Timothy George, Beeson Divinity School

Dr. Kent Hill, Church of the Nazarene

Dr. Frank James, Reformed Theological Seminary

Dr. Cheryl Bridges Johns, Church of God School of Theology

The Rev. T.M. Moore, The Wilberforce Forum, Prison Fellowship

Dr. Thomas Oden, Drew University Emeritus

Dr. James Packer, Regent College

Dr. Sarah Sumner, Azusa Pacific University

Dr. Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Dr. John Woodbridge, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Roman Catholics

Dr. James J. Buckley, Loyola College in Maryland

Dr. Peter Casarella, Catholic University of America

Dr. Gary Culpepper, Providence College

Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J., Fordham University

Fr. Thomas Guarino, Seton Hall University

Fr. Arthur Kennedy, University of St. Thomas

Dr. Matthew Levering, Ave Maria University

Fr. Francis Martin, Mother of God Community

Fr. Richard John Neuhaus, Institute on Religion and Public Life

Fr. Edward T. Oakes, S.J., Mundelein Seminary

Mr. George Weigel, Ethics and Public Policy Center

Dr. Robert Louis Wilken, University of Virginia

[The following appeared on pages 73-74 of the October Public Square.]
From its beginnings in 1992, Evangelicals and Catholics Together (ECT) has been very deliberately an unofficial project composed of a continuing working group of participants who speak from and to their several ecclesial communities. There is an acknowledged difference between Catholic and evangelical participation, in that Catholic participants are bound by and determined to be faithful to the central teaching authority, or Magisterium, of the Catholic Church. In the communities that comprise contemporary evangelicalism, doctrinal and theological leadership is exercised by individuals and institutions that have earned the confidence of Christians within their various spheres of influence. We are pleased to note that the following evangelical leaders are among those who have endorsed the most recent statement, “That They May Have Life”:
Alan K. Andrews, CEO, The Navigators

Mrs. Jill Briscoe, author and speaker

Dr. Bryan Chapell, president, Covenant Theological Seminary

Dr. David S. Dockery, president, Union University

Dr. Os Guinness, senior fellow, The Trinity Forum

Dr. David P. Gushee, Graves Professor of Moral Philosophy, Union University

Ted A. Haggard, president, National Association of Evangelicals

Bill Hybels, pastor, Willow Creek Community Church

Dr. Duane Litfin, president, Wheaton College

Dr. Richard Mouw, president, Fuller Theological Seminary

David Neff, editor and vice president, Christianity Today

Tony Perkins, president, Family Research Council

Dr. Cornelius Plantinga, president, Calvin Theological Seminary

Dr. Ron Sider, president and founder, Evangelicals for Social Action

Joni Eareckson Tada, founder, Joni and Friends International Disability Center

Rick Warren, pastor, Saddleback Church

Dr. James White, president, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

 

Copyright (c) 2006 First Things

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    • *"Who am I to judge", you ask? Some judgements are commanded of us.
    • *12 Bible Verses that Demolish the Osteens’ Prosperity Gospel
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    • *A Note Regarding Serious Health Care Decisions
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    • *A Place Prepared by God
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    • *A Sign in the Sky?
    • *A teenage mom: "From that moment on, you are a mother"
    • *A Very Important Documentary for Serious Americans, Parents and Christians
    • *A war between Christ and the Antichrist on a scale never seen before
    • *A War on Maternity Waged in the Name of Mother Earth
    • *ABOLISH ABORTION NOW! – The second civil war?
    • *Abortion – An obstacle to peace
    • *Abortion and a Failure of Community
    • *Abortion Is The Defining Life Issue
    • *Abortion Pill Reversal
    • *Abortion Supporters Should Not Receive Communion Says Archbishop Robert Carlson
    • *Affirmation of Personal Faith
    • *Affirming a Culture of Life Together
    • *Always Remember
    • *Always Remember (Part Two)
    • *America has chosen the culture of death, the agenda of perversion, and anti-Catholicism
    • *America’s Greatness
    • *America’s Shame
    • *Americans are confused about life
    • *An Apostolic Exhortation to Catholic Men from Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted
    • *An inversion of the hierarchy of values
    • *An open letter to all Catholics, laity and clergy
    • *An Unborn Child’s Plea
    • *An Urgent Plea for Prayer at the New Year!
    • *Angel of Rio: One Woman Rescues 3,000 Babies From Abortion
    • *Archbishop George Niederauer of San Francisco Commends The Gabriel Project
    • *Archbishop Raymond Burke on admonishing public officials
    • *Are Embryo Banks for Spare Parts Next?
    • *Are John McCain and Mitt Romney pro-life?
    • *Are You A Catholic Protestant?
    • *Are you in full communion with the Catholic Church and worthy of receiving Holy Communion?
    • *As a firm believer in the apparitions of Medjugorje, my deep concern is that they might be approved by Pope Francis (and Cardinal Schonborn)
    • *As Christians, we persevere as foreigners and pilgrims in this world
    • *Ash Wednesday – How Real Are Your Ashes?
    • *Ask the Children
    • *Attending My First Latin Mass – by a devout young Catholic
    • *Authentic Christian Discipleship
    • *Authentic Motherhood
    • *Bad Catholics are something to fear
    • *Banning the expression of Christian sexual opinions
    • *Bart Stupak’s Health Care Bill Vote – Indefensible!
    • *Be More Urgent in Preparing for Final Judgment
    • *Be or become an authentic Catholic despite those who are trying to destroy Catholicism!
    • *Bear Witness to the Truth and Oppose All Confusion Between Good and Evil
    • *Being Catholic
    • *Benedict XVI Put Liturgy Front and Center
    • *Benedict XVI: “Renunciation of the truth is lethal to faith”
    • *Beware of Fake Mercy
    • *Beware of the Joel of Prosperity and the Joel of Lust.
    • *Beware the Deception of False Prophets
    • *Beware the Strangest Idol of All – A Reflection on How Even Works of Charity Cannot Eclipse Obedience to Christ
    • *Bishop Aquila: Catholics are obligated to work tirelessly for life and the protection of the unborn child
    • *Bishop Blair of Toledo corrects politicians on Church teachings on abortion – instructs laity on voting
    • *Bishop Farrell of Dallas and Bishop Vann of Fort Worth instruct the laity on voting
    • *Bishop Finn on Courage
    • *Bishop Finn: Can a Catholic Vote in Support of Abortion?
    • *Bishop Galante: Faithful Citizenship is living in a way worthy of the Gospel
    • *Bishop Hermann: Every bishop should be willing to give up his life, if it meant putting an end to abortion
    • *Bishop Hermann: Judgment Day is on its way
    • *Bishop Hermann: Let us call God’s mercy down upon us as a nation
    • *Bishop Hermann: SAVE OUR CHILDREN!
    • *Bishop Martino: A Pastoral Letter for Respect Life Sunday
    • *Bishop Riesbeck: Eliminate the crisis, not the pregnancy
    • *Bishop Robert McElory advocates “disruptive” actions to accomplish his favored political goals.
    • *Bishop Robert Vasa’s Response to the HHS Mandate
    • *Bishop Serratelli: A Politician’s Promise: No Right to Life! No Freedom!
    • *Bishop Strickland’s call to investigate and demand accountability of all found to be culpable even at the highest levels of the Church.
    • *Bishop Vasa on Courage
    • *Bishop Vasa: As you form conscience, know not all issues are equal
    • *Bishop Wenski: “We Catholics have become too complacent about the legal killing of unborn children in America and elsewhere.”
    • *BISHOPS CORRECT PELOSI AND BIDEN ON CHURCH TEACHINGS ON ABORTION (CONSOLIDATED)
    • *Bishops Instruct Faithful Citizens on Voting
    • *Bishops of Kansas: Moral Principles for Catholic Voters
    • *Brain Dead – Really?
    • *Brava, Dr. Anca-Maria Cernea’s Message to the Pope and Synod Fathers
    • *Bravo, all of those afflicted with same-sex-attraction who struggle to live in a state of holiness
    • *Bravo, Archbishop Aymond!
    • *Bravo, Bishop DiMarzio!
    • *Bravo, Bishop Mark Davies: A Saviour given to all humanity who turns our minds to thoughts of peace vs the ill-founded belief in the lyrics of John Lennon’s song “Imagine”
    • *Bravo, CongressmanTrey Gowdy: Fully Defund Planned Parenthood
    • *Bravo, Dr. Everett Piper: This is Not a Day Care. It’s a University!
    • *Bravo, Family of Jahi McMath!
    • *Bravo, Family of Justina Pelletier!
    • *Bravo, Fr. Joseph Illo: We cannot give up on America
    • *Bravo, Jim Bazen: “Dress codes keep girls from becoming ‘sex objects'”
    • *Bravo, Kelsey Grammer sports pro-life t-shirt
    • *Bravo, Mr. & Mrs. Ulf Ekman for joining The Roman Catholic Church
    • *Bravo, Population Research Institute (PRI)
    • *Bravo, Priests for Life: We will intensify both our language and our protests.
    • *Bravo, Steve Jalsevac’s report regarding Terri Schiavo
    • *Bravo, Steve Mosher: Support For Pregnant Women
    • *Brief Introduction to the Traditional Mass
    • *Building a Culture of Life via The Gabriel Project
    • *Called to be an Angel
    • *Calvary in Pinellas Park
    • *CARDINAL BURKE INTERVIEW
    • *Cardinal Gerhard L. Müller on certain burning Church related issues
    • *Cardinal Raymond Burke: “We are living in most troubled times in the world and also in the Church.”
    • *Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke on the Catholic “Man-crisis” and what to do about it
    • *Cardinal Rigali Urges Support for ‘Pregnant Women Support Act’
    • *Cardinal Robert Sarah: The Light of the Family in a Dark World
    • *Catholic Agnosticism Demands A Church Without Dogma
    • *Catholic Jesuit University Hosts Commander-in-Chief of Baby Killers
    • *Catholic Relief Services Compromises Catholic Teaching, Promotes Population Control/Family Planning in Madagascar
    • *Catholic Venom
    • *CHILDREN DESERVE BIRTH
    • *China’s Shame – Repulsive crime(s) against humanity
    • *Choosing a new heart and a new mind.
    • *Choosing Heaven Or Hell – Yes, Hell Does Exist
    • *Church teaching enjoins all Catholics – even legislator
    • *Come Home to the Catholic Church
    • *Commander in Chief on Mother’s Day 2013: Happy Motherhood Prevention
    • *Commander in Chief: “God bless you (Planned Parenthood)”
    • *Common Sense End of Life Decision Making
    • *Community of Believers
    • *Conception to birth – visualized
    • *Confronting Would-be Demagogues
    • *Confusion: The Introduction of Evil
    • *Conscientious objection to vaccinations
    • *Consequences of Destroying Unwanted Babies/People
    • *Consider well the glories that are ever before us
    • *Considering the Crusades in the Context of the Current Conflict with Radical Islamists
    • *Contraception as a “Solution” to Abortion: No way!
    • *Contraception the Love Killer
    • *Core Democratic Moral Values: Abortion and Gay Marriage
    • *Cutting Foreign Aid to Save Lives
    • *Deacon Keith Fournier corrects Jon O’Brien and ‘Catholics for Choice’ on Church teachings on abortion
    • *Deacon Keith Fournier corrects Pelosi on Church teachings on abortion
    • *Deacon Keith Fournier: Senator Biden, Prop 8, Marriage and the New ‘Know Nothings’
    • *Deacon Keith Fournier’s Pastoral Response to Doug Kmiec’s Support of Abortion Hawk Barrak Obama
    • *DEATH WISH!
    • *Death, where is thy victory?
    • *Defend the truth against those who lie about the authentic teachings of the Catholic Church
    • *Defend the unborn and protect pregnant mothers at all times
    • *Deliver Thy Church, O Lord, from a flawed liturgy
    • *Denial of the Truth is Denial of the Gospel and Betrayal of Christ.
    • *Differentiating the ‘Church’ from ‘churches’
    • *Dignitas Personae helps Catholics form their consciences
    • *Disability is not an all-or-nothing proposition.
    • *Discipleship Beyond Minimalism
    • *Disqualified from Public Office
    • *Distinguishing true discipleship from the “lip service”
    • *Do not be misled by wolves in sheep’s or shepherds' clothing.
    • *Do not endorse death warrants of unhappy people
    • *Do not fear being judged as being judgemental.
    • *Do we and those whom we influence appreciate our aged loved ones?
    • *Do you give a darn about the killing of unborn babies?
    • *Do you have loved ones whom you would like to help grow in spirituality?
    • *Do you love deeply enough to care passionately enough and experience justified indignation?
    • *Do you love deeply enough to care passionately enough and to experience justified indignation?
    • *Does your church/religion support abortion?
    • *Don’t miss the ultimate point of prayer (and our very existence)
    • *Doug Kmiec, read this:
    • *Dr. Martin Luther King (Refuting Atheistic Materialism)
    • *Dressing with Dignity
    • *Easter Sunday Sermon – A Missed Opportunity
    • *Easter Sunday Sermon – A Missed Opportunity (Update)
    • *Election 2008 Part I: “We Have No King But Caesar”
    • *Election 2008 Part II: Catholic Culture and the Election of Barack Obama
    • *Election 2008 Part III: Assault on Conscience and Reality
    • *Eliminating Poverty or Eliminating Children?
    • *Embryonic vs. Adult Stem Cell Research – Obama Ignores the Facts
    • *END YOUR SLAVISH DEVOTION TO THE DEMOCRAT PARTY
    • *Eradicating Poverty Is Not a Gospel Value
    • *Ethical and morally acceptable alternative vaccines are being witheld from Americans
    • *Even in trying times, we can’t cast aside innocent life
    • *Every human being is to be respected and treated as a person from the moment of conception
    • *Excommunication may be the only responsible and charitable thing to do
    • *Faces of the American Holocaust versus Faces of Angels
    • *Fetal Cannibalism, Planned Parenthood Style
    • *Filling Our Pews
    • *Filling Their Pews
    • *Five Disciplines of Discipleship
    • *Fortitude, Patience, and Meekness: Three Virtues We Often Separate, but That Belong Together
    • *Fr. Corapi calls for a Rosary Novena between October 27th and Election Day
    • *Fr. Corapi: The Eleventh Hour
    • *Fr. Stefano Gobbi (Rest In Peace) – His Last Annual Letter
    • *Fr. Stefano Gobbi’s Funeral
    • *Fr. Stefano Gobbi’s Spiritual Testament
    • *From 7 Billion People To 500 Million People – The Sick Population Control Agenda Of The Global Elite
    • *From Family Planning to Death Planning
    • *From the Holy Spirit to the Adversaries of Medjugorje?
    • *Funeral Home Prayer Card – Is heaven a Sure Thing for You?
    • *Funerals and Purgatory
    • *Gabriel Project parish ‘angels’ watch over troubled moms, families
    • *Gabriel Project: Gabriel’s Angels Show God’s Love to Pregnant Women in Distress
    • *Get Out of Your Own Way.
    • *Global Warming Skeptic
    • *God or Nothing by Cardinal Robert Sarah
    • *God or Nothing by Cardinal Robert Sarah (Update)
    • *God thunders: “THIS IS A CHILD!”
    • *God wants me to be happy, so I’ll do it my way
    • *Good preaching provokes a response
    • *Grow up in the Lord or miss the whole point and dignity of your life.
    • *Happy 86th birthday Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
    • *Happy Third Birthday Gabriela
    • *Having too much to lose can be a loss in itself
    • *Heaven on Earth Amidst a Non-believing Culture
    • *Heil Barack or Hail Mary
    • *Help for Saving the Souls of Your Loved Ones
    • *HELP PREVENT ABORTIONS
    • *Help your adult children (or yourself) return to the Church.
    • *Heroes Do Die: John McCain (Leave abortion alone)
    • *Hillary Calls for Global Abortion at UN
    • *His Eminence, Raymond Cardinal Burke on abortion and the duty of Catholic politicians
    • *His Holiness Benedict XVI, Pope Emeritus
    • *Hospices – A Trojan horse for euthanasia?
    • *How “Catholic” is Catholic Relief Services?
    • *How do you receive Holy Communion?
    • *How should we respond to questions that can be alienating?
    • *How the Gates Foundation is Robbing African Women of their Freedom and their Lives
    • *How to have friends
    • *How to Kill Vocations in Your Diocese
    • *How to Save the World, God’s Way – A Reflection on a Liturgical Teaching of Pope Benedict
    • *Human Lives, Human Rights
    • *Human Nature, Values and Morals – the Era of the Donna Reed Show vs. Today
    • *I Cannot Care Less!
    • *I Support NOW
    • *I’M REPULSED TO NO END
    • *I’m sad and concerned; are you?
    • *Ideology As Religion
    • *If Obama won’t strike to defeat ISIS, perhaps we should.
    • *If you believe there aren’t enough resources on our planet to accommodate its population, keep your filthy wealth and instead, sacrifice your life. That would be the greater good.
    • *If you know anyone who might vote for Hilary Clinton, please share this with them.
    • *If you trust God, your fears will lessen.
    • *If You Want Peace, Remember God
    • *Imagine Revised as a Reflection on the Faith and Social Doctrine of the Church
    • *In Times Like These – A Scriptural Guide for Troubled and Confused Times
    • *Interpretations of Papal Statements Have Consequences
    • *Invitation to Christians
    • *Is attending Mass an ordeal for you? Perhaps it should be.
    • *Is the Catholic Church Reinventing Catholicism?
    • *Is your attendance at Mass a sacrifice of praise?
    • *It is necessary to revive staunch adherence to the Catholic faith.
    • *It’s time to get serious; many are being lost!
    • *Joe Biden and the Obama Administration willing to turn a blind eye to China's Atrocities
    • *June 26, 2015 – U.S. Supreme Court Ruling on Same Sex “Marriage”
    • *Kermit Gosnell will never kill another baby
    • *Leading Catholic exorcist on those indifferent to Medjugorje: “They are fools!”
    • *Leave Your Past Behind and Grow in Your Love of The Lord
    • *Let the Holy Spirit light a fire in you
    • *Let’s Be Reasonable About Vaccines
    • *Let’s Be Sincere
    • *Letter to my children (daughters, sons, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren)
    • *LIFE IS FUN
    • *Lives are saved, but some vaccines aren’t morally neutral
    • *Living in the midst of a time of rebellion and deep delusion
    • *Love is greater than kindness
    • *Mamas Don’t Let Your Daughters Grow Up To Be Girl Scouts
    • *Mandela’s Support of Abortion “Shameful”
    • *Marches and Walks for Life
    • *Margaret Sanger, Planned Parenthood’s Racist Founder
    • *Martha and Mary in the Gospel – Msgr. Pope's interpretation of what is being taught here
    • *Martin Luther King’s Niece: Obama Election Heals “White Guilt” at the Cost of Life and Family
    • *May We Donate Our Organs?
    • *Medjugorje
    • *Medjugorje – an impulse statement
    • *Message to the pro-life community
    • *Miscarriage of justice – call for Kathleen Sebelius’ resignation
    • *Misguided Priorities
    • *Moral Liberalism, having largely destroyed Christianity in America, will sooner or later destroy America itself.
    • *Moral teachings of the Church are in accord with human dignity
    • *More dangerous than Roe v. Wade
    • *Must Read Speech by Cardinal Robert Sarah
    • *My Best Birthday Present Ever
    • *My Hope for a Future Pope: Cardinal Raymond Burke
    • *My Mom’s Letter to Pope John Paul II
    • *My Most Important (Personal) Posts
    • *My Prolife Heroes
    • *My response to “McCain Is Pro-death not Pro-Life”
    • *My Way vs. God’s Way
    • *No ‘Abortion Rights’ only Human Right
    • *No Cross, No Crown
    • *Notre Dame President Sits on Board of Directors of Pro-Abortion, Pro-Contraception Organization
    • *Obama 2012 Launched: Should Catholics Support Him?
    • *Obama Administration’s definition of “reproductive health” includes abortion
    • *Obama and the Media on Stem Cells – the Untold Truth
    • *Obama Pressures UN to Drop Family Language (What a Representative of the Best America Has to Offer the World!)
    • *Obama v. Life
    • *Obama: "Every Time I Think About Those Kids It Gets Me Mad"
    • *On Evangelization
    • *On The Wonder of the Word of God
    • *One of the reasons that our Churches have emptied over the past 40-50 years.
    • *Only what you do for Christ will last
    • *Organ Donation – What you need to know
    • *Our faith must become flesh in us
    • *Our greatest duty is to prepare ourselves and our children (and others) for eternity.
    • *Our Lady of Fatima – Her Prophecies and Warnings Remain as Essential as Ever!
    • *Our Message to Worried Pregnant Mothers
    • *Our Mission is Culture Conversion not Culture War
    • *Our need – for and to be – true prophets
    • *Paean to Personhood
    • *Parish ‘angels’ embrace struggling pregnant mom
    • *Path to Serenity
    • *Pay Attention!
    • *PEACEFUL MAJORITY IRRELEVANT
    • *Perhaps my dream will come true
    • *Piercing the Darkness
    • *Plan B – Is it contraception or not?
    • *Plan B for 17 year old girls: Equipping Children to Kill Children?
    • *Planned Parenthood Uses Manual Vacuum Aspirators to Harvest Organs
    • *Planned Parenthood: False Prophet with Plans for U.S. Health Care
    • *Plea to Filipinos: Defeat the Tyrannous RH Bill
    • *Please read Bobby Schindler’s story about Terri Schiavo.
    • *Pondering the Most Holy Trinity
    • *Pope Benedict XVI’s call for the use of Latin
    • *Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI Embrace
    • *Pope Francis: “we have done little to adequately accompany [pregnant] women in very difficult situations”
    • *Population control ideology stands in stark contrast to the reality of a withering Russia
    • *Post-Election Reflections: The Change We Need the Most
    • *Postfertilization Effect of Hormonal Emergency Contraception
    • *Pray (more)
    • *Preaching without risking suffering causes others to suffer the loss of truth and faith.
    • *President Trump addresses participants in the 2018 March for Life
    • *Pro-life Movement: Be Prepared to be Smeared Thanks to Donald The Disaster
    • *Protect your daughters from the Girl Scouts
    • *Proverbs for Pro-Lifers and Those Who Should Be
    • *R.I.P. Justice Antonin Scalia – We'll Miss You
    • *Rally for Life – What you can do to minimize abortions
    • *Rape, Todd Akin and appeasing abortionists
    • *Re: Let’s All Use Adjective “Preborn” Not “Unborn”
    • *Reaching Out for Life
    • *Readers Beware
    • *Real Love Involves Real Hatred
    • *Reaping the Whirlwind of Abortion
    • *Receive ‘Charity in Truth’ with Charity and Hunger for the Truth
    • *Rediscovering Saint John Paul II
    • *Regarding Bishop Robert McElroy’s appointment as Bishop of San Diego
    • *Religion, reason, voting
    • *Remembering Pope John Paul II
    • *Reproductive Health Language is Properly an Obstacle for the Holy See
    • *Rescind Jahi McMath’s Death Certificate!
    • *Respect for Life – Is its Link to Peace Still Understood?
    • *Respect for Unborn Human Life: The Church’s Constant Teaching
    • *Responding to His Call to Love
    • *Retain or Reclaim the Greatest Gift God Has Given You
    • *Salvation depends on our choice to come to obedient faith
    • *Satan, while hidden, remains active in us and in society
    • *Satan’s Loved Ones
    • *Save the Embryonic Humans!
    • *Seeking a health plan that does not expand abortion
    • *Selective Reduction Abortions Increasing: Children Have Become Commodities
    • *Senator Joseph Biden’s sophistry
    • *Serious errors in today's Catholic Church listed by Bishop Athanasius Schneider
    • *Serious Health Care and End of Life Decisions
    • *Sermon on the Mass in the Traditional Form of the Roman Rite given by His Excellency Alexander Sample.https://fjdalessio.wordpress.com/2018/04/29/sermon-on-the-mass-in-the-traditional-form-of-the-roman-rite-given-by-his-excellency-alexander-sample/
    • *Shallow sermons miss what is the heart of the matter
    • *Singing During Liturgy
    • *Some forms of so-called ‘contraception’ take a human life
    • *Spice Up Your Christian Life
    • *State of the Catholic Church (2016)
    • *State of the Family – 2018
    • *Study Proves Abortion is not the Answer for Pregnant Women with Zika
    • *Stupida, Gloria Steinem: Pope is causing global warming
    • *Stupido; Ben Carson on Terri Schiavo: “I think it was much ado about nothing.”
    • *Submit yourselves to God
    • *Subsidiarity, solidarity, and the lay mission
    • *Tainted Wealth
    • *Taking Abortion Seriously
    • *Taking Catholicism Seriously
    • *Taking Discipleship Seriously
    • *Taking Our Death Seriously
    • *Tears from South Africa
    • *Telegram to Pope Francis re: Medjugorje
    • *That cold, stainless steel bowl
    • *The 5th and 6th Marks of the Church
    • *The Abyss of Oblivion
    • *The America of Catholic memory is not the America of the present moment or the emerging future.
    • *The Body God Gave Us Doesn’t Lie – A Meditation on the Sexual Confusion of Our Day
    • *The Church is Ready to Capsize!
    • *The Church must be the faithful echo of the Lord Who is speaking
    • *The Church of Christ
    • *The Church of Christ Jesus
    • *The Church of Christ Jesus or of the People?
    • *The Church when I was 12 years old
    • *The cost of affluence and abundance (part two of *Will you ever be able to truly say “I want for nothing more”?)
    • *The Crisis of Conservative Catholicism
    • *The Critical Danger of Unbelief
    • *The Dignity of a Person
    • *THE DIGNITY OF THE EUCHARISTIC CELEBRATION
    • *The dilution of the sacredness of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and of the Blessed Sacrament
    • *The experience of greed
    • *The Failure of Parish-Based Catechesis and a Proposed Solution
    • *The Faithful Should Not Fear Death
    • *The Feast of Corpus Christi: how well did your parish fare in worship?
    • *The Fruits of Sidewalk Counseling
    • *The Fundamental Reproductive Right
    • *THE GABRIEL PROJECT
    • *THE GABRIEL PROJECT II
    • *The Holy Spirit and Grace
    • *The Impact of Headlines
    • *The Importance of the Traditional Roman Liturgy
    • *The Inevitable Triumph of the Pro-Life Position
    • *The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) reports that its affiliates [exterminated] nearly one million unborn children in 2015.
    • *The Legacy of Pope Benedict XVI
    • *The Lethal Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
    • *The Little Sisters of Limousine Liberalism
    • *The Millennium Development Goals and Abortion
    • *The Millennium Development Goals and the Critical Next Step for the Catholic Church
    • *The Millennium Development Goals: In Light of Catholic Social Teaching
    • *The New Sustainable Development Agenda
    • *The New Threat to World Order
    • *The Nonconformist and Mistreated Pope
    • *The Obama HHS ‘Compromise’ Switches the Tiger for the Lion
    • *The Passing of a Real Hero – Robert Schindler
    • *The Peace that Comes with Faith and Trust in God
    • *The Perfect Christian Funeral Homily
    • *The Philippines Under Fire
    • *The Pope Cannot Totally Ruin The Catholic Church
    • *The Pope of Divine Mercy should be declared “Doctor of the Church”.
    • *The President’s Speech; Why I Wasn’t Impressed
    • *The pro-abortion agenda of the Millennium Development Goals
    • *The Prosperity Gospel’s Unholy Trinity: Me, Myself and I
    • *The protection of life from conception must rank first among all dedications of philanthropy
    • *The Roots of the Culture of Death…
    • *The SBA So-called Pro-Life Presidential Leadership Pledge
    • *The serious crisis that the Church is going through.
    • *The Sound of the Magnitude of Abortion in America
    • *The Straight Facts about Tiller and Anti-Abortion Violence
    • *The Sustainable Development Goals and the Critical Errors of the Catholic Church
    • *The theology of the Cross versus Hedonism
    • *The Times Are Out of Joint
    • *The Tragedy of Aborting Healthy Babies
    • *The Truth About “Brain Death”
    • *The Ultimate Heresy
    • *The War in the Womb
    • *Theology of the Body
    • *There are just and unjust choices
    • *This message must be heard by every American
    • *Those who profess to love God, but back abortion, are liars
    • *Though only a small remnant remains faithful, God will rebuild, working with them – don't miss out.
    • *To All American Bishops Who Did Not Make Every Effort To Save These Lives
    • *To be fully pro-life requires a mind like Christ’s
    • *To My Dear Mother – Always On My Mind
    • *To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards out of men
    • *To vote or not to vote
    • *Too Important for You to Ignore
    • *Traditional Roman Rite Mass
    • *Twelve Reasons Not to Prefer the Novus Ordo
    • *Tying Abortion to Millennium Development Goal #5
    • *Tying Abortion to Millennium Development Goal #5 UPDATES
    • *U.N. Abortion Will Harm, Not Help, Millennium Goals
    • *ULTIMATELY A LIFE IS A LIFE
    • *UN Declares Right to Abortion
    • *UN Petition for the Unborn Child – Your Name is Needed
    • *UN Secretary-General calls for universal access to reproductive health (UN code for abortion)
    • *Understanding the Deadly Sin of Anger
    • *Understanding the Deadly Sin of Envy
    • *Understanding the Deadly Sin of Greed
    • *Understanding the Deadly Sin of Lust
    • *Understanding the Deadly Sin of Pride
    • *Understanding the Deadly Sin of Sloth
    • *Understanding The Gabriel Project
    • *UNICEF Exposed (Again)
    • *United Nations Continues to Push a Radical Abortion Agenda
    • *Unnecessary Fear Vs. Neglected Fear
    • *Until Abortion is Abolished …
    • *Update to 'What is an American to do in the Presidential Election of Nov. 2016?'
    • *Update to ‘A Sign in the Sky?’: Pius XII Saw “Miracle of the Sun”
    • *USCCB corrects Biden on Church teachings on abortion
    • *Vaccinations: Are you justified to participate or refuse?
    • *Victims of the Abortion Industry and You
    • *View from the Top
    • *Volition
    • *Vote as a Catholic with a Catholic Moral Vision
    • *Warriors for the Victory of Life
    • *We are all impoverished by our failure to correct the sinner.
    • *We Are Catholic
    • *We are currently burying the last generation to be taught that Sunday Mass was an obligation to be met under pain of mortal sin.
    • *We can choose to be good or good for nothing!
    • *We decided to keep our baby
    • *We must be at least intensely spiritually minded as we are with worldly matters.
    • *We Must Not Retreat from Preaching The Gospel of Life
    • *We must proclaim the whole counsel of God
    • *We Must Speak Up for Human Embryonic Life!
    • *We’re responsible for our failure to protect unborn life
    • *Welcome to California Bishop Robert Vasa; We Need You!
    • *What a difference a pope makes!
    • *What a Pope, traditionally-speaking, does.
    • *What Abortion Really Is
    • *What Americans are bringing to Africa is “an abomination”: Obamabortion
    • *What And Whom Do You Fear?
    • *What are faithful Catholics to do under the current circumstances?
    • *What does it mean to be a Catholic?
    • *What does New Year’s Day mean to you?
    • *What does the Lord mean in using sheep as a sign for us?
    • *What Effect Will Pressure to Accept Same Sex Acts or “Marriage” Have on Church Teaching? None!
    • *What every priest needs to say to his congregation!
    • *What Happened to Our Pro-life Leaders?
    • *What Happened to Our Pro-life Leaders? – Part II
    • *What has caused the decline of our dioceses over the last 50 years?
    • *What is an American to do in the Presidential Election of Nov. 2016?
    • *What is happening now and will worsen over time
    • *What Is the Deepest Root of Sin? It’s Not in Your Wallet and It’s Much Closer Than You Might Think
    • *What Is the Gabriel Project?
    • *What kind of Catholic are you?
    • *What many Catholics my age have forgotten and younger never learned
    • *What the Catholic Church really teaches about population control
    • *What We Really Need is a Moral Bail Out
    • *What you’re not likely to hear about Medjugorje from the usual news souces
    • *When Helpers Turn into Destroyers
    • *When we live our life in God, we receive the Beatitudes.
    • *When You Are Absent From Mass You Are Blocking Your Blessing
    • *Where Do You Draw The Line?
    • *Who is the Jesus you worship?
    • *Why Blog?
    • *Why can’t we be more like the mega-churches with contemporary music and a rock-star-like pastor delivering sensitive, toned-down preaching with many promises and few demands?
    • *Why Catholic Churches Are Closing
    • *Why Obama should not receive awards, honors or platforms from universities with Catholic identities
    • *Why the Church Is In Decline
    • *Will Pope Francis’ visit to America bear holy fruit?
    • *Will the Church forget?
    • *Will you ever be able to truly say "I want for nothing more"?
    • *Withdraw your children from unorthodox Catholic parishes and schools
    • *Words I don’t expect to hear on Judgment Day
    • *YOU CAN BE AN ANGEL
    • *You might not have a church to go to if you don’t vote the right way.
    • *You Need a Savior!
    • *You say you’re pro-life and you’re going to vote for Obama or Clinton?
    • *Zeal is More Necessary Today than Ever – True Zeal, That Is, Not a Mere Human Imitation of It
    • *Zombie charities push population control
  • Recommended Links

    • *Anthology of Thoughts and Faith to Share
    • *Being Catholic
    • *Children Deserve Birth
    • *Coming Home – Dr. Gerard M. Nadal
    • *Making All Things New
    • *Serious Health Care and End of Life Decisions
    • *Sidewalk Counseling
    • *The Gabriel Project
  • Archives by Month

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