Obama at Notre Dame
by Chuck Donovan
May 18, 2009
Sunday’s speech and the reaction of the Notre Dame community, and Catholics and others worldwide, will be the subject of much comment in the coming days. Some quick thoughts and first impressions:
Without doubt, Obama was eloquent, charming, and seemingly at ease. He had the advantage (a faculty and administration behind him, and the media framing it as the man of reason versus the rabble in the street, with, obligingly, Randall Terry performing that role as if on cue), and he seemed once again to know it. The students, who prepare for this day with years of labor and the love (and labor and cash) of their families behind them, were respectful and, as students tend to be around our rock-star President, wowed by his skill with words, his symbolic meaning in transcending our historic racial divide, and his graceful humor.
As for his speech, it was un-Barackesque in one sense – he came down from Olympus, where pay grades are seldom referred to at all, and made it plain that on the issue of human life, he does in fact disagree with those who stand for its sanctity. But he was Barackesque in striving to minimize those differences, in implying that there is “demonization” of opponents afoot (not from him, of course, just unnamed others), and suggesting that, to borrow an irritating catchphrase from a recent era in U.S. Catholic politics, he is all about “dialogue” with those who disagree with him.
There is the rub. Obama is a man of many mellifluous words, but he is also a man of many unambiguous actions, and every action he has taken to date has been a forthright dismantling of the culture of life and the wall of separation that has existed between taxpayers and abortion. A complete list would include all of his key personnel in White House domestic policy, HHS, State and the Justice Department. His policy enactments include rescinding the Mexico City policy that kept the international abortion industry out of the federal Treasury, rescinding the Bush conscience regulations designed to protect medical and health research personnel from having to participate in or facilitate abortion, eliminating all but a smidgeon of abstinence funding for the pregnancy centers that deal directly with women in need, lifting the ban on the use of District of Columbia funds to pay for abortion in his proposed budget, providing federal funding for experiments that rely on killing embryonic humans in fertility clients, and sending Planned Parenthood an additional $10 million federal love note, matching what they spent to elect him last year.
The President’s efforts to spur “dialogue” involve a low-level White House meeting where groups — including, for the record, FRC — are asked to come in and help craft a plan to “reduce the need for abortion.” To be credible, that plan would have to begin with reversing every decision Obama has made on abortion to date. But note the phraseology, which suggests a fundamental disagreement. Who speaks of a “need for child abuse”? Or a need for white collar crime? Or a need for bribery of public officials? If there is a need for something, just how wrong is it? Planned Parenthood and its allies secured this language in the Democratic Platform last year because they did not want any suggestion from their party that the act of abortion is a moral wrong. But if it is not a moral wrong, then it is hardly something that needs to be reduced, particularly if, as Planned Parenthood insists, it is physically safe and negligible in its mental health implications.
President Obama and his administration have extraordinary message discipline when it comes to these matters. That discipline will be on display again soon in the health care debate when the Democrats on the Hill insist that they are deferring that question to some other body (likely an HHS commission that will likewise pronounce itself for “dialogue”) for resolution. Is there any chance that an Obama-endorsed, government-financed health plan will exclude abortion and taxpayer participation in it? As a state legislator, Obama stood out as a man so concerned about protecting abortion in all circumstances that he led opposed laws to provide care for infants who survive the procedure.
Yesterday Notre Dame gave a high honor to such a man. He spoke eloquently. But the Jesuit fathers who taught me in high school and even a few of the Holy Cross priests who taught me at Notre Dame impressed on me to pay attention to what men do, not just what they say. They cited the Good Book on knowing people by their fruits. With Obama, that begins with what is being done to the fruit of the womb.
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Comments
Action do speak louder than words. In a heierarchial organization like the Roman Catholic church, I’m confused why can’t the Bishops defrock the priests at Notre Dame for supporting an act that was the most divisive possible in supporting Abortion on demand leader, barrack hussein obama? After all, Obama administration’s synchronized agreement with the notre dame Roman catholic heierarchs even arrested Obama’s political opponent for walking on campus sidewalks praying Roman Catholic prayers on a Roman Catholic campus. If The Bishops truly believe in the sanctity of life, seems discipline actions would be enacted immediately before the fire of divisiveness continues to prevail inside of the Church of Rome. Actions do indeed speak louder than words.
Tony Perkins was brilliant on Hannity and made excellent points concerning
the President’s speech yesterday.
Fancy words, to make abortion seem so petty and uneventful . One fact. He agrees to the slaughter of innocent souls that the Lord has created. The Lord watches everything on earth Ps 33:14
It seems there is a wonderful event occurring here, that “event” being the separating of the sheep from the goats. I’ve seen believers from nearly every denomination be divided on such important Bible Truths such as the sanctity of human life. It seems that you either truly believe The Word of God as written in the Bible, or you don’t. For so many Christians these days, truly knowing what is written in the Holy pages of the Bible are very much unknown. So much bombardment by the anti-life, anti-values
media has played a large roll in steamrolling over, even Christians hearts & minds, to swallow all the anti life rational. Yet, when it comes to whales & owls, so many are vehemently on board for protection. Our public schools are on board for teaching same sex marriages and yet so ready to slap the hands of anyone that would suggest
the unhealthiness of it. Time will show, (as it already has) the damage & confusion & pain this kind of trend has sowed. The instability and unsafe experimentation among
so many young people, coupled w/the rise in suicide should be a statistic noted in the need for Change. Only God can enlighten and change the heart of humans, but the Christian voice in believers plays a vital role in speaking God’s truth. I appreciate the Catholic believers who have used their position to be a voice for the truth concerning the sanctity of human life. Indeed, I appreciate every true believers stance and realization of the health and wholeness derived from adhering to God’s Written Word. It seems like anyone who truly appreciates “God’s Creation” or even “creation” as they view it, could understand the value of a beating heart in the womb. Denial that it is a human life will not be a rational that will protect them from the guilt they sense in their soul when a human life is exterminated. Time will be and
is the proof of this. Teaching what is healthy for human beings should outweigh encouraging whole sale doors open to every kind of damaging behavior. This is surely
not what is meant by the pursuit of human rights…Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Happiness!..But the stage is set…Let the results be tallied and let the people see
what ungodliness produces. It’s so ironic that the extreme Islamists hate us & feel our
elimination is necessary because we are clearly so ungodly & confused…They site our
ungodly culture & practices & values as a good reason for our downfall…I’d rather be a shining city on the hill offering Light & Life to all the world…As was the original idea
of our founding fathers….So, I’m seeing it will have to be the Church, the true
bride of Christ that will have to be who She Is…The true believers all over the World
will have to be That City. It’s pretty clear that the United States is not.
Last week CNS News had an article about why the Notre Dame authorities invited the President to speak evan with the opposition of most Catholics. Simply put, the Board of the college is composed of rich liberals who wanted the President to air his views at the school. Simply put, the “visible” leadership of the college knows which side their bread is buttered on. They could be out of a job otherwise.
I think it is important to mention the local Bishop who did not attend the graduation. Bishop John D’Arcy went to an outdoor Mass where about 2500 people were gathered. At the end of Mass he spoke to the people who were there he called them”heroes” and said he was proud to stand with them. Then he went to alumni chapel to pray. It was packed with people praying. All those prayers will not go unananswered.
Well put brother Chuck. For the past several decades we have witnessed the demise of any pretense of objectivity with the main media, especially as they carry water for the abortion peddlars. Yet, the new Gallup Poll showing 51% of Americans claiming a pro-life view may well represent a groundswell of hope for progress again on the life issues. What actions that slim majority choose to take remains to be seen. For sure they will need much inspiration and wisdom over the next decades as they take leadership of the pro-life cause.
Obama is evil, we do not raise him up on a Christian platform, I don’t have any respect for him. I refuse to listen to anything he has to say, the Devil is a very clever liar. He said you need to come to terms with abortion very clearly, are you going to accept that or reject it as a lie from the Devil???? God never said he would compromise with the Devil, he will destroy the Devil, cast him into Hell. Do you want to go to Hell with him???
I am so disgusted with ND; shame on Fr. Jenkins and those who fall at Obama’s feet. As an Orthodox Catholic Christian, my heart just aches. I gave my life to Jesus in 1976. I love the Church and all that she stands for; I know this is where Jesus wants me. I so love our Church, even though it is not perfect. How can it be?–we are human beings that make it up. The “cafeteria” Catholics only pick and choose what they want. Obama has a slick tongue. I see no fruit in him (says he is a Christian). How then can he stomach and bless the culture of death? Not all Catholics are swayed him; certainly not this one. He is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The Lord must grieve at what He sees and what ND has allowed. May our Lord have mercy on Obama and those who bestowed such a privilege on him. I cannot believe how a “true” Christian could have voted for him? I suppose they are blinded. His words and actions are so opposite to the Gospel and what Christ taught. You cannot have both ways. Yes, as scripture says, (poorly paraphrased): they will tickle your ears. He is slick alright. Not all Catholic Christinas are cafeteria Christians. Many of us are willing to take a stand for what we know is right, regardless of the outcome. We serve God, not man. Again, shame those at Norte Dame who kissed up to this man.
Clearly, we are in the midst of a battle, not only for each generation to come , but also for the soul of our once great nation. Prayer, fasting, and the distribution of absolute truth, are in short supply, but remain primary, to turning the tide and battle, in order that we may see enduring values honored again. The BHO speech and honorary degree, at ND will remain a travesty to everyone who loves the truth.
I think that our culture , the way we answer the important questions of life , has departed form the truth of God’s word, and is un Godly. In it’s place we find proud people who think that compromising the truth is good dialogue ,it is not good for anything except dividing people from the truth. Tolerance for ungodly abortion’s will bring the consequences, as we seein our out of control society, and suicide, and loss of love.We must lovingly confront this wrong with a request to repent, and hold out the truth that abortion does not build up a society, instead it leads to confusion. The truth is righteousness exalts a nation ,but Un Godliness is a reproach to any people . If people were reading and letting God’s truth transform them, and guide them they would never tolerate the hypocrisy of our president, but such were all of us before Christ became our saviour and Lord. We need to pray that he will come to a Damascus rodd experirnce, and ask and find who the lord Jesus Christ is. A double minded man will not recieve anything of the lord, and if it is not from God, then it can only be un godly, may our nation hear God’s voice and repent. Randy
Excellent article….sadly not one word from Obama about the importance of two parent families, traditional marriage and clearly the santity of life isn’t on his radar screen even for a second. He is always preaching his arrogant, haughty, “I know the way” sermon on every issue. He thinks us fools…and some people are…those who do not see through his orchestrated “show”…I missed the twenty flags behind him….by the way how about the new statistics that 40% of children are now born out of wedlock, in 2002 it was about 32%….ahhh!!!! progress….sure lets stop all abstience funding and destroy traditional marriage…Way to Go Obama and Notre Dame…you should be ashamed ….
By: Bioethike » Blog Archive » Chuck Donovan: Obama at Notre Dame | May 18, 2009 at 9:21 am
[...] Donovan over at the Family Research Council’s blog offers some first impressions on President Obama’s speech at Notre Dame yesterday. [...]