Obama at Notre Dame -- OMG
A response to a NY Times article opposing Obama at
Notre Dame.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/12/opinion/12allen.html?_r=1&th&emc=th
Here we have someone complaining about Notre Dame's invitation to President Obama delivering the commencement speech. He says it isn't an issue of inviting a sitting president, for he supports, not only Notre Dame's invitation to Reagan in 1980 but also Notre Dame's conferring on Reagan an honorary degree, but for Notre Dame to confer on a president who supports abortion an honorary degree. In other words, this boils down, as always, to the issue of abortion as if abortion were the only concern of Catholics, the Catholic Church, or Catholic intellectuals.
Before continuing, we should remember that Thomas did not believe that abortion was a sin, nor did the Catholic church until late in the 19th century. Thomas didn't think of abortion as the killing of human life because he accepted Aristotle's conception of when the fetus was ensouled -- around 40 days, or the moment of quickening. (For you Highlander fans, no, not when the child becomes immortal -- although I guess there is some parallel -- but when the fetus first moved in the womb.) Certainly Thomas would accept that abortion is wrong from the moment of concepton with a more modern notion of human development. But this point of historical fact should counsel us that things are not always so clear, and that we need to be humble on these issue. I am NOT saying that abortion is morally correct -- it isn't (except under conditions of the principle of double effect). What I am saying is that we should demonize those who accept abortion, e.g. by denying to them an honorary degree.
To wit, why was it okay to give Reagan an honorary degree when he violated so much of Catholic Social Teaching? We should be incensed at Notre Dame for that if we are going to raise problems with Notre Dame offering Obama an honorary degree. Reagan was a prime initiate of the culture of death, supporting the death penalty and making it increasingly difficult to free those on death row, instigating wars, selling arms to Iran, reducing the role of unions, etc. Life and politics are NOT reducible to abortion, and to treat Catholic faith as if it is reducible to abortion is, not only false, but damaging to the faith and possibilities to holiness.
Finally, since I mentioned Thomas Aquinas, we should remember that Thomas is important because he combined the pagan philosophy of Aristotle with that of the Christian philosophy of Augustine. His model shows us that we must be open to hearing the opposing side and, as St. Augustine says, taking from the non-believer those truths he sees. Just because we confer on Obama an honorary degree does NOT mean that we accept everything he believes in --we're not saying he's Pope sitting ex cathedra. We are recognizing the brilliance of a political leader.
People, especially Catholics, need to step back and look at their whole faith, not just part of it. They need to realize that society is not completely evil -- nothing is completely evil. We can convert unless we open ourselves up to engagement with the other. That is the path of growth as well as the true path of the Catholic.
Here we have someone complaining about Notre Dame's invitation to President Obama delivering the commencement speech. He says it isn't an issue of inviting a sitting president, for he supports, not only Notre Dame's invitation to Reagan in 1980 but also Notre Dame's conferring on Reagan an honorary degree, but for Notre Dame to confer on a president who supports abortion an honorary degree. In other words, this boils down, as always, to the issue of abortion as if abortion were the only concern of Catholics, the Catholic Church, or Catholic intellectuals.
Before continuing, we should remember that Thomas did not believe that abortion was a sin, nor did the Catholic church until late in the 19th century. Thomas didn't think of abortion as the killing of human life because he accepted Aristotle's conception of when the fetus was ensouled -- around 40 days, or the moment of quickening. (For you Highlander fans, no, not when the child becomes immortal -- although I guess there is some parallel -- but when the fetus first moved in the womb.) Certainly Thomas would accept that abortion is wrong from the moment of concepton with a more modern notion of human development. But this point of historical fact should counsel us that things are not always so clear, and that we need to be humble on these issue. I am NOT saying that abortion is morally correct -- it isn't (except under conditions of the principle of double effect). What I am saying is that we should demonize those who accept abortion, e.g. by denying to them an honorary degree.
To wit, why was it okay to give Reagan an honorary degree when he violated so much of Catholic Social Teaching? We should be incensed at Notre Dame for that if we are going to raise problems with Notre Dame offering Obama an honorary degree. Reagan was a prime initiate of the culture of death, supporting the death penalty and making it increasingly difficult to free those on death row, instigating wars, selling arms to Iran, reducing the role of unions, etc. Life and politics are NOT reducible to abortion, and to treat Catholic faith as if it is reducible to abortion is, not only false, but damaging to the faith and possibilities to holiness.
Finally, since I mentioned Thomas Aquinas, we should remember that Thomas is important because he combined the pagan philosophy of Aristotle with that of the Christian philosophy of Augustine. His model shows us that we must be open to hearing the opposing side and, as St. Augustine says, taking from the non-believer those truths he sees. Just because we confer on Obama an honorary degree does NOT mean that we accept everything he believes in --we're not saying he's Pope sitting ex cathedra. We are recognizing the brilliance of a political leader.
People, especially Catholics, need to step back and look at their whole faith, not just part of it. They need to realize that society is not completely evil -- nothing is completely evil. We can convert unless we open ourselves up to engagement with the other. That is the path of growth as well as the true path of the Catholic.