It seems the President has been invited to give the commencement address at the home of the Fighting Irish. Those who lie in wait to attack anything that offends their sensibilities are already sounding the trumpet against the Golden Dome. Conservative Catholics, including William McGurn of the Wall Street Journal speaking on Fox News, would like to see this invitation rescinded. Isn't it wonderful that so many people are ready and willing to make sure we know what they consider inappropriate behavior the moment we might be tempted to make a decision for ourselves.
A Catholic University cannot invite someone to speak who supports any form of abortion rights. Why? Is it because the President has nothing of value to say on any issue since his position on abortion is wrong? Maybe it is the fear that he will say something in support of abortion rights at the commencement. Of course he could just be asked not to do so. Could it be that his presence at the University will cause millions of people to change their positions on abortion? Just what is the horror that aflicts certain groups about 'the enemy' having a platform at a Catholic University?
I believe the foreign policy debate from the presidential campaign may be instructive here. In this sphere the president seems to have had the appropriate attitude since early in his campaign. He promised to negotiate with our enemies including Iran. The late Prime Minister Rabin of Israel also had it right when he said "you don't make peace with your friends, you make peace with your enemies". John Kennedy was also on the mark when he said "we will never negotiate out of fear, but we will never fear to negotiate".
It seems the issue of abortion has been elevated by some to the level of a major foreign policy issue. Thus we may need to approach it on that same level. But the reality is, however we want to consider the issue, the idea of banning well known people from speaking at our Universities seems counter productive. Continuing with the theme of foreign policy we see how in the Bush administration the refusal to speak with those we disagreed with led to festering problems. It also made progress difficult when it was not possible to communicate with precisely those people we needed to talk to. Cultivating working and productive relationships with those around us seems a wise thing to do.
Interestingly, the decision not to invite the president does not isolate him, but rather isolates those who would withhold an invitation. Why would anyone want to do this? Why should an important Catholic University like Notre Dame be subjected to a few loud voices insisting on what they feel should be done? Do these poeople really believe that the president has nothing meaningful to say to graduates of this University. We are talking about the leader of the free world - a reasonably significant position. He is making decisions daily that affect all of us. As with every president we will like some of his decisions and not like others. The concept of cutting ourselves off from communication with such an individual makes little sense. It should also be noted that President Obama is not a Catholic, and there is no reason he should be expected to adhere to Catholic teaching. Without addressing the position that abortion can be seen to be wrong by natural law arguments, let it just be said that there are a lot of people in this country and throughout the world including the president who are not convinced by the natural law argument.
The bottom line for me is, do you really want to live in a world where the abortion issue is so important that one cannot respond in an effective way to all the other issues that need attention. If abortion always trumps poverty, crises in North Korea or Afghanistan, or floods in North Dakota then perhaps another reading of the Gospels might be useful. If a person's reaction to abortion is used to determine ones attitude toward everything else that person does, this is not a world that makes much sense to me.
I remember a nun in Chatechism class many years ago who used to say that being in mortal sin was like a blind author who was eagerly typing his manuscript only to find out the next day that there was no ribbon in the typewriter so all his work was in vain. The implication was that nothing you might do, even good works, would have any value if you were in the state of mortal sin. It always seemed to me that God would know what you were doing even if there was no ribbon in the typewriter.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
The Stem Cell Debate
During the early middle ages (also known as the Dark Ages) the Church held complete sway over every aspect of human behavior. Dissidents could be, and often were, run through with the sword or burned at the stake. If the Church decreed that the sun revolved around the earth, no amount of scientific evidence could refute such a decree.
There are times when it appears that some would like to go back to those glorious days of Christianity. I must confess that I am not one of them. The Church also teaches that the first and most important teachers of Christianity are your parents. The first teaching I learned from my Mother was that "God gave you a brain and he expects you to use it". Fortunately, the fathers of the Second Vatican Council enshrined into the teachings of the Catholic Church for all time the doctrine of the primacy of conscience. Church fathers today can deemphasize it or pretend it's not there, but they will never be able to remove it from the teachings of the Church.
So we now have the outcry about the Obama administration removing the ban on embryonic stem cell research. Understand that this outcry is a purely political response. First of all, this move is not a surprise. It is the fulfillment of a campaign promise. President Obama made clear that he would do this from early on in his campaign. Also, the dire consequences are far over done. Much less is changing than meets the eye. This kind of research has been going on all over the world. It has also been going on legally by private companies in this country. A number of states have authorized and provided funding for such research. The only change is that federal dollars can now be used for this purpose.
Opponents of this kind of stem cell research will say that it is unnecessary because adult stem cells are doing just fine. This is not an honest argument. They are really asking scientests to approach stem cells with one arm tied behind their backs. Science is about exploring every possibility, like Edison who tried every possible substance in his light bulb until he found the right filament. Most didn't work, but he finally found the right material which is precisely how science is supposed to work. Stem cell opponents eliminate what most scientests say is the most promising avenue of progress and claim they are not infringing on the operation of science. They make this point even though the cells in question are destined to be destroyed anyway. Do they prefer that the cells simply be destroyed rather than that their destruction benefit others? It is the same argument that says I would rather my son die of aids than that he be allowed to use a condom. That is an argument that most people find incomprehensible.
Of course the primary concern for these opponents is the destruction of human life, which is a serious and legitimate concern. Yet most people including many conservative politicians have made a judgement that the incredible promise of this research for alleviating suffering and disease outweighs such concerns. Perhaps they are wrong. Perhaps the lives of the Christopher Reeves, Michael J. Foxes, mothers, fathers, and children of the world are not important enough to approve research that may transform their lives.
The bottom line remains, however, that in our pluralistic society of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and non-believers, one group no matter how sure they may be of their correctness does not get to make decisions for everyone else. Certainly every group has a right and absolutely should have their voice heard. The Church, however, too often continues to believe that we still live in the middle ages. No they don't usually run dissenters through with the sword or burn them at the stake, but they are still quite good at destroying people's lives. To characterize all those who disagree as evil, or acting in bad faith is beneath the charity that God demands of his Church. The destruction of peoples careers and the loss of genuinely valuable insights whenever the Church has the leverage to do so is not the mark of a valued institution and contributing member of the world we live in in the 21st century. State your case as clearly as possible, but recognize that others may see things differently, and that doesn't mean they belong to the 'axis of evil'.
There are times when it appears that some would like to go back to those glorious days of Christianity. I must confess that I am not one of them. The Church also teaches that the first and most important teachers of Christianity are your parents. The first teaching I learned from my Mother was that "God gave you a brain and he expects you to use it". Fortunately, the fathers of the Second Vatican Council enshrined into the teachings of the Catholic Church for all time the doctrine of the primacy of conscience. Church fathers today can deemphasize it or pretend it's not there, but they will never be able to remove it from the teachings of the Church.
So we now have the outcry about the Obama administration removing the ban on embryonic stem cell research. Understand that this outcry is a purely political response. First of all, this move is not a surprise. It is the fulfillment of a campaign promise. President Obama made clear that he would do this from early on in his campaign. Also, the dire consequences are far over done. Much less is changing than meets the eye. This kind of research has been going on all over the world. It has also been going on legally by private companies in this country. A number of states have authorized and provided funding for such research. The only change is that federal dollars can now be used for this purpose.
Opponents of this kind of stem cell research will say that it is unnecessary because adult stem cells are doing just fine. This is not an honest argument. They are really asking scientests to approach stem cells with one arm tied behind their backs. Science is about exploring every possibility, like Edison who tried every possible substance in his light bulb until he found the right filament. Most didn't work, but he finally found the right material which is precisely how science is supposed to work. Stem cell opponents eliminate what most scientests say is the most promising avenue of progress and claim they are not infringing on the operation of science. They make this point even though the cells in question are destined to be destroyed anyway. Do they prefer that the cells simply be destroyed rather than that their destruction benefit others? It is the same argument that says I would rather my son die of aids than that he be allowed to use a condom. That is an argument that most people find incomprehensible.
Of course the primary concern for these opponents is the destruction of human life, which is a serious and legitimate concern. Yet most people including many conservative politicians have made a judgement that the incredible promise of this research for alleviating suffering and disease outweighs such concerns. Perhaps they are wrong. Perhaps the lives of the Christopher Reeves, Michael J. Foxes, mothers, fathers, and children of the world are not important enough to approve research that may transform their lives.
The bottom line remains, however, that in our pluralistic society of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and non-believers, one group no matter how sure they may be of their correctness does not get to make decisions for everyone else. Certainly every group has a right and absolutely should have their voice heard. The Church, however, too often continues to believe that we still live in the middle ages. No they don't usually run dissenters through with the sword or burn them at the stake, but they are still quite good at destroying people's lives. To characterize all those who disagree as evil, or acting in bad faith is beneath the charity that God demands of his Church. The destruction of peoples careers and the loss of genuinely valuable insights whenever the Church has the leverage to do so is not the mark of a valued institution and contributing member of the world we live in in the 21st century. State your case as clearly as possible, but recognize that others may see things differently, and that doesn't mean they belong to the 'axis of evil'.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Junie
My brother, Dr. Vito A. Perriello Jr. of Charlottesville, Virginia died unexpectedly on March 1, 2009. In the last few weeks before he died I had shared my blog with him and he had become quite a fan. I am, therefore, publishing this blog today in honor of him. It represents remarks I made at his funeral.
As we gather to celebrate the life of the good doctor, we acknowledge that the unthinkable has occurred. Our patriarch, husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, Doctor, and friend is gone. We ask how can this be? How can it be explained? But we know that there is no way to explain it. There is no way to understand it.
We do better, I believe, to remember all that he meant to us, his importance in our lives, and how he will always remain a part of us. For me, he was my brother. We called him Junie, because he was a junior. Together with my sister Mary Louise, we had a shared history of growing up together in Dunbar, West Virginia. The truth is I idolized him. He was my big brother and he could do no wrong. I would follow him wherever he would lead. Whenever we would go together to do a mushud (family members will know what I mean by mushud) I would just hang back and wait for him to take care of any business that needed to be handled.
At some point I recognized that I would never be able to function as an independent individual unless I separated myself a bit and struck out on my own. I'm guessing some of his children may have experiencd just a bit of this also. He was a larger than life figure that could at times seem even a little intimidating, yet he always wanted only what was best for each of us. He made himself available to assist us with any need we might have.
His family was central to everything he did. He created traditions to hold the family together, and was never happier than when all members of the family were enjoying being together and spending time together. My own children always checked with him whenever they were sick. My daughter Marites, who can't stand being anywhere near a doctor would always want to know what her Uncle Junie had to say about any illness she had or thought she had. Both Marites, and my son, JoJo, would call him for advice when they were sick without even telling us that they were going to call. They trusted and felt comfortable and reassured going to him when they had a need. Sometimes, my wife Norma would call to ask Junie for advice and he would tell her what he had already suggested to the children. She would ask how he knew that Marites was sick and he would tell her that she had called him the night before.
He loved and lived life to the fullest. We shared many of the same interests, including music, sports, and food. Yet his interests were always so much more intense than mine. He had such a zest for life. He enjoyed everything he did, and put everything he had into it. For example, I enjoy listening to an old Louis Armstrong recording. Junie heads off to jazz camp in Vermont. I also enjoy watching the Baltimore Ravens on TV. Junie, instead, would be using his season tickets for Virginia games in lacrosse, basketball, and football. Important games would see him on the road catching all the action live. The only area where I could probably keep up with him would be food, and we won't go there this morning.
And so we say good bye to Junie. We know he's already up there watching over us. We know he will always be with us. Soon he will be nudging and encouraging Linda to quit being so sad and to get up and go on with her life. He is still here keeping an eye on Elizabeth and Bo's wonderful children. You know he will be watching each grand child as they grow and develop, and he will be cheering and swelling with pride at each of their accomplishments. He's also going to be watching Paige with pride as she continues in the practice that has meant so much to him. And as for Congressman Tom, he will certainly be pushing him hard to do a great job in the Congress of the United States.
Finally, he will also be rejoicing as he enters those pearly gates and reconnects with family and friends. And he will be doing one other thing too. In the words of an old Negro spiritual that he loved to sing since we were kids, "All God's children got shoes. And when I gets to heaven, I'm gonna put on my shoes, and I'm gonna walk all over God's heaven"
As we gather to celebrate the life of the good doctor, we acknowledge that the unthinkable has occurred. Our patriarch, husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, Doctor, and friend is gone. We ask how can this be? How can it be explained? But we know that there is no way to explain it. There is no way to understand it.
We do better, I believe, to remember all that he meant to us, his importance in our lives, and how he will always remain a part of us. For me, he was my brother. We called him Junie, because he was a junior. Together with my sister Mary Louise, we had a shared history of growing up together in Dunbar, West Virginia. The truth is I idolized him. He was my big brother and he could do no wrong. I would follow him wherever he would lead. Whenever we would go together to do a mushud (family members will know what I mean by mushud) I would just hang back and wait for him to take care of any business that needed to be handled.
At some point I recognized that I would never be able to function as an independent individual unless I separated myself a bit and struck out on my own. I'm guessing some of his children may have experiencd just a bit of this also. He was a larger than life figure that could at times seem even a little intimidating, yet he always wanted only what was best for each of us. He made himself available to assist us with any need we might have.
His family was central to everything he did. He created traditions to hold the family together, and was never happier than when all members of the family were enjoying being together and spending time together. My own children always checked with him whenever they were sick. My daughter Marites, who can't stand being anywhere near a doctor would always want to know what her Uncle Junie had to say about any illness she had or thought she had. Both Marites, and my son, JoJo, would call him for advice when they were sick without even telling us that they were going to call. They trusted and felt comfortable and reassured going to him when they had a need. Sometimes, my wife Norma would call to ask Junie for advice and he would tell her what he had already suggested to the children. She would ask how he knew that Marites was sick and he would tell her that she had called him the night before.
He loved and lived life to the fullest. We shared many of the same interests, including music, sports, and food. Yet his interests were always so much more intense than mine. He had such a zest for life. He enjoyed everything he did, and put everything he had into it. For example, I enjoy listening to an old Louis Armstrong recording. Junie heads off to jazz camp in Vermont. I also enjoy watching the Baltimore Ravens on TV. Junie, instead, would be using his season tickets for Virginia games in lacrosse, basketball, and football. Important games would see him on the road catching all the action live. The only area where I could probably keep up with him would be food, and we won't go there this morning.
And so we say good bye to Junie. We know he's already up there watching over us. We know he will always be with us. Soon he will be nudging and encouraging Linda to quit being so sad and to get up and go on with her life. He is still here keeping an eye on Elizabeth and Bo's wonderful children. You know he will be watching each grand child as they grow and develop, and he will be cheering and swelling with pride at each of their accomplishments. He's also going to be watching Paige with pride as she continues in the practice that has meant so much to him. And as for Congressman Tom, he will certainly be pushing him hard to do a great job in the Congress of the United States.
Finally, he will also be rejoicing as he enters those pearly gates and reconnects with family and friends. And he will be doing one other thing too. In the words of an old Negro spiritual that he loved to sing since we were kids, "All God's children got shoes. And when I gets to heaven, I'm gonna put on my shoes, and I'm gonna walk all over God's heaven"
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
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