qfnol31 Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 Msgr. Pope, from my Archdiocese, had this to say about the March for Life: http://blog.adw.org/2012/01/the-pro-life-march-is-not-just-to-march-for-life-it-is-to-experience-life/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kujo Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 Not a waste of time at all. I've been to a couple and found them to be interesting displays of religious, social and political activism. That being said, I don't think they are "solving" anything. It's like a retreat--it makes you "feel" good for a little while, refocuses your attention and maybe teaches you a few things you might not have otherwise known. But at the end of the day, the retreat doesn't "change" you, nor does it "fix" any of the problems you walked in with. You have to go out and make the necessary changes on your own; you don't get to stay up on the hill with Jesus, Moses and Elijah. It's the same here--the March For Life sometimes feels like a pep rally, to get pro-lifers motivated and pumped up to make a difference in their communities. To that end, it's very useful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinytherese Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 What's really frustrating is the lack of media coverage. You'd think that Fox News would at least do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kujo Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 [quote name='tinytherese' timestamp='1327876614' post='2377170'] What's really frustrating is the lack of media coverage. You'd think that Fox News would at least do it. [/quote] Not much of a "story." There's nothing dynamic about it. It's sorta the same schpeal every year. That's why I haven't gone in several years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Socrates Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 [quote name='Maximilianus' timestamp='1327838619' post='2376908'] And just a gathering for self-congradulatory people getting together over a boutique issue. This friar seems to think so. In the comments another friar, a priest, is on board with his thinking. [url="http://datinggod.org/2012/01/23/why-i-do-not-support-the-so-called-march-for-life/"]http://datinggod.org/2012/01/23/why-i-do-not-support-the-so-called-march-for-life/[/url] H/T American Catholic, here you can read [url="http://the-american-catholic.com/2012/01/24/brother-dan-doesnt-like-the-march-for-life/"]response[/url] to Brother Daniel's article It's bad enough when the laity has these types of views, views that work against the pro-life movement, but when consercrated religious and clergy do, it makes things harder. [/quote] Unfortunately, there are too many Catholic religious and clergy who put leftist politics ahead of the Catholic Faith. Fortunately, I think that generation of lefty "social activist" clergy and religious is dying out, and the younger generation of priests and religious tends to be more spiritually focused. Donald McClarey gave a good answer there, though most of Brother Daniel's vacuous "arguments" against the March are almost too stupid and inane to be worth responding to. Even if it does not enact immediate visible political change, speaking up for what's right is always a good thing, and on the political level, at least lets politicians know that we pro-lifers are out there and cannot safely be ignored, and will not just go away. Obviously, a lot more needs to be done for the pro-life cause than simply attending marches and protests, but the "either or" false dichotomy used in these sorts of "arguments" is bogus. Attending a March for Life once a year doesn't keep anyone from doing other things to help the pro-life movement or help pregnant women. I think "social justice" folks like Bro Daniel are mostly pist because they know pro-life protesters are less likely to support liberal Democrat politicians. Unfortunately, this year I wasn't able to make it to any March for Life, though I feel bad about it. I don't look down on people if they choose not to attend march for life events for whatever reason, but attacking those who do in this way is despicable. And they accuse us of being judgmental! [quote name='Ash Wednesday' timestamp='1327848378' post='2376935'] I liked the part where he was complaining about the lack of racial and ethnic diversity. To all my fellow whiteys out there, you are not allowed to care about anything or do anything. Just stay home, play video games, surf the internet, and most of all, rejoice in your radiant whiteness. [/quote] Indeed. Playing the race card is the favorite tactic of a desperate liberal. Incidentally, there are plenty of people from a variety of different races at the March for Life events (one of the most fiery speakers at the D.C. March is a black preacher), though I'd certainly welcome more people of every race. Certainly nobody is barring or discouraging people of racial minorities from attending. Of course, the not-so-subtle subtext of such complaining about lack of racial diversity is that those attending must [i]really[/i] have a racist agenda. It's really a Nazi march in disguise! beaver dam right-wing fascists! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arfink Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 [quote name='Ash Wednesday' timestamp='1327848378' post='2376935'] I liked the part where he was complaining about the lack of racial and ethnic diversity. To all my fellow whiteys out there, you are not allowed to care about anything or do anything. Just stay home, play video games, surf the internet, and most of all, rejoice in your radiant whiteness. [/quote] [quote name='Ash Wednesday' timestamp='1327848378' post='2376935'] play video games, surf the internet, and most of all, rejoice in your radiant whiteness. [/quote] [quote name='Ash Wednesday' timestamp='1327848378' post='2376935'] rejoice in your radiant whiteness. [/quote] [quote name='Ash Wednesday' timestamp='1327848378' post='2376935'] radiant whiteness. [/quote] YUSS. BLINDING VOIP! [img]http://a2.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/44/ae2f0c2cc8e91116a16b568074215ed4/l.jpg[/img] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Socrates Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 [quote name='Maggie' timestamp='1327857397' post='2376992'] I think the March is a good thing and I think it is wonderful there is so much prayer involved, but at the same time it can kind of be seen as a Right Wing Jesus People March. I think legalized abortion will only end when it is seen as a secular civil rights issue, not just as a "religious beliefs" issue. So I am conflicted, like in the video there are images of the crucifix and Our Lady of Guadalupe and while I know at a deeper level that is great and good, I almost wish there was less of that. [/quote] So as a "Right Wing Jesus Person," must I keep my views to myself and keep out of the public sphere, lest my very presence offend the politically correct of the world? I get your point, though I believe plenty of people are making the secular case against abortion. I don't think religion should be necessarily kept out of the fight against abortion, as we must remember at the core, we're fighting Powers and Principalities, and the evil of abortion will be won primarily through prayer and the grace of God. Also, call me cynical, but I doubt the sort of hardened atheists who go into conniptions at the sight of a crucifix or other Christian symbol will really be much inclined to support the pro-life cause to begin with. There's a reason few atheists are pro-life; they are less likely to see human life as having inherent sacred value in itself, but are more likely to regard it's value as being determined by other factors, such as the baby's level of physical or intellectual development, or the value other persons place on it. Interestingly, the left generally has no problem with the overt presence of religion in other civil rights causes, such as the racial civil rights cause (whose leaders, such as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., were often ordained preachers who used a lot of religious language to support their cause), nor with trying to get religion and churches to actively support more lefty political causes such as environmentalism. It seems like its only with politically incorrect causes such as the pro-life cause, that all "religious" speech is considered anathema. [quote name='Norseman82' timestamp='1327870349' post='2377113'] I agree. I actually believe photos of Mother Theresa and Bl. John Paul II, Pope, holding babies make it a "Catholics only" issue, whereas graphic photos, as disturbing as it may be to some, force the public to see that this is not just a "Catholic issue" but rather the holocaust that it is. [/quote] Of course, many people will condemn graphic photos, as well as any comparisons to the holocaust. And urging people to vote pro-life will be condemned as "politicizing the issue." It seems you just can't win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
add Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 My daughter and I made it to the RTL March last Monday. There were well over a 100,000 people- lots of nuns, priests, the young and the old. We even ran into neighbors and friends there. At one point we saw a sign that said "adopt not abort" and my daughter made the comment that Steve Jobs (creator of Apple who died recently) was adopted. I said that if his mother had aborted him the world as we know it might be a different place. I think it helped her to see the unborn as human beings. The weather was cold and rainy but we really had a good day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice_nine Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Brother, don't smoke meth. It makes you delusional over time. love, Ice-nein Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arfink Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 On a more serious note: watching people march in the march for life was one of the ways my faith was strengthened in high school. I went to the big one in DC when I was in college seminary, and it was one of the better things I have done with my life so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InPersonaChriste Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 I unfortunately did not March for Life, but I didn't think it was a waste of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG45 Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Didn't march, but no it's not a waste of time. As one person already said, if even one life is saved, it wasn't wasted effort. One of my favorite book series is about a Succubus who hates her day job, and in deference to not knowing if Missyp89 is caught up yet, I'll put this next part in spoiler tags. But an angel is talking about that point to the Succubus: [spoiler]"I'm just one person. One soul. All your work and energy....I mean, it can't have all been just for one soul. An angel can't be soley dedicated to that." "Well," he said, clearly enjoying my confusion, "it was actually for two souls, since you and Seth were both saved. But even if it wasn't, it still would've been worth it. Do you know the price of one soul, Georgina? It's beyond rubies and diamonds, beyond any mortal reckoning. If it had taken me centuries, if it had taken a dozen more angels to help me, it all would have been worth it."[/spoiler] A human life is worth so much more than we can imagine, the innocents lost to abortion so precious and full of potential that will never be realized. A lifetime of marches and prayer that saved one child and mother would be worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
add Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 [quote name='Ice_nine' timestamp='1327889660' post='2377308'] Brother, don't smoke meth. It makes you delusional over time. love, Ice-nein [/quote] I love you too! Sweetheart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beatitude Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 [quote name='dUSt' timestamp='1327856530' post='2376984'] He said the only way to stop abortion is by changing one person at a time. And that is OUR job. Each of us must have the courage to defend life everywhere we go--at our jobs, our schools, within our families, etc. It is up to US to change hearts--not the government. [/quote] This is so true, and reading that I had a sudden vivid image of Christ's work in the gospels. The only time he stood face to face with the political authorities of his day (Pilate) was the time when his work on earth was about to reach its climax. After John the Baptist was beheaded on Herod's orders, and Herod heard the rumours of Jesus starting to circulate, he was keen to see this powerful new person. The Bible simply tells us, "And Herod kept trying to see him." (Luke 9:9) But Herod never got his wish until Pilate sent Jesus to him towards the end of Jesus' life on earth. In all the years that preceded his crucifixion, Christ was with ordinary people, changing one life at a time. I expect some people must have looked at him and thought he wasn't very effective, and that he should be trying to make new laws or influence the leadership more. But Christianity is about relationships - real, warm, loving relationships between individuals, as taught to us by the very mention of the Blessed Trinity - so this is the best way for us to work, even if it doesn't always seem the most practical. It isn't a law that will save an unborn baby and his or her struggling parents. It is love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice_nine Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 [quote name='add' timestamp='1327924447' post='2377580'] I love you too! Sweetheart [/quote] lol I was talking about the brother who wrote the article. Not you silly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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