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David • 04/21/09 • 3:24 PM:

I agree with you Dad (as do a few of my friends who read your post). But as I am agreeing with you, I am still uneasy about the role of politics in religion and vice versa - and the fact that the US is an empire. Pretty much the kind of thing Jesus was against 2000 years ago.

I do think that it will open up needed dialogue on the issue of abortion. And perhaps it will do a fair amount of good. I certainly think the issue is far bigger than just ND and Obama. As Mother Theresa said, “Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching people to love, but to use violence to get what they want. That’s why the greatest destroyer of peace is abortion.”

David • 04/24/09 • 10:51 AM:

On a somewhat related note - here’s an article, Islam, Virgins and Grapes by Nick Kristof about new Islamic scholarship and the Koran. It also talks about a conference on the subject that happened at Notre Dame. Like abortion, this is a topic that needs to be discussed and dialogued (is that word?). I’m happy to see that ND is a place for this.

Dad • 04/24/09 • 11:57 AM:

To some extent, I see our country’s acceptance of abortion as a failure of the church to make its case in a compelling enough way. It’s also a sign that our country, contrary to popular belief, is not a Christian nation, and never was. Considering what is happening in Islam, maybe that’s a good thing.

Christ’s teaching doesn’t translate well into a system of laws, especially when the lawyers/pharisees get a hold of it. Hence, a band of Christians can’t become an empire without losing it’s character.

As for studying to Koran at ND, I’m in favor of it. What’s the Islamic stance on abortion, by the way?

David • 04/24/09 • 8:30 PM:

Here are some links on religion and abortion. From the BBC. From wikipedia. And another BBC

Dad • 04/24/09 • 10:03 PM:

Interesting that all religions view abortion as wrong under most circumstances, especially late in the pregnancy. Making it a legal issue requires that it be defined precisely and that appropriate punishment(s) be assigned. That’s where it gets dicey. If you define human life as beginning at any time before birth, then abortion at an earlier time is first degree murder. That doesn’t seem right. If government stays out of it, as Roe v. Wade forces ours to do, this is tantamount to signing the death warrants of 40+ million babies. This is evil, masquerading as a “woman’s reproductive right.” God have mercy on us all.

Dad • 04/27/09 • 6:12 PM:

Now Mary Ann Glendon has declined to accept the Laetare Medal at Notre Dame’s commencement. Her letter indicates her opposition to Obama receiving an honorary degree rather than his appearance as commencement speaker. Also, she rightly indicates that commencement is not the right venue to address serious issues such as abortion. In declining the invite, she aligns herself with the Catholic bishops, who have asked that Catholic institutions “not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles.”

David • 04/29/09 • 2:58 PM:

I like what she has to say. And I tend to agree with her, as she makes good points. Some questions - where was/is her opposition to the Bush white house? And why didn’t she turn down her position from George W.? Certainly the Bush administration’s views were at least as contradictory to church teaching (probably worse) as Obama’s. My questions are: is this hypocritical of her? And is it political? I don’t know.

Dad • 04/29/09 • 4:08 PM:

Good points, David. So far, Obama has only killed 3 pirates. Bush, on the other hand, has caused the deaths of over 4000 Americans and tens of thousands of Iraqis.

David • 04/29/09 • 4:46 PM:

Okay. This is what I’ve been waiting for - commentary from Father Robert Barron on the Obama/ND deal. Father Barron is a Catholic priest who spoke at my church a few months ago. I’ve watched and listened to a few of his talks on youtube. He is very clear and intelligent. In this piece he offers some clear and strong words in opposition to honoring Obama at Notre Dame. I don’t think I can disagree with him on any of his points. (Partly that shows that I am still thinking about this and struggling over it).

Side note: take a look at some of his movie reviews, Dark Knight, Indiana Jones, etc. They’re all really good.

And Dad, your death numbers are way low for both guys.

David • 04/30/09 • 5:08 PM:

Here is the link for the ND Quran Conference.

David • 05/16/09 • 10:04 AM:

The NYT times has a good article about Obama’s stance and actions concerning abortion. Here it is. I’m very interested to see if/how he brings it up in his speech tomorrow. I’m also tempted to head down to South Bend to check out the scene. Probably not though.

David • 05/17/09 • 1:06 PM:

Earlier this week, Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., sent the following letter regarding Commencement to the Class of 2009.

[plus, you can watch the commencement address live on the ND website]

May 11, 2009

Dear Members of the Notre Dame Graduating Class of 2009:

This Sunday, as you receive your degrees at Commencement, your joy – and that of your families – will be shared by the faculty, staff, and administration of the University. We have had the privilege of laboring with each of you to inquire and discover, to teach and to learn, and we will send you off with affectionate and fond hopes for the future.

For those of you who are undergraduates, I feel a special kinship. You arrived in your dorm rooms as I arrived in the President’s Office. You have learned much; I may have learned more. I am grateful for the opportunity I had to learn with you, come to know you, and to serve you during our time together at Notre Dame.

During your years here we have endeavored to train you in the various disciplines and urged you to ask the larger questions – discussing not only the technical and practical but also the ethical and spiritual dimensions of pressing issues. I have been proud of you as you’ve grappled with intellectual, political, and spiritual questions. But I have never been more proud than I have been watching the way you’ve conducted yourselves over the past several weeks.

The decision to invite President Obama to Notre Dame to receive an honorary degree and deliver the Commencement address has triggered debate. In many cases, the debate has grown heated, even between people who agree completely on Church teaching regarding the sanctity of human life, who agree completely that we should work for change – and differ only on how we should work for change.

Yet, there has been an extra dimension to your debate. You have discussed this issue with each other while being observed, interviewed, and evaluated by people who are interested in this story. You engaged each other with passion, intelligence and respect. And I saw no sign that your differences led to division. You inspire me. We need the wider society to be more like you; it is good that we are sending you into that world on Sunday.

I am saddened that many friends of Notre Dame have suggested that our invitation to President Obama indicates ambiguity in our position on matters of Catholic teaching. The University and I are unequivocally committed to the sanctity of human life and to its protection from conception to natural death.

Notre Dame has a long custom of conferring honorary degrees on the President of the United States. It has never been a political statement or an endorsement of policy. It is the University’s expression of respect for the leader of the nation and the Office of the President. In the Catholic tradition, our first allegiance is to God in Christ, yet we are called to respect, participate in, and contribute to the wider society. As St. Peter wrote (I Pt. 2:17), we should honor the leader who upholds the secular order.

At the same time, and born of the same duty, a Catholic university has a special obligation not just to honor the leader but to engage the culture. Carrying out this role of the Catholic university has never been easy or without controversy. When I was an undergraduate at Notre Dame, Fr. Hesburgh spoke of the Catholic university as being both a lighthouse and a crossroads. As a lighthouse, we strive to stand apart and be different, illuminating issues with the moral and spiritual wisdom of the Catholic tradition. Yet, we must also be a crossroads through which pass people of many different perspectives, backgrounds, faiths, and cultures. At this crossroads, we must be a place where people of good will are received with charity, are able to speak, be heard, and engage in responsible and reasoned dialogue.

The President’s visit to Notre Dame can help lead to broader engagement on issues of importance to the country and of deep significance to Catholics. Ultimately, I hope that the conversations and the good will that come from this day will contribute to closer relations between Catholics and public officials who make decisions on matters of human life and human dignity.

There is much to admire and celebrate in the life and work of President Obama. His views and policies on immigration, expanding health care, alleviating poverty, and building peace through diplomacy have a deep resonance with Catholic social teaching. As the first African-American holder of this office, he has accelerated our country’s progress in overcoming the painful legacy of slavery and segregation. He is a remarkable figure in American history, and I look forward to welcoming him to Notre Dame.

As President Obama is our principal speaker, there will no doubt be much attention on your Commencement. Remember, though, that this day is your day. My fervent prayer is that May 17 will be a joyous day for you and your family. You are the ones we celebrate and applaud. Congratulations, and may God bless you.

In Notre Dame,

Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.
President

David • 05/17/09 • 1:07 PM:

80 Year Old Priest, Father Norman Weslin, Arrested at Notre Dame

What is happening?

AJ • 05/17/09 • 2:55 PM:

This is an interesting discussion, but I believe protests need to be made by people who are passionate and in the way they are comfortable doing it. If an issue resonates with you, you should stand up and make yourself heard.

I’m uncomfortable with the notion that our country’s morals are the responsibility of the church. Surely it’s clear that morals can exist outside of religious beliefs and religious “law.” In fact, I think it’s clear that humans have become more ethical and moral while becoming less religious over the past thousands of years. Religions, even (maybe especially) the Catholic church, have been responsible for holding humans back on many moral grounds, such as women’s rights and they definitely tend to support the idea that personal liberties are NOT more valuable than preventing “sin.”

David • 05/18/09 • 9:25 AM:

HUGE things happened at ND yesterday. Both Jenkins’ (ND pres.) and Obama’s (US pres.) speeches were important, amazing, and epic. What has in many ways been a long and complicated and controversial process turned out to be a positive and fruitful event. Big ups to both Jenkins and Obama.

Check out both speeches here.

And AJ - No other group in the history of the world has done more to advance humanity (moral grounds, human rights, etc.) than the Catholic Church. Period. I doubt you can even name another group that could even be considered. Now, surely the Catholic Church has done some terrible things. There’s no denying that. But there are bad people and sin in all organizations, and the church is no different.

Just listen to the commencement speech by Obama to see what he thinks of the church’s good work.

Patrick • 05/21/09 • 10:48 AM:

Just googling around, I came across this two-year-old list of Catholic universities with pro-abortion commencement speakers. I wonder why I didn’t hear a lot about this back then.

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