Showing concern
Though mainly an American issue, the Health Care plan proposed by President Obama and now hotly contested all over the US, should elicit grave concern among us in our country.
To me, the most important reason is that this plan could stealthily open wide the gates to unrestrained, universal abortion and the full complement of the freedom-of-choice ideology and praxis that is morally flawed from roots to fruits.
What so far had been blocked in Congress of the most liberal and licentious version of the pro-choice lifestyle could now be easily inserted and brought to fulfillment in this proposed Health Care plan.
What once was a mere parasite, securely contained in a certain part of our body politic, now has found a way to spread and go viral. It now seems poised to take over the mantle of what is mainstream and standard in our world today.
There’s no doubt, the proposal is a Trojan horse, an almost perfect example of treachery, whose effects would not just be limited to the American soil, but also worldwide. It can make abortion, euthanasia, etc., as ordinary, normal procedures just like circumcision.
We need to intensify our prayers and all the other spiritual and supernatural means so that, through God’s mysterious ways and our efforts, this issue could be resolved properly and its potential unspeakable damage avoided.
We cannot afford to be mere spectators and bystanders before this virulent drama taking place in the American theater. We need to act, and to act decisively, cutting whatever strings and threads that might still tie us to this highly deceptive plan.
And so from the spiritual and supernatural means, and never without them, let us also learn the art and skill of making the war for the minds and hearts of the people, from top to bottom.
This detail is crucial so that the battle would always be conducted within the parameters of charity and truth. We avoid bitter zeal that can spoil what otherwise is a good initiative.
We need to know and appreciate deeply the relevant doctrine of our faith and morals, actively spreading it around and undertaking a relentless campaign on all fronts to uphold and defend a clearly, not wishy-washy, pro-life culture in our society.
We are in most dangerous times, when the lines between good and evil are systematically blurred and erased. The craft of deception is continually refined and perfected. And the spread of a still benign Godless way of life, a new paganism, is gaining speed and coverage.
Worse, this dreadful expansion is issuing from one of the highest seats of power in the world today. Immensely popular so far, it uses clever rhetoric, sly and slippery, on the people who are most vulnerable because of the prevalent moral confusion around.
But in many instances, the proponents and defenders of the proposal were found to be fact-challenged, evasive and shifty, provoking a drastic drop in their political ratings.
They are now increasingly questioned, their claims closely examined and cross-checked. Their town-hall debates on this issue have become veritable ugly shouting matches. Passions explode as the conflict of views becomes sharper.
The defenders have been found wanting in a thorough understanding of their own voluminous proposal. They seem clueless as to the possible adverse effects of their position. They seem to be only one-track minded.
They appear bent in having the proposal approved fast. If possible, they want it rammed through the express, non-stop lane. The pursuit for truth and the common good is secondary, if not set aside as irrelevant. At least, many analysts and people in general get that impression.
So their credibility has suffered tremendously such that whenever they try to reassure the people by sounding moral and commonsensical, the whole shebang assumes the airs of a man-bites-dog story. Wow! Incredible! Fantastic!
This development may give us little comfort, but let’s not be complacent. There’s a lot of work to do. A comprehensive and continuing formation of the people is needed. And a whole universe of initiatives is required to convert moral theories and principles into a living reality in individual persons and societies.
This is the real challenge. And unless this challenge is tackled adequately, the world will continue to be vulnerable to the deceptive allurements of an ideology that has nothing to do with the very core of our Christian faith and morals.
Everyone has to do his part to take up the challenge. No excuses allowed!
(Fr. Cimagala is the Chaplain of Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City. Email: roycimagala@gmail.com)