What is freedom, what is life?

The abortion issue isn't simple or well suited to being reduced to red meat for political and religious strife, but such is what it has become. I am not going to examine this issue in full, but I want to share a few thoughts I addressed to an Archbishop who publicly questioned whether President Joe Biden was worthy to receive Holy Communion. 

Archbishop ___,

I cannot understand why so many Catholic clergy think it important to attack the faith of President Biden but did not object to the bigotry, lawlessness, sedition, violent insurrection, treason and immorality of the former occupant of the White House, who is not even a Christian. The culture wars are an abomination against Christ and a cause of scandal to countless many. HOW DOES IT SAVE THE UNBORN TO DESTROY AMERICAN DEMOCRACY??!  

Right now there are countless extreme pieces of legislation in State Houses which would effectively remove all personal autonomy from pregnant women. Instead of promoting life, such laws only encourage women to not have children at all. The prospect of being pregnant and having to contend with society controlling the outcome up to and including imprisonment or one's own death is not conducive to life. But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?   Right wing extremism is unChristian. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees, who are the moral equivalent of the elders who spied on Susanna. The women who followed Christ during his earthly ministry were receiving MORE autonomy, not LESS. They were more free by choosing Christ than they would be remaining under the authority first of their fathers, then of their husbands. In fact it was this increased autonomy given to women which in part exacerbated the hostility of ancient Israel to Christ. Freedom to choose our path is what gives human beings autonomy and dignity. Yet you would remove this freedom when Jesus himself died to give it to all souls. Jesus alone can move hearts. Most of the time, the example of religious people only gives SCANDAL and forms grave obstacles to conversion of souls. Maybe that's because they go around judging everyone and rooting for the bad guy so they can get some Supreme Court Justices on "their side" in order to control society and force others to do their will.

Please remember the Christian churches in Germany which accepted and even supported Hitler and his anti-semitic policies leading up to the Holocaust. How do you explain the atrocity of authorities of the Catholic Church ONCE AGAIN defending fascism and enabling anti-democratic elements such as depraved Qanon conspiracy theories with a Blood Libel, (also rooted in anti-semitism); and including armed insurrection against the U.S. government? Bishops want respect while they defend the outrageous belief that Democrats and others are drinking the blood of children, literally?! This is insanity. It isn't even valid as a metaphor. [It is Democrats who support policies which feed, clothe, and provide access to health care and quality education for children].

President Biden is a GOOD MAN. Trump is an anti-christ [opposite of Christ]. He is about the most wicked and dangerous man ever to hold that much power in our civil government. Yet you are more concerned to take the moral inventory of a GOOD MAN. The scandal of so-called Christians selling their souls and worshipping in idolatry one Donald J. Trump --anti-christ-- far surpasses by a magnitude of powers, the fact that our legitimate and duly elected current President knows and understands that our democracy rests upon the separation of Church and State, and the freedom of personal conscience.

(End of quote)

I never received a reply to this letter. I did actually, however, receive a reply to a different letter, in the form of a phone call from the office of the Archbishop in my diocese. I was so shocked I didnt' even catch his name.  I'm sure he only called to determine if an actionable offense had ocurred that he needed to know about.  He barely demurred when I complained about bishops and priests claiming that it is a sin to be a Democratic Party member or to vote for their candidates. I had to come to the conclusion that I am living in a mostly conservative diocese, more's the pity. The war wages on...

Art by Steven DaLuz