This includes me.
I voted for Obama for many reasons. Of the most important is my desire for a culture of hope rather than a culture of fear. The Bush administration has continually confronted the American people with the same old dilemma: either do this, or ELSE! Hence the Patriot Act. Hence the war in Iraq.
For me, Barack Obama represents a change from that policy. I was moved to tears by his words and reassured by his conviction that we can solve our problems if we are willing to work hard and work together. One of the elders in my Church told me I was naive to believe in such promises. Perhaps–but I prefer to call my naivete hope, and that is never wasted. However, there is still the issue of how to reconcile my pro-life position with my vote.
Just because the Democratic party has held onto an ever-expanding pro-choice platform for years is no reason to give up on the debate. Here are some easy ways to tell the Democrats that now is the time to engage the discussion on pro-life issues.
1. Write to your politicians. All of them. You can find their contact information at the Right to Life website.
2. Contact your Catholic diocese and get involved. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops can help with that here.
3. Fight FOCA. If you don’t know what it is, then read about it. You can also get links to post on myspace or facebook.
Besides these three easy steps, being a pro-life person means exhibiting behaviors which communicate a culture of life. Spend some time with your nieces and nephews. Visit your grandparents. Talk to the teenagers in your family and let them know they can count on you for help NO MATTER WHAT. Avoid pornography. Put a bumper sticker on your car. Support Amnesty International. Volunteer to do ANYTHING. Tell someone you love them. Smile at the people you pass on the street.
For gay men and women, being pro-life doesn’t have to be inconsistent with having a positive identity. Don’t be afraid to think for yourself–you can be gay and pro-life. In fact, gay men and women are often in a unique position to make a big difference by offering more of our time, talent, and treasure, instead of spending it all on our vanity and the need for a new 150 dollar pair of shoes.
So that’s my sermon today. Life is good. All life is good.
PEACE.
