Holly Robichaud in an op/ed for the Boston Herald said that Notre Dame’s graduation has been “hijacked by an Odrama that pits prestige vs. principle.”
When our country’s most famous Catholic institution selected President Obama as their commencement speaker and recipient of an honorary degree, it forced the debate on the sanctity of life onto the national stage once again.
For the sake of prestige, Catholic teachings are tossed aside to welcome the most pro-choice president in our nation’s history. More than 364,000 people have signed the petition to Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins denouncing the choice of prestige over principles, of popularity over morality.
President Obama’s record on life has been pretty clear in just a little over 100 days in office (in which the culture war is not dead) he has already proven to be the most extreme pro-choice president ever:
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Already he has lifted the ban on federal funding of abortions overseas.
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Included more tax-funded abortions in his budget.
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He has expanded federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.
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The Freedom of Choice Act, which he promised to sign into law is looming.
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This isn’t even considering what he did as a State Senator in Illinois.
Then to add insult to injury President Obama lauds embryonic stem cell research in his commencement address while ignoring adult stem cells.
In contrast to President Obama we have Alaska Governor Sarah Palin who weighed in on this issue by sending Robichaud an e-mail:
My favorite grandpa, Clem James Sheeran, was Catholic. Irish to the core, his favorite place (other than church) was Notre Dame. I can’t imagine what he would think as the university recognizes someone who contradicts the core values of the Catholic faith by promoting an anti-life agenda. As we learned today, our nation is more pro-life than ever before; it is a very important time to strengthen the message that every baby is created for good purpose and has the potential to make this world a better place.
A contrast once again. Notre Dame, shame on you for choosing prestige over principle. You missed the opportunity to impart one final life lesson to your graduating class.
HT: Gateway Pundit
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9 Responses to “Notre Dame: Prestige Above Principle”
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Obama's choice record is chilling, to say the least. But there are some reasons, I believe, to be encouraged. As I'm sure you saw earlier this week, a recent Gallup poll identified most Americans as pro life. When Gallup first began their polling on this issue in 1995, only 33% identified themselves as “pro-life.” In under fifteen years, the American public has shifted by nearly twenty percentage points!
As pro-life sentiment grows, it makes it much more likely that pro-life politicians will be elected. And as popular opinion shifts, those considering abortions will be influenced by their friends' and family's pro-life beliefs to abstain from getting abortions. Also, the more popular the pro-life position is the more likely pro-life laws will continue to be passed at both the state level (e.g. mandatory ultrasounds for all considering abortions, etc.) and the Federal level (e.g. banning of partial birth abortions, etc).
If Obama thinks Americans wanted change in 2008, just wait 'til 2012.
Very true, I know some people who voted for him are now wondering – “what was I thinking?”
2012 won't be a cakewalk for him.
I hear Obama doesn't accept Papal Infallibility either. What were they thinking?
Tried to send a reply to disqus via e-mail, but it is evidently being hinky. If you get a double response later on that is why.
Basically what I said was I'm sure, though I can't state as an absolute fact, that many of their commencement speakers do not hold to papal infallibility. I'd have to be a Catholic to address that further though. I don't know how your average Catholic would feel about that. Perhaps I'll ask Lisa (a regular commenter) to come address that.
Notre Dame doesn't care whether any speaker adheres to Papal Infallibility, although it is church dogma. Relatively few speakers (& none of the non-Catholics) adhere to all church dogma or moral positions. That's the “university” part of Notre Dame. So I disagree that it's a matter of principle vs. prestige. Bush got an honorary degree from the university in 2001 over the objections of Catholics who protested his support of the death penalty while he was Governor of Texas (and as President). Clearly, there are areas of agreement and others of debate for non-Catholic speakers with regard to church dogma and positions.
Except that abortion, as has been repeatedly asserted by the Vatican, is the one non-negotiable sin out of all Catholic beliefs, period. Nothing else even comes close as has been noted time and time again.
In fact, the Church has even stated that things like the justness of war and the death penalty aren't black and white, non-negotiable, issues as is the case with abortion–anyone with even a hint of knowledge about these issues and the Church would be well aware of this or is merely attempting to obfuscate.
Thanks for chiming in.
Understood, but I thought there were multiple 'non-negotiables'. In any case, I don't see Notre Dame's policy on abortion being changed with Obama's visit.
The distracting folderol over Obama's invitation to speak aside, has anyone read the full speech?
I would suspect several of their commencement speakers haven't embraced that.