Fathers For Good

Abortion on the Christmas Table?

As we approach the sacred Christmas season, the contrast between the culture of life and the culture of death could not be more stark. On Christmas Eve, as ordinary Americans prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, and the eyes of children sparkle with anticipation, our senators will be voting on a health bill that will earmark our tax dollars for abortion.

 

Think about that for a moment. Ask yourself: Could this really be happening in a nation in which a large majority of citizens profess belief in God? Could it be happening in an elected body of our government in which almost all 100 members claim to be Christian?

 

The U.S. bishops have been admirably involved in pointing out the defects of the Senate version of the health bill. Some criticize them for this, but as U.S. citizens, moral leaders and pastors responsible for the care of souls, they have a right and obligation to speak out. Pope Pius XII is roundly (and wrongly) condemned for not speaking loudly enough against the government of Hitler. Can the bishops today stay silent when millions more innocent unborn babies are threatened with death by government action?

 

The bishops lay out their case clearly in a statement of Dec. 22: In the Senate version, “federal funds will help subsidize, and in some cases a federal agency will facilitate and promote, health plans that cover elective abortions. All purchasers of such plans will be required to pay for other people’s abortions in a very direct and explicit way, through a separate premium payment designed solely to pay for abortion. There is no provision for individuals to opt out of this abortion payment in federally subsidized plans, so people will be required by law to pay for other people’s abortions.”

 

The Senate bill will involve payment for abortions. Since the 1970s, different versions of the Hyde Amendment have prevented federal tax dollars from going toward abortion. This has been a long-respected and supported compromise in our national politics, in which the regime of abortion on demand was thrust upon us by the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision. Millions of Americans, a majority in recent polls, do not agree with the Roe decision and consider themselves “pro-life.” The least our senators could do is carve out an area of conscience so that the tax dollars of pro-lifers will not go to the killing of babies.

 

As the anti-war protestors said not long ago, “Not in my name.”

 

Yet something about the timing of this health bill goes beyond the usual rough and tumble politics of abortion. Do none of the 60 senators set to pass this bill see the irony – the eternal irony – of voting on an abortion bill on Christmas Eve? Are the political pressures so great, and earthly rewards so glittering, that they place party allegiance above the remembrance of the Christ Child? Could not one say: In respect for the Christmas season, let us adjourn until the New Year and vote on this after we have celebrated this season of the Child.

 

Let us pray. And if that one brave senator is not found, let us pray for our nation.

 

 

Who Wears the Pants?

The new Dockers ad campaign, "Wear the Pants," is causing quite a stir, and rightly so. When was the last time you saw an ad for pants that didn't appeal to your private parts or your lower nature? Think of the jeans ads of the past 30 years which really have had one obvious, and at this point dreary, theme.

Enter the Dockers ad, appearing on billboards and print media across the country, which appeals to the mind. Rather than the image of the pants, or the curves of the body, the all-type ad stresses the image of the man, as part of its "Man-ifesto" campaign. It begins, in fairy tale fashion, "ONCE UPON A TIME MEN WORE THE PANTS AND WORE THEM WELL." Yes, that will get people's attention. The ad hits a nerve of the culture -- the role of the man and the relationship between men and women.

I won't over-analyze -- it is, after all, just an ad. But Madison Avenue has had a huge influence on our cultural images and thinking over the generations, and this ad may influence the cultural language in a positive way. At the very least, it has already begun a healthy dialogue about the role of men and the struggles and challenges they face in a highly sensitive, sometimes screedish, "post-feminist" society.

And by the way, I must admit that I have been a Dockers fan for years. After I put away the jeans from my early 20s, Dockers have fit quite well as casual pants for home and for the weekend. They are appropriate for all occasions that a man may face outside of the office. I hope Dockers does well with the ad campaign.

To read a Catholic female reaction to the ads and to see the ads in question, go to: http://loveandfidelity.org/blog/

Talking Fatherhood on Mother Angelica's Network

Awe and joy -- these were the feelings I had upon entering the grounds of the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN). What a wonderful thing Mother Angelica has wrought in Irondale, Alabama. The Catholic faith on the airwaves 24 hours a day, the Gospel message on TV screens, hearts and minds drawn closer to Christ, and converts made throughout the world, some of whom just chanced upon the cable station while searching for sports or cooking or maybe even porn.

There I was where it all started, where Mother Angelica put God's call into action, and did the unthinkable, what many wiser heads told her was impossible.

I was at EWTN with my colleague Patrick Kelly, Vice President for Public Policy for the Knights of Columbus, who oversees Fathers for Good, to appear live on the Thursday night show "Life on the Rock." It was my first time on TV, and what an introduction it was, indeed. Though everyone connected with the network was extremely helpful and pleasant, for me it was trial by fire.

Lights. Camera. Action. As Jackie Gleason used to say, "And away we go!" The lights were in my blinking eyes, the camera caught my nervousness and the action continued no matter what -- no "Take 2!" allowed, this was all live and on the record.

Fatherhood, the Knights of Columbus and Fathers for Good were the main topics. We talked through three 11-minute segments, and covered a wide field. I hope the audience got the message that, through this new initiative for men, the Knights want to take a leadership role in developing programs for fathers and their families, offering encouragement to men, taking on the secular culture and negative portrayals of fathers, and giving men the tools to improve on how they live as husbands and fathers.

As Patrick Kelly said, in the home there is no neutral ground. Either a father is leading his family toward virtue and heaven, or he is losing the battle for souls to the enemy, who comes in the guise of the media, peers, consumerism and secularism.

I wish to thank all the EWTN folks, especially hosts Doug Barry, who spent so much time with Patrick and me in preparation for the show, and Father Mark Mary. They were extremely gracious and led us in an excellent discussion of the topics. Thanks also to Jill Sanders, producer of "Life on the Rock," who was kind enough to invite us to the show and introduce us to the world of television.

The grounds of EWTN are holy -- probably the holiest place with a host of huge satellite dishes out back! It was an honor to spend two days there, and to share time with staff members and hosts. There is great good to be done through mass media, and it has taken a cloistered nun with an unshakable faith to show Catholics the way on the airwaves.

Alabama Here We Come!

Readers familiar with the Fathers for Good website know that I am preparing for a big appearance on EWTN's "Life on the Rock" show on Thursday, Dec. 3, to talk about the Knights of Columbus program called Fathers for Good. Make sure to visit www.fathersforgood.org to see the jazzy pop-up notice our web designers have produced.

Joining me on the show will be Patrick Kelly, Vice President for Public Policy for the K of C, who is in charge of the Fathers for Good initiative. Patrick and his wife, by the way, are expecting to deliver their first child in January 2010, and I hear that Patrick may be showing a sonogram of his unborn baby on the air! So tune in just for that, if nothing else.

We look forward to meeting with hosts Father Mark Mary and Doug Barry, and to discuss with them the issues of fatherhood, family life and the challenges to both in the modern culture. I've never done an hour live show before, so please pray that I do well!

Patrick and I will be landing in Birmingham, Alabama, on Thursday morning and will go live from the EWTN studio at 8 PM (Eastern).

This is the first time Fathers for Good will be going live on a worldwide broadcast, and it's exciting to think about our website drawing more and more readers in the days and weeks to come.

The Knights of Columbus has been a big supporter of Mother Angelica and her Eternal Word Television Network from the start, and we are proud to be able to spread the word of our new fatherhood initiative through her popular cable network.

In addition to appearing on the "Life on the Rock" show, we will get a tour of the EWTN headquarters, have an opportunity to meet with the staff, have dinner in the dining hall and sleep over Thursday night in one of the guest houses.

I will have a full report of the trip when I return over the weekend.

Meantime, go to www.fathersforgood.org after the show to watch a taped version, and refer it to your friends.