More Evidence "Catholics for a Free Choice" is An Unholy, Insidious, and Vulgar Organization

myself | 1/17/2004 | Pyro7480

[Pyro7480]

I have a weekly custom. On most Saturdays, I travel from my house just outside of Alexandria, board a Metro train, and ride to the Catholic University of America stop for daily Mass at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

Today, I was running a bit late, due to the fact that I got out of bed late, so I skipped taking a shower, got dressed, and made my way to the train station. It takes about an hour to get the Brookland/CUA Metro stop from where I live.

I stood up and walked to the door of the train as it was pulling up to the station. The church is visible from the station. I knew I had about 10 minutes to walk up a hill to the church. But I stopped briefly as an advertisement, which was hung on one of the bench shelters at the station, caught my eye.

The main tagline for the ad stated, "Good Catholics Use Condoms." I was horrified to see such a statement at this Metro station, which is used by hundreds of Catholic University students every day, most of whom are Catholic. The station is also frequented by people who visit the Shrine for Mass and prayer. I also noticed that the advertisement was sponsored by the Catholic dissenters' organization "Catholics for a Free Choice," which is well-known for its pro-abortion stance. It was something that someone shouldn't have to see when they're making their way to Mass.

After Mass, I made my way back to the Metro station for the return trip home. As I was making my way back down the hill, I noticed that a train pulling into the station that was heading in the direction that I needed to take. I was just going to miss this train, so I knew I had some time to take a closer look at the advertisement. I pulled a pen and piece of paper out of my backpack and wrote down what it said.

The advertisement features a close-up photograph of a young man and woman smiling. It also features a mission statement of sorts of the so-called "Catholics for a Free Choice." It states (with my own commentary):

We believe in God.(If you really believed in God, you wouldn't be pro-abortion.)
We believe that sex is sacred.(If you believed this, you wouldn't be advocating the use of contraception.)
We believe in caring for each other.(I guess your list doesn't include unborn children.)
We believe in using condoms.(Tell us something we didn't know already).

In the lower right-hand corner of the ad, it had the slogan "Good Catholics use condoms," which I saw as I disembarked from the train earlier, and the website address for the organization. I also noticed that in smaller print, it said "Public Media Center," which is probably the organization that designed the advertisement.

As I waited for the next train, and during my trip home, I thought about the strategic position and timing of this offensive advertisement. The ad obviously was flaunting CFFC's opposition to Catholic Church teaching. But there is also something else about it that is very insidious. This was the only place that I had seen the advertisement, out of a number of Metro stations that it could have been placed at.

Also, in the upcoming week, on January 22nd, tens of thousands of people will be filing through that station on the way to the annual March for Life. Catholic University is a rendezvous point for pro-life activists where they can get off their buses, pray for a while, attend Mass, and then travel to the rally point on the National Mall for the March. The majority of the marchers, from my own experience as a veteran of the March, are young Catholic, from grade school students to people in their twenties. This adverstisement is going to scandalize everyone who sees it.

It is quite apparent what "Catholics for a Free Choice" tactics are in this instance. Someone there knows that these pro-lifers were coming, and they took it upon themselves to place this ad where thousands are going to see it, spreading evil in its wake with the possibility of misleading Catholics who don't know any better, and by giving scandal to those who do. The connection between contraception (such as condom use) and abortion is well-documented.

Catholic who are "in the know" are aware of the evil intentions of "Catholics for a Free Choice." But there is also cause for hope. Those who will see the condom ad at the CUA Metro stop are also likely to see another ad sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, which is on many of the Metro trains. It features the pro-life slogan, "Women Deserve Better Than Abortion." More people will probably be converted by this campaign than the CFFC one. Pro-life Catholic must remain vigilant, and educate their brethren about Church teaching, because of the influence of organizations like CFFC.

[pegleg]

What neither cite is individual freedom, individual responsibility, and cognizance that all moral thinking is fundamentally existential in nature.

Well you take more of an Augustinian view and I’m more Thomistic. I think freedom depends on Truth, and the Truth has been transmitted to us by Holy Mother Church. So our individual freedom needs to always be within the boundaries of moral or natural law as interpreted by the church.

For example, if you’re driving down the highway and the speed limit is 70 MPH, it is an established truth that the speed limit is 70 . Therefore you’re free to drive any speed you want up to 70 MPH. If you want to drive 80 you’re certainly free to do that, however, there are consequences for operating outside this established truth.

So the short version of my story is the more I fought against the Church, the more crappola I stepped in. It’s only when I made a conscious effort to live my life in accordance with her teachings that I was able to start stepping over it. I still step in it from time to time but that’s my fault and I know what to do to correct it.

In the end a Catholic must lead himself. Failure to do that is a moral and ethical blind alley.

Agreed with the caveat there needs to be a moral standard by which to measure ourselves. The problem with the Church isn’t her doctrines, it’s the behavior. The doctrines are true, it’s when the doctrines aren’t obeyed that problems arise.

Man...I'm gonna get a total ration of hooyah over this post from the tub-thumpers.

Nah. I think you’ll get more grief over your rejection of Scotch. I will admit Scotch used to be my drink of choice but I’m partial to Bacardi Gold these days.

[Campion]

Me and my family will still be Catholics

You aren't a Catholic now, at least not a real one.

Here's hoping you repent and return to the faith soon. You can start by going to confession and confessing your participation on this thread.

[Campion]

In the end a Catholic must lead himself.

So Christ and His Church fit into this process ... where?

"In the end, an atheist must lead himself." How does this statement differ from yours? How is the result different? Is it?

[tcuoohjohn]

Ya Know...I was tempted to respond to your silly post at length but I have thought better of it.

In short the difference is the difference between a Catholic and an Athiest.

As my home boy, pegleg, has pointed out freedom within moral limits. The limits are those imposed by God and his son Jesus Christ.

[tcuoohjohn]

Ah...The " real" Catholic. That is the argument of a weasel. I have heard it in a political context " Real Americans" ( code used by political thugs) and now " real Catholics" ( code for religious thugs)

It is the code of a weasel to automatically question the bonafides of someone who disagrees with them. Argue the point rather than the alledged inauthenticity of the opinion or person.

[tcuoohjohn]

Ah...The " real" Catholic. That is the argument of a weasel. I have heard it in a political context " Real Americans" ( code used by political thugs) and now " real Catholics" ( code for religious thugs)

It is the code of a weasel to automatically question the bonafides of someone who disagrees with them. Argue the point rather than the alledged inauthenticity of the opinion or person.