Abortion Rites and Abortion Rights

Father James Martin, a liberal Jesuit priest, closed the Democratic convention with a prayer in which he asked God to “Open our hearts to those most in need.” On his list was “The unborn child in the womb.” Cardinal Timothy Dolan opened the Republican convention praying for many things including “the innocent life of the baby in the womb.” Neither really understands how little their words matter to most people.

Religion has been dying a slow death, not even hidden in plain sight. The churches close; the weeds grow up in the parking lot; the people languish. Not even hospice is offered. People just turn away.

Your pastor is probably the last person you’re going to tell about your problem pregnancy or your drug addiction or your extra marital affair. Why? Formal spiritual advisors are widely ridiculed as judgmental fools. Holier than thou is our middle name. These stereotypes may not always be true, but they are true often enough to keep people from telling us their secrets. When Fathers Martin and Cardinal Dolan judge women over their wombs as part of public rites, even more people vote with their feet about religion than before. An unwanted pregnancy is not a sin, but you wouldn’t know that from public prayers.

When it comes to the languish of our spirits, we need to be very careful of the bishopric and trust the amateurs. We need to listen to the people…