Showing a tenacity of conviction rarely seen in leadership, the president of Notre Dame stood steadfast and refused to relent.  This would be admirable if his decision to stand by President Obama delivering the commencement address weren’t a betrayal of the position he was there to uphold.  Those who mounted the strong opposition to Obama’s presence, several of whom were ironically arrested for their efforts, were those espousing the values that the president and the institution of Notre Dame had been tasked to uphold.  Now that the deed is done, it is appropriate to evalute what took place based on the message presented through Obama’s words and deeds.

Obama spoke nobly of the concept of finding common ground between people of conviction.  For starters, he made clear what he thought of those he considers unreasonable and who “cling to outworn prejudices” and those would be people who hold to uncompromising opposition to abortion - the Pope, for example.  After all, his call for finding ”common ground” between those on both sides of the abortion debate means that outright opposition to abortion is not a position of compromise.  Let’s put this in context; the man advocating harmony between pro-lifers and pro-abortionists staunchly defends abortion under all circumstances, at all stages (including partial-birth abortion), and even supports infanticide if an abortion attempt fails.  He has also reinstated funding of the U.N.’s population control efforts through UNFPA which, among other heinous international efforts, is invested in China’s forced abortion/sterilization through their one-child policies.  For more details on Obama’s anti-life views, please refer to my former blog entry “A Different View of Obama.”

For those thinking I am too critical, consider the following… Given that Obama doesn’t see himself as an extremist, even though some of his views are too extreme for famed abortionist Henry Morgantaler, who saddled Canada with abortion on demand, if he is so blinded, how can he pretend to call for common ground and what would that possibly look like?

Obama defended the fact that reasonable people can disagree, but asks that we don’t reduce those who disagree to characatures.  This is the man who talked about conservative Christians as bitterly clinging to guns and religion.  He even repeated the reference of clinging to religion (as well as outworn prejudice) in his Notre Dame speech.  It was also a homeland security brief from his administration that put those who oppose abortion on the terrorist watchlist.  He even referenced a story in his pursuit of common ground of a pro-life Christian who was rightly troubled by the reference on Obama’s website during his presidential campaign that he would “fight right-wing ideologues who want to take away a woman’s right to choose.”  His effort to mollify this man was to change the wording on his website while making clear he did not change his position.  This I think perfectly describes how Obama does business and what took place during his commencement address.  

Obama spoke positively of the notion that Catholics should hold on to their Catholic traditions.  On the other hand he recommended they have “open hearts” and “open minds,” suggesting they adopt ”universal rather than parachial principles.”  By this he means that Catholics should maintain traditions, but be willing to reconsider, adopt, or more accurately reject the core principles.  This is exactly the reverse of Biblical faith that tells us the universal principles that are immutable while how we express our faith necessarily adapts and changes over time.  Obama’s frequent references to Notre Dame being a ”lighthouse” has no value if it compromises truth to the prevailing cultural zeitgeist as Obama has and promotes.

Other comments he made were outlandish and odious.  He spoke of promoting civil rights for all children after putting forth his pro-abortion rhetoric.  To rousing applause, he contrasted those who oppose “stem cell research” while the parent of a child with Juvenile Diabetes seeks hope for a cure.  This brazen misrepresentation of reality is standard operating procedure for pro-aborts as I have never met anyone in pro-life circles who oppose ethical stem cell research, only Embryonic Stem Cell Research that destroys innocent lives and, unlike the highly successful use of adult stem cells, has led to no cures.  He also had the audacity to speak about wanting to base policies on “sound science and clear ethics” despite the fact this would automatically reject all abortions and Embryonic Stem Cell Research.  His suggestion that we all recognise that the decision to have an abortion is not made lightly is also a reversal of reality when it is pro-lifers who highlight the concerns and promote options (i.e. maternity homes, crisis pregnancy centers, and post-abortion counselling centres) while abortion advocates including Obama work against even informed consent and parental consent legislation.

Obama is a huckster who successfully won over a fawning audience swooning over his vapid and disingenuous rhetoric.  He promoted students to reconsider their faith by claiming “the ultimate irony of faith is that it admits doubt.”  In reality, faith is a matter of believing in things we cannot see, but conclude to be true.  It is not something people of faith are to cling to, but embrace, live out and proudly share with others.  Changing our views out of convenience, pragmatism, or to appeal to populist notions is no longer faith, but secular humanism.  Instead of misleading students, Obama should have been schooled in how to understand the reality of abortion much as Mother Teresa when she attended the Clinton White House and challenged that there will no peace in the world until there is peace in the womb.  

To accept Obama’s premise of compromise means there is really no justifiable opposition to abortion.  Once you let go of the fact that making allowances for abortion means justifying the killing of innocent children, there is no footing to oppose any abortions.  The lifting of restrictions on the innocent taking of human life allows society to suggest that anytime you stand in the way of any abortion in certain situations you oppose a woman’s right to choose.  The Notre Dame administration and students basking in Obama’s praise for being so open-minded fail to recognize the core message of the Christian faith - you can’t compromise with evil.

Tom Bartlett

Board President of Halton Pro-life