Not the Death of a Hero, but the Death of Heroism: Part I

J+M+J


What a world of contradictions we find ourselves in today. As basic human rights, once considered fundamental, become increasingly threatened, abused, or discounted by our modern society, the common rhetoric enveloping the abortion issue has become evermore warped and manipulated to promote the prevalent thinking of the day. Last month’s attack upon the life Dr. George Tiller, an emblem of the pro-abortion movement and a provider of the still highly controversial (at least, for the moment) late-term abortion procedure, has once again brought this issue to the forefront, leaving the American public to navigate the murky and muddled waters of the popular lexicon.

In the days following his death, Dr. Tiller has swiftly been catapulted into the stratosphere of secular “sainthood,” acquiring titles such as “Tireless Supporter of Women’s Dignity,” “A Man Who Honored Women,” an individual of “Extraordinary Courage.” While no reasonable and just individuals are condoning the violence which claimed Dr. Tiller’s life, his ascension to the status of hero betrays our modern culture’s lamentable loss of the concept of true nobility and valor. Our society is witnessing the death of gallantry, as supporters of abortion, including the brutal and grotesque partial-birth abortion, have successfully equated abortion with compassion, and convinced many that self-interest supersedes self-sacrifice.

When one conjures up the concept of heroism – or, I should say, traditionally, when ones conjures up the concept of heroism – images of complete self-denial are evoked: the fire-fighter who bravely darts into a burning building, without thought for his own safety, or the individual who courageously confronts his fellow’s attacker, despite the personal danger which threatens him. It seems safe to say that, even in our largely self-centered world, had a person, such as our aforementioned fire-fighter, shrunk from his impulse to rescue another in order to safeguard his own well-being, he would have simultaneously forfeited his right to be called a “hero.” Moreover, it is likely that this individual, after refusing to offer his aid to another, would be labeled cowardly: after all, how could a compassionate individual deny a man in his greatest hour of need? Yet, we live in a culture that supports a woman’s “right” to terminate her own child’s life should she deem it necessary for her physical, spiritual, financial, or emotional well-being. In the greatest of ironies, we expect strangers to make greater personal sacrifices for others than we expect parents to make for their own children.

In this topsy-turvy world of ours, self-preservation is paramount. No longer is self-sacrifice heralded; in fact, it is now something to be avoided – no matter what the cost. Not even parenthood, which should be the near pinnacle of selflessness, is exempt from this distorted mentality. For a mother or father to be complicit in the murder of their child seems utterly nightmarish. Nature itself revolts against such a notion. Yet, when abortion advocates assert, as Dr. Tiller himself did, that “…abortion is about women's hopes, dreams, potential, the rest of their lives. Abortion is a matter of survival for women,” people unhesitatingly rally behind such “noble” words, all the while forgetting the innocent children left in the destructive wake of abortion.

True parenthood is the embodiment of self-sacrifice. If, say, a truck was racing toward a child, undoubtedly, in an effort to rescue him, his parent would race headlong into the street, regardless of whether death appeared imminent for parent, child, or both. The possibility, no matter how remote, of saving a life - particularly that of one’s own child - should always trump considerations of personal interest or well-being. Though the physical, emotional, or financial challenges confronting a pregnant woman may seem insurmountable, her willingness to confront those difficulties, should they even threaten her very life, attests to true heroic virtue.

This is not to belittle the heart-wrenching tragedies faced by some pregnant women. Dr. Tiller’s supporters often point to extremely uncommon, though none-the-less devastating, stories of women whose unborn children are diagnosed with a host of incurable diseases or abnormalities, which make their survival outside the womb almost certainly impossible. But, I ask, is true heroism found in turning away from challenging, if not outright terrifying, circumstances? Or is it recognized in the gallant determination to do what is morally sound, regardless of personal cost? Can we really elevate a man to the status of hero, when his life’s work consisted in regularly taking a child’s life (however grim its chances of survival were) to “safeguard” the life of its mother?

Unfortunately, life is often rife with disappointments, sorrows, heartache, and, occasionally, even disaster. These are inescapable components of the human condition. True heroism is found in meeting these adversities with courageous dignity, marked by sacrificial love and devotion to principle. As supporters of Dr. Tiller point out, many women and their families face truly heart-wrenching tragedies surrounding their pregnancies. Yet, no matter how tragic the circumstances they face, it can never justify the outright killing of an innocent human being. Everyday, men and women across the world encounter extraordinary challenges, but by meeting and overcoming these obstacles with moral character and fortitude, they show themselves to be heroic champions over the evil or misfortune that oppresses them. Furthermore, in this heroic triumph over tragedy, men and women often discover a dimension of strength and tenderness within themselves that few people are ever able to comprehend. It is this self-sacrifice that truly exemplifies love and raises the individual above the evil and selfish tendencies often pervading our culture, and, moreover, demonstrates the best there is in humanity. Throughout history, heroes - often themselves ordinary people -have done this: individuals, who, in order to maintain their personal safety or comfort, could have merely stood by and watched their fellow neighbors die, have instead rushed into burning buildings, defended the helpless, or opposed tyrants. As truly valiant and compassionate defenders of those in need, we should champion the cause of all human life (particularly the lives of the most vulnerable among us) and commit ourselves to charitably aiding the women who face these challenging situations, so they may make decisions, which, although difficult, are praiseworthy and truly heroic.


M.K.

Stranger Than Fiction...

J+M+J

Does anyone still read Frankenstein? It appears that few other fictional works resonate so clearly in our modern society, yet one need only scan news headlines to realize this book has either simply been gathering dust, or, as is more likely, has been degraded to the status of a mere fanciful tale, offering no truthful insights to the modern reality. Undoubtedly, Dr. Frankenstein himself would recoil in horror at the atrocities, masquerading as scientific breakthroughs, to which modern man, in all his “wisdom,” has become desensitized. For while Dr. Frankenstein grossly desecrated the bodies of fellow men to satiate his hubris, at least the subjects of his frightful experimentations were already deceased – in our modern scientific culture, we prefer to use living human beings as our guinea pigs.

For decades, men and women have done everything in their power, through a barrage of “birth control” practices ranging from “the pill” to abortion and everything in between, to thwart nature and God's creative plan, all while satisfying their seemingly uncontrollable sexual desires. Years down the road, when such people finally have all their proverbial ducks in a row - that is, when the partying has subsided, the corporate careers are established (or, sometimes, completed), and the house is bought and paid for (often complete with any little luxury considered “necessary” today) -, then, and only then, do they “welcome” children into their lives. And if these men and women have reached a physical point where nature denies them what they themselves had fought for years to avoid, well, you better bet they'll find a way to have their progeny, come Hell or high water.

Hence, we witness the birth of an era. An era in which such “medical miracles” as a 66 year old new mother or “Octo-mom” are becoming increasingly less shocking. An era epitomized by unchecked scientific “advancement” and personal self-indulgence. In a modern day tragedy, children, who should be blissfully unaware of the darker side of human nature and envied for their purity, are all-too-often left to grapple with questions many adults themselves cannot comprehend. More and more innocent children must wonder as to the mysterious absence of their fathers, asking themselves questions, such as, “Which anonymous sperm donor fathered me?” Instead of proudly being able to point to a loving marriage as the source of their existence, many boys and girls must now accept the grim and highly unromantic reality that they are “test tube babies,” created in the cold, unfeeling world of scientific laboratories, rather than the warmth of the marriage bed.

Surely, many must share my horror when they hear bizarre tales of doctors implanting six fertilized eggs in a woman (a single woman and mother of six other children, no less!), or of a senior citizen being impregnated through the so-called marvels of modern science, but I venture to guess that few question the ethics of in vitro fertilization in general. Many must wonder how I could unfeelingly wish to deprive an infertile couple, desperate for children of their own, of the offspring science can help offer them. But “Octo-mom” and company aside, in vitro fertilization poses an inherently evil threat to proper human relationships and the relationship between man and his Creator.

When children can be created in test tubes, fashioned by the random reproductive cells of any two strangers, and crafted by the hands of scientists, what happens to romance, passion, commitment, or devotion? What place do such laudable attributes, so elemental and essential to man, have in such a world? Already, these virtually antiquated words conjure up images of bygone eras and seem grossly out-of-place in our superficial, lack-luster society. It seems certain that, whether we admit it or not, what little importance and sanctity sexuality still holds is placed in unspeakable jeopardy when science becomes the chief arbiter of life. When children are conceived in sterile laboratory rooms, the need for human beings to engage in fruitful, committed, and devoted relationships with one another lessens, and, subsequently, the sanctity of the marriage act diminishes. By engaging in the martial act and viewing it, not merely as a source of immense pleasure, but also as a demonstration of sacrificial love, and by exhibiting a Faith-filled openness to the possibility of children, human beings are permitted to share in - not usurp - the creative power of God. Furthermore, it is this attitude of self-denial for love of spouse, potential children, and God that proves the true readiness of a man or woman to assume one of the most selfless vocations known to man: that of parenthood.

It's funny, when you are in the midst of changing dirty diapers, tackling the seemingly never-ending laundry, chasing rebellious toddlers, or any other of the litany of duties parenting involves, it's difficult to imagine anyone believing parenthood is a self-gratifying job. As a parent of two young children, I myself have had to come to grips with the overwhelming realization that, while you don't surrender your own identity upon becoming a parent, true parenthood requires the complete giving of oneself in service of a greater good: namely, raising the children entrusted to you by God. Today, however, instead of welcoming this distinctive and challenging privilege as a gift, our society has come to view children as commodities, expected to magically vanish at inauspicious times and, likewise, appear on demand when the “time is right.” Ironically, we now have a role reversal where children are subject to the capricious nature of their parents, who, like small children, seem to feel the world revolves around them and their desires.

I assume many will feel a sense of outrage at my criticism of these aforementioned practices. What gives me the right to stand in the way of scientific advancement and personal happiness? Blinded by their own desire for scientific glory or personal fulfillment, proponents of in vitro fertilization impose Machiavellian “ethics” upon procreation, paying little heed to the victims left in the wake of “progress.” For undoubtedly, it will be the “creatures” of these mad scientific experiments, not the “creators,” who will suffer most acutely.

Dr. Frankenstein's creature largely lamented his existence and ultimately despised the man who bestowed life on him in such a cruelly unnatural fashion. One can only hope and pray that the human legacies of such atrocities as in vitro fertilization, sperm banks, and all the other trappings of science-run-amok, may forgive their creators for the cavalier attitude they demonstrate toward the sanctity of human life.

M.K.