Barack Obama- the one thing people often say about him, seeminly more than anything else, is that he’s a mystery. You never know where he truly stands on many issues. He seems to take the position that stands to gain him more power in his very very short pursuit of the highest office in the land. This is why people from both sides of the aisle sometimes say they like him- it’s so easy to project onto him your own personal views, mainly because he’s seemingly so wishy washy on his own views, and he often refuses to take a firm stance on much of anything.
We do, however, know where Obama stands on abortion. He is radically pro-abortion, despite his insistence that we have fewer of them. In his time in the IL State Senate, we know he voted “present” several times on state bills to help infants born alive after botched abortions. Infanticide is a very radical stance, even among most liberals, but Obama had no problem, again refusing to take a firm stance with a vote. We know that his first couple of acts as president reversed federal rules in place to limit abortions and the use of stem cell lines. Thanks to Obama, your tax money goes to fund abortions overseas now, a rule put into place under George W Bush.
Obama’s radical stance on abortion is why he should have rejected Notre Dame’s offer for him to be their commencement speaker. Notre Dame is arguably the most important Catholic institution in the West. It’s a sacred place for the Catholic Church, and with Obama’s background on abortion, he should have had the decency to politely decline the offer to speak. His address to the students was a slap in the face to Catholics across the nation. Notre Dame’s administration should also be ashamed for its actions in this whole ordeal. Honoring a man whose views contradict basic Catholic teachings with an honorary degree from the nation’s premiere Catholic institution is a disgrace. It shows that some among the university’s administration easily toss basic doctrinal issues aside. One has to wonder what other core beliefs Notre Dame will ignore for political points?
The fact that many of the students chanted, “yes we can” is, in itself, a disgrace to the university as well. Apparently, young people are out to prove the stereotype- to hell with rules, I’ll make them up as I go along. Forget what the Bible teaches, we can ignore the parts we don’t like as long as it makes us feel good. This do-whatever attitude is at the root of our nation’s moral breakdown. Embracing a president whose values completely contradict the very basic values that all life is sacred will, no doubt, lead to the downfall of Notre Dame as a premiere Catholic institution, and as well it should. When even many of the administrators toss aside doctrine on a whim, you know there are serious foundational problems. Obama should have had the decency to thank Notre Dame for its offer and politely said, “no.” Unfortunately, that’s just not the kind of man our new president is.
