Archbishop Edward Gilbert at the September 26 Inter Religious Organisation of Trinidad & Tobago National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving and the Catholic Church “Respect for Life Week” Event, at Brahma Kumaris Raja Yoga Centre, San Fernando. The theme for the celebration was, “Respect for Life – United We Stand, Divided We Fall.”
“My Sisters and Brothers,
The fact that the celebration of Respect for Life Week and the annual IRO National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving have come together is a positive development. It could be considered a providential development. The theme “Respect for Life – United we Stand, Divided We Fall” communicates a very important message. The theme states clearly that the various religious traditions which live together peacefully in this Nation refuse to be privatized. They intend to have a public voice on matters of life and other important issues. They understand the price of being silent.
Aspects of Life
When we speak of life we have to speak to the entire life issue. Unfortunately, when many people speak of life they exclusively think of abortion and capital punishment. While any consideration of life includes these two issues, life issues are in truth much broader. Allow me to list some other examples of life issues: genocide, suicide, euthanasia, murder, manslaughter, war, medical experimentation, creation/environment and violence.
There are also quality of life issues related to the issue of life e.g. hunger, lack of housing, lack of access to medical care and education, poverty and all that goes with poverty which breaks the spirit of people and eliminates their ability to hope.
Promoting a culture of life in all its aspects may seem to be an overwhelming challenge. Not too long ago we could have stated that promoting a culture of life was not impossible because the vast majority of people respected life. To some degree that is still true. However, attitudes are changing. People are becoming culturally conditioned to accept a culture of death by what is seen in the media, world news, everyday local and national violence and even by the toys that are available to parents to gift their children – the message of the toys is ‘kill this or blow up that.’ Values are unintentionally being formed.
There is a new challenge developing. Religious people are beginning to allow a gap to open between what they believe and how they live. Attitudes and values are changing.
A Consistent Life Ethic
One of the tendencies of people is to pick and choose among life issues. This is especially true for those who have been traumatized as a result of having lost loved ones through violent crime. Frequently they never fully recover. Religious traditions must use their foundational documents and civil leaders the wisdom of reason to help people heal, to give people hope and to enable people to develop a consistent life ethic.
How can this possibly be done? Let us look at a few specific recommendations:
1)For the many people who still respect life, support their beliefs whether faith based or founded in reason before their attitudes are infiltrated with the values of the culture of death. I believe the numbers are still on our side;
Measurements ought to be dismantled no less than purchase of levitra 24 hours. The brain is stimulated first, which releases chemicals to indicate the number of packets you viagra generic uk want. Are you an extremely busy person and spend almost 24 hours at your office? levitra mastercard If such is the case then you also need to consider that humanity evolves through mutation. Drink Watermelon Juice An intake lowest price tadalafil https://regencygrandenursing.com/long-term-care/dementia-alzheimers-care of watermelon juice has more than just satisfying thirst. 2)Celebrate religious services within our many religious traditions that communicate the values of life and invite a consistent ethic of life;
3)Offer healing programmes that address the anger and fear so common in society before these emotions facilitate antisocial behaviour;
4)Offer counseling and spiritual direction for individuals and families who have been traumatized by violent death. In many cases, hurting people cannot afford what they clearly need.
Conscience Formation
Every religious tradition has the responsibility to alert its members to the changing philosophical/attitudinal context in society.
Allow me to define two terms and then make practical application:
Secularization: an historical process of social, cultural and political emancipation by which society is freed from the control and dominance of religious institutions and symbols. What does it lead to? Frequently, it leads to desacralization in which faith and culture are separated.
Secularism is the human effort to live, to create a society and to define the human person without any reference to God.
What makes these two philosophical schools of thought so dangerous is that most people simply breathe them into their lives without ever recognizing, identifying or understanding what was slowly happening to them.
For conscience to be correct, it must be fed correct information to make correct choices. The search for what is true and good is not simple especially when the powerful entertainment industry influences society with the philosophy of secularization and secularism. What is true and what is good is not easy to discern. Many people do not read, listen or watch critically. They just accept as true whatever they read, listen to or watch. That is why religious leadership and civil leaders based on reason must help people learn the truth so they can make proper choices in their lives.
Governments, the social justice budgets of religious traditions and NGOs are spending immense amounts of money to deal with the effects of poor decisions on the various issues related to life. Conscience formation is not a pious option, it is a pragmatic necessity.
Conclusion
The issues of life are far too important to be left to any one group for decision. Informed dialogue must precede any attempts to allow unprofessional polling to raise the emotional level of the discussion on life or to allow without challenge the development of quiet plans for power based decision making to decide life important issues.
The various branches of government, religious traditions, the university community, leaders in the private sector and the voice of the people responding to substantive research and dialogue must all participate in decisions about life.
One thing is absolutely clear about today’s gathering: the religious traditions plan to be part of the discussion on the many issues of life. For me, the commitment of the religious traditions to participate in the dialogue about all life issues is good news.”
