Obama should respect Catholics,bow out of Notre Dame speech

Here on the planet"What About Me" principled people are so rare as to be oddities. Thus, it was a head swiveling moment Monday when former Vatican Ambassador Mary Ann Glendon quietly declined Notre Dame's Laetare Medal. Glendon-a Harvard University law professor and a respected authority on bioethics and human rights-rejected the honor in part because Barack Obama was invited to be commencement speaker and to receive and honorary degree.
In an April 27 letter to Notre Dame's president, the Rev. John I. Jenkins, Glendon wrote of her dismay the Obama was to receive the degree in disregard of the U.S. bishops position that Catholic institutions "should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles."
But the more compelling reason seems to have been Glendon's sense that she was being used to deflect criticism.In her letter, Glendon cited "talking points" issued by Notre Dame following criticism of the decision to honor Obama, including that: (1) "President Obama won't be doing all the talking. Mary Ann Glendon, the former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican will be speaking as the recipient of the Laetare Medal."(2)"We think having the president come to Notre Dame, see our graduates, meet our leaders, and hear a talk from Glendon is a good thing for the president and for the causes we care about."
Glendon, who is no mortal's pawn, decided she couldn't accept the award.
To non-Catholics , Glendon's act may seem of little importance, yet another feud within the church.Abortion, after all, is settled law and Obama is the duly elected president. Clearly, the American people have moved on. Or have they? And should we? Is there really ever a time when we shouldbe comfortable with the ratification of abortion? It has always seemed to me that the truest form of feminism, as in the earliest days of the suffrage, would be to hold abhorrent the state-sanctioned destruction of woman's unique life-bearing gifts. Out of material expedience, we've somehow managed to convince ourselves that life is a mistake.
While one may prefer to preserve the legality of individual discretion it is nonetheless consoling that there are still those who relentlessly defend life's sanctity. The alternative, after all is less comforting.
Increasingly, however, even Catholic institutions can't be relied upon to hold the fraying line between our humanity and materialism. Another Laetare recipient, the novelist and physician Walker Percy, told the 1989 graduating class: "It is a disaster when only one kind of truth prevails at the expense of another. If only one kind of truth prevails-the abstract and technical truth of science-then nothing stands in the way of a demeaning of and a destruction of human life for what appear to be reasonable, short-term goals."Its no accident, I think that German science, great as it was, ended in the destruction of a Holocaust. The novelist likes to irritate people by pointing this out."
One needn't be a dedicated pro-lifer to understand the consternation Obama's invitation has caused. He is more radical than all previous presidents on the life issue, with his loosening of the federal funds for abortion and embryonic stem cell research, as well as his campaign promise to pass the Freedom of Choice Act.
To his credit, Obama has left some Bush-era restrictions in place on embryonic stem cell research. Under new guidelines, federal funking may be used for research only on surplus embryos from fertility clinics, not on cells or embryos created just for research.
Nevertheless his abortion stance is in direct conflict with Catholic teaching. And no place symbolizes Catholics in America like Notre Dame does.
Offering this backdrop and extending the school's imprimatur to Obama constitutes a wink and a nod to abortion.
Why not throw a pig roast in Mecca?
That was Glendon's point. By her symbolic gesture of self-denial, she demonstrates that faith is an act, not a motto.
Obama might consider following Glendon's lead.Out of respect for pro-life Catholics and their beloved institution,he should politely bow out.
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I am not too sure what Obama is supposed to be doing for the speech, is he giving a speech at Notre Dame? Also, is it the Cathedral or the College?

And just to make sure, your point is to say Obama should bow out because he leans more towards Pro-Choice than Pro-Life.

Sorry if to make you restate what you said, but I just wanna make sure I understand your points

This is for the abortion part:

One thing I'd like to point out, which I tend to make in rather touchy subjects such as abortion and gay rights...the separation of Church and State.

Yes, by allowing women to make the choice of whether or not to have an abortion does go against what Catholics believe in, as well as various other beliefs. Consider this though: should Obama make abortions legal, nothing really changes. It does not become law that all women must have an abortion, it simply gives the option that a woman can if she chooses to. Catholics (and any other religion that does not allow abortion for that matter) do not have to follow this law because that's the idea behind Freedom of Religion and the separation of Church and State. By allowing this Act to pass Obama is simply saying he will keep to the founding principle of separation of Church and State even if the rest of the country hates him for it.

Now, as for the question of whether or not abortion is murder. That in itself is another debate which i really can't get into because there are plenty of things that involve killing people that aren't called murder (killing for country aka war, killing for religious beliefs, killing in self-defense, etc).

I may not be a fan of religion, but I do have plenty of friends who are very religious (especially down here in Virginia) that make similar points to what you've said. However, the laws of this country should not be made based purely on religious beliefs. This country may be the largest home to Catholics/Christians in the world, but the laws should not be made to reflect the ideals put forth by the Bible.*

*Note: The laws concerning "Do not kill," "Do not steal," etc. have been around well before Christ and are more than likely the result of common sense rather than any religious backing.

Rereading your post, Obama probably shouldn't be honored by Notre Dame considering his stance on abortion.

My question is why is Notre Dame allowing Obama to make a speech if Catholics feel this way, especially since Notre Dame is a very Catholic institution.

Thats what I want to know, is why? Obama is pro-choice. Why Notre Dame,a Catholic University would invite and honor him is wrong. My view is your pro-life or your not, period. There is no in between. Pro choice is not pro-life, it is in total favor of abortion. He should bow out respecting the stance of the Catholic churchs'view on abortion. It was wrong to invite him in the first place, and the college should rescind its invitation. Like oops my bad Obama...

I agree, however should Obama not refuse I do not think he should be held completely accountable......it would be awkward, but perhaps there is a deeper meaning to inviting a very liberal president to Notre Dame.

You mean deeper agenda....

I don't think Obama is going to be "conspiring" with/against the Catholic Church, that would ridiculous.

We elect our presidents to keep the country running, and Obama is doing a very good job I believe...but his agenda does not include anything religious.

I'm just a conspiracy theorist at heart LOL. I just think it was in very poor taste and judgement that the university invited him. Only time will tell how good a president he'll be..