Spine-building
Kasia May 6th, 2008
I don’t like conflict.
For some reason, when I was a teen and in my early 20s, I was very good at standing up and making myself heard. I think I was a wee bit argumentative. It came from a good place, but there you have it.
Anyway, for most of my 20s I sought to avoid conflict wherever possible. Hated it. Would go out of my way to avoid it, even when my conscience told me I ought to do otherwise.
So I suppose it is appropriate that the Lord seems to be sending me a lot of opportunities to do what I call “spine-building exercises.”
First there was the visit to my mom in New Mexico. That merits its own post; but let’s just say I had ample opportunity to defend the Faith, to explain why the Church teaches what she does, particularly with respect to abortion, and to make sure that there was no question on where I stood.
Then a dear friend of mine, in whose wedding I am standing up and who is standing up in my wedding, asked me to pledge him for a walk he’s doing for MS (his uncle has MS). I pulled up the organization’s site and checked: sure enough, they support ESCR. I told him, with much regret, that I would have to check with my priest before I could agree to pledge him, and sent him the link to the page where they enumerated their ESCR stand. He understood, but I was uncomfortable nonetheless.
Then last night, as TBS and I were waiting for my fridge to be delivered (it ended up being almost 9 p.m. when it was, but I’ve got it now!), I got a call from a children’s leukemia foundation.
I tried avoiding the situation first - I told the man it wasn’t a good time. Which was true - I had pulled out the old fridge and was trying to clean behind it. If I’d known for sure it wasn’t the delivery men, I wouldn’t even have picked up the phone; but I figured since I wasn’t 100% sure I’d better err on the side of caution.
He returned by saying, “Then I’ll make it quick for you” - well, thanks, pal. And he launched into a brief pitch about what great things his organization does, including making a last wish possible for children with leukemia. Kind of like Make-a-Wish, I guess, but it wasn’t them. This group also, I think, funded research, though I admit I was only half-listening to his pitch - hard to give your undivided attention when you’re wiggling a broom into odd corners.
So I asked, “What is your organization’s stance on embryonic stem cell research?”
He replied, “Positive.”
“Then I’m afraid I can’t support it,” I said. “I’m a Catholic.”
Now, I could’ve done with a little more nuance there. Perhaps “I’m sorry; I can’t support embryonic stem cell research. Did you know that every other branch of stem cell research has yielded far superior results without the moral issues involved in embryonic research?” Or something like that. Simply saying “No, because I’m a Catholic” makes it sound like Catholics are happy to have cute little kids with leukemia die a miserable death just so that our delicate sensibilities aren’t offended, when of course that’s completely untrue.
But I think I gained a vertebra or two with that one. And I think the guy hung up on me. But you know what? I’m okay with that.
Shoulda said, “I don’t like killing one kid to save another kid. Can you find a better way? If so, I would be glad to support you.”
Actually, that was very similar to one of the alternatives I came up with after the fact, but it somehow didn’t seem much more diplomatic than “no, because I’m Catholic”… :-p
Right on, girl.
I know we would all like to be clever and succinct and brilliant with the MS/Komen/March of Dimes phone folks, but frankly, sometimes you just don’t have the time and speaking for myself, I can’t think that fast.
I for one quite like, “No thanks, I’m a Catholic” but “I believe all human beings are precious, even when they’re small” would work, too.
Anyway, he got the point, and maybe you’ve piqued his curiosity enough so that he’ll pick up a Catechism to see what all the fuss is about.
I think that the Komen Foundation is okay.
I have found that matter-of-factly stating the problem actually works. KMart is having a March of Dimes fundraiser, so I mentioned that I haven’t supported it since they decided the best way to fight birth defects was to identify problems prenatally - and abort children with Down’s Syndrome and the like. Seems as foolish as a fundraiser to prevent alcoholism by having “controlled burns” of bars.
Never mentioned I was Catholic.
If you are anti ESCR or anti Planned Parenthood, Komen is *not* okay.
They are huge donors to PP, which is the largest dispenser of oral contraceptives in the world.
The link between the Pill and breast cancer has been proven, therefore, since I am against breast cancer, I do not support Komen.
I think you said it just fine! I actually have a son with leukemia and I don’t support escr in any way, shape or form! You know, if we just took hold of the wasted placentas, (they do through them away) and wasted umbilical cords, there is plenty of stem cells to research without harming the unborn human beings:O) Its almost like GOD gave us this organ for no other use, after birth, so we can research it. I’ve had 5 children and thrown out 5 placentas and 5 umbilical cords. Could’ve started my own research firm with all that waste, I tell ya. Also, stem cells are found in our blood so donate some. Your bone marrow will make more:O) In Christ, Tam