A buddy of mine has a pro-choice wife. Very pro-choice. In fact, she seems almost obsessed with raising the subject any time I see her.
This past weekend I stopped by my buddy’s house to pick him up. We were taking the kids out to Valley Forge to toss a softball around. My three oldest girls all joined softball this year so they’re obsessed with learning how to play.
His wife decided to come with us. Grrr…eat!
So the kids are in the middle of a field. They’re chasing each other but they’re wearing baseball gloves so that kinda’ counts as practice, right?
I found myself standing next to the wife and she, inevitably raises the recent contraception controversy with the Obama administration. My buddy just rolled his eyes. I said I didn’t think it was a contraception issue at all but a religious liberty issue.
She smiled and said that she knew I was against abortion but that I couldn’t possibly be sooooo medieval as to be against contraception. I pointed out my five kids in the field and said, “What do you think?”
Then she advised me that the Catholic Church would be sooooo popular if they only changed their mind of abortion and contraception. She said it makes Catholics look angry all the time.
Shortly after that, a car drove slowly by. Guy was obviously a tourist. As he passed, he tossed out a cigarette stub. As much as I can’t begin to understand why folks think it’s OK to throw cigarette stubs on the road, I especially don’t understand it at a place like Valley Forge. Well, she flipped out. She starts yelling at the guy. “Hey! Hey!” She actually starts trotting after the car, yelling. The guy clearly heard her because he flipped her the bird.
The kids all stopped and watched. Her two kids seemed a bit embarassed. My kids seemed utterly shocked but tried to look away. My buddy and I were a little weirded out because she’s chasing down a dude in a car and if he gets out it’s us who are going to have to deal with him. And we’ve got our kids here too.
She comes back and rants about the guy for a while. I told her that environmentalists needs to drop the whole cigarette stub issue because it just makes them look angry.
Hey, my buddy thought it was funny.
April 18, 2012 at 1:53 pm
Oh, I wish I could think that fast on the fly!
Since Jesus' opinions made Him so unpopular He was tortured and killed, I never quite get the popularity argument.
April 18, 2012 at 2:08 pm
LOL! Perfect!
April 18, 2012 at 2:39 pm
Those silly pro-aborts! They don't want 'us' to eat fats, drink booze, or spread our wicked seed. i say, drink a little drink, smoke a little smoke, and out-reproduce them, so we can make enough noise to drown out their ridiculous cant!
April 18, 2012 at 2:41 pm
The Democrats would be sooooooo popular if they only changed their mind on abortion and contraception.
In fact, the Democrats would thus gain more Catholics than the Church would gain Democrats for the inverse surrender of principle.
Because, of course, in one case it is a surrender of principle, and in the other it's not. People don't compromise with you for abandoning your principles: they are inspired to reconcile when you show willingness to compromise on nonessential matters.
April 18, 2012 at 2:41 pm
A very brave man. I hope your buddy didn't laugh out loud.
April 18, 2012 at 2:58 pm
That's a great comeback. Good thinking on your feet.
My father used to go hunting in upstate New York (the real upstate, past Westchester). After one trip they were coming back with a trophy – a deer – strapped to the car. They stopped at a rest station, and my dad hung back with the car as his buddies went inside. This car pulls up next to him, and two young ladies got out. One of them shoots my dad a dirty look and sneers, "You Bambi killer."
My dad retorts, "So, what are your views on abortion?"
Her reply would only be fit for Bob Beckel.
My dad was awesome.
April 18, 2012 at 2:58 pm
Maybe years ago it was important not to throw trash out the window. But now we've changed as a society. Our values change and technology gives us things like street sweepers to clean up after those little mistakes.
It's my car, and I pay taxes for the roads and the sanitation department. Why shouldn't I be able to litter when I like? Heck, I'm helping *employ* someone. I'm making jobs by chucking my trash out onto the ground.
Get your silly laws and morals off my commute.
April 18, 2012 at 3:16 pm
Valley Forge?!?!?!…HEYYYYY you must live near me??? Anyway how does he "deal" with his wife? Is he Catholic and practicing? How do they deal with this and the kids? Is she hostile toward the faith. You could have drawn this out a little more (for selfish reasons).
April 18, 2012 at 3:28 pm
One should never call supporters of the killing of unborn babies "pro-choice": that's their contrived, deceitful, vague, innocuous-sounding term to cover up the horrific truth of the massacre of innocents that they promote. If your friend's wife were "pro-choice" she'd support people's choice not to provide contraception, abortion-inducing drugs or sterilisations for other people against their conscience. If she were really "pro-choice" she'd support people in choosing to litter everywhere when so inclined!
April 18, 2012 at 3:49 pm
Great response on your part. Perhaps next time you might also suggest to her that the goal of the Church is not to be popular, as the truth is often quite unpopular. Luke 12:51-53, and so on.
April 18, 2012 at 4:14 pm
Touche.
April 18, 2012 at 4:15 pm
Must admit, I'll go psycho on folks tossing butts out the window… but I lived in areas where it's a matter of "doing that gets people killed."
Awesome thinking on your feet!
April 18, 2012 at 4:40 pm
Jesus was not killed for his opinion. He was killed because he announced that He is God.
April 18, 2012 at 5:02 pm
How does your buddy stay married, I wonder? I'm guessing beer plays a rather large part in it?
April 18, 2012 at 5:50 pm
I am Catholic buy I am for abortion, especially if the girl is under age or it was from rape. Times r hard in these days and I have to hold down to jobs to keep above water. The church doesn't help support these babies. Look at how many are killed by mother/father or are kidnapped. I'm also for birth control, kids now a days are having sex at the age of 11 & 12. Who can watch their children 24/7. You teach them, take them to mass but once they leave your home & get with friends. It's a hard world out there. Is the Catholic church going to support these babies?? Give them an education, care for them?
April 18, 2012 at 6:07 pm
Yes the world can be a hard place. So, let's just kill those babies so they don't have to deal with it. Hey, I've got an idea! Why don't we kill all the disabled, too? After all, they've got it muuuuch harder than the rest of us and Lord knows we don't want anyone to have to live anything but an easy life. Oh, and there's the elderly, too. I mean, they're on their way out anyway so why don't we just do them a favor and save them a lot of pain by getting rid of them before they start getting expensive.
/sarc
Here's an idea, "Anonymous": sometimes the struggle is what makes life worthwhile. And another little tip, a big part of being Catholic is submitting to the Magesterium of the Church and its teaching. And the Church is pretty darned clear that killing folks, especially the innocent is evil and sinful regardless of the person's actual or perceived "quality of life." The bottom line is that we're not God and we have no right to act like we are.
April 18, 2012 at 6:32 pm
I am Catholic buy I am for abortion, especially if the girl is under age or it was from rape. Times r hard in these days and I have to hold down to jobs to keep above water.
I'm guessing (hoping) copyright editor is neither of them.
April 18, 2012 at 6:42 pm
Paul Zummo, I think you meant "copy editor".
April 18, 2012 at 6:52 pm
And anonymous, um, yes, the Catholic Church will care for them, give them an education, and help take care of them. Yes, that is what the Catholic Church does. That is until the state comes in and shuts down Catholic Charities in the name of tolerance. And the "I am Catholic, but I am for abortion…," um, no your not Catholic. Either you trust in Jesus or you do not. If God says, "here is a child" and you say, "no thanks God, I am going to kill him." That is not exactly "being Catholic" since being Catholic is about following God and His will.
April 18, 2012 at 7:03 pm
You perfectly illustrated the extremes of pro-choice females. One of my good friends (well, we are drifting simply because water seeks it's own level) is very pro-choice. Yet, she abhors war. Says "killing is stupid". Hmmm. She doesn't see the similarities. Killing in war, killing unborn children….isn't it KILLING. Thank you for sharing. Wonder if she will read and see how contrary her beliefs are.