An Ode to Abe and Speechmaking

Happy President's Day!

In honor of my favorite President, I am treating you to a few of my favorite Abe quotes. I am also attaching a video of Sam Waterston's rendition of Lincoln's Cooper-Union Address, which was arguing against the expansion of slavery into the territories. It is long, yes, but wonderful. I wish someone would re-enact the Lincoln-Douglass Debates. Sigh.

"Common looking people are the best in the world: that is the reason that Lord makes so many of them."- Letter to John Hay

"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan- to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations."- Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865

"I am rather inclined to silence, and whether that be wise or not, it is at least more unusual nowadays to find a man who can hold his tongue than to find one who cannot." Remarks at the Monogahela House

"...that we here highly resolved that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." Gettysburg Address, November 19, 1863

"Neither party expected for the war, the magnitude, or the duration, which it has already attained. Neither anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with, or even before, the conflict itself should cease. Each looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding. Both read the same Bible, and pray to the same God; and each invoked His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces; but let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered; that of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes." Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865

"Whenever I hear any one arguing for slavery I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally." Speech to One Hundred Fortieth Indiana Regiment, March 17, 1865

"The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just; it shall not deter me." Speech on the Sub-Treasury, December 26, 1839

"My friends, no one, not in my situation, can appreciate my feeling of sadness at this parting. To this place, and the kindness of these people, I owe everything. here I have lived a quarter of a century, and have passed from a young to an old man. Here my children have been born, and one is buried. I now leave, not knowing when, or whether ever, I may return, with a task before me greater than that which rested upon Washington. Without the assistance of the Divine Being who ever attended him, I cannot succeed. With that assistance I cannot fail. Trusting in Him who can go with me, and remain with you, and be everywhere for good, let us confidently hope that all will yet be well. To his care commending you, as I hope in your prayers you will commend me, I bid you an affectionate farewell." Lincoln's Farewell Address at the Great Western Depot in Springfield, Illinois, February 11, 1861

The Wall of Separation

In the 1960 presidential election, Republican Richard Nixon was running against Democrat John F. Kennedy. Kennedy was a Catholic and Nixon was a Quaker. The topic of religion became a hot button issue in light of Kennedy's Catholic faith. Many Americans were concerned that if Kennedy was elected, the foreign Pope would have undue influence on American politics. In response to this fear, Kennedy gave a speech before a group of Houston ministers arguing that:

I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute, where no Catholic prelate would tell the president (should he be Catholic) how to act, and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote; where no church or church school is granted any public funds or political preference; and where no man is denied public office merely because his religion differs from the president who might appoint him or the people who might elect him.

I believe in an America that is officially neither Catholic, Protestant nor Jewish; where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the Pope, the National Council of Churches or any other ecclesiastical source; where no religious body seeks to impose its will directly or indirectly upon the general populace or the public acts of its officials; and where religious liberty is so indivisible that an act against one church is treated as an act against all.

President Kennedy certainly made valid points during his speech. However, on the whole, Kennedy's speech reveals that he has misinterpreted the meaning of "the wall of separation."

Theologian of the Month: Augustine of Hippo

It's February and I don't know about you, but for me, February is a pretty depressing month. It is sandwiched between January, which holds abundant promise for the new year and March, which brings St. Patrick's Day and my birthday. So what does February have to offer? In my experience, not much, but today I am going to remedy that problem: I am introducing my Theologian of the Month! So without further delay, let me present St. Augustine....

Meet Jane Roe

On January 22, 1973 two landmark decisions were handed down by the Supreme Court. Roe v. Wade granted access to abortion on demand up to the first trimester of pregnancy and then made abortion in the second and third trimesters contingent upon the health of the mother. The second decision handed down that day was Doe v. Bolton, which effectively allowed abortion up until birth by its incredibly broad definition of "health":

We agree with the District Court, 319 F. Supp., at 1058, that the medical judgment may be exercised in the light of all factors - physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and the woman's age - relevant to the well-being of the patient. All these factors may relate to health.

The end result of these two decisions was that all women were now legally able to receive an abortion up until the moment of birth, if their doctor agreed that their physical, emotional, familial or psychological health were at stake. By now we all know the ramifications of these two decisions. In the past 39 years, approximately 50 million babies have been aborted. There are plenty of topics to delve into when discussing abortion, an endless supply of statistics to consider, but at the heart of this controversy were two women forever known as Jane Roe and Mary Doe. Their court cases have forever altered the moral landscape in the United States and likewise, they have forever altered the lives of these two women. Today I want to write about the story of Jane Roe, also known as Norma L. McCorvey.

39 Years and 50 Million Abortions Later: Things to Remember

On January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court handed down their decision on the case Roe v. Wade. With a 7-2 decision in favor of the plaintiff, abortion on-demand was legalized in the United States. Even though the Supreme Court made a ruling on abortion almost 40 years ago, the debate still carries on. As I have read through articles written to commemorate the decision, I've been reminded of the philosophy driving the Pro-Choice movement.

A Little Encouragement from Aragorn

My previous post dealt with changing sentiments on morality and religion.  For those of us convinced that truth can be known and is produced by a loving Creator, this development can be frustrating, sad, and disheartening.  We know the truth, and proclaiming that truth isn't a matter of prideful boasting (or at least it shouldn't be), it is driven by a belief in the importance of knowing, believing and living out that truth.

I've been re-reading The Lord of the Rings and I just began The Two Towers.  As I read a conversation between Aragorn and Eomer and I was struck by just how disheartening and confusing change can be sometimes. In a society where our basic belief system is under attack and where supporting fundamental tenants of the Christian faith are called intolerance, it is easy to begin to question our definitions of good, right, and necessary.  I don't want to be intolerant and I certainly don't want to be hateful, so just how necessary is it for me to stand firm on some of these issues... 

...And then, in the most unlikely of places, I read this:

After pursuing Merry and Pippen for days, who are captives of the evil and dirty Uruk-hai, Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas come across Eomer and the Rohirrim.  Aragorn gives Eomer sad and distressing tidings of Gandalf's death and Eomer proclaims:

It is hard to be sure of anything among so many marvels.  The world is all grown strange.  Elf and Dward in company walk in our daily fields; and fold speak with the Lady of the Wood and yet live; and the Sword comes back to war that was broken in the long ages ere the fathers of our fathers rode into the Mark!  How shall a man judge what to do in such times?

And then Aragorn responds in this way:

As he ever has judged.  Good and ill have not changed since yesteryear; nor are they one thing among Elves and Dwarves and another among Men.  It is a man's part to discern them...

 It is quotes like this that make reading worthwhile.  Who knew a person could be so encouraged by a simple Ranger from the North.