As I’m sure everyone in the blogosphere knows, Left and Right, we are in the middle of an increasingly fierce partisan battle over the socialization of the healthcare system pushed forth by Obama and San Fran Nan. What some Republicans and Democrats have done, aided by the Council of Catholic Bishops is craft provisions within this bill that essentially add the Hyde Amendment to this bill, further ensuring that no federal dollars will be used in this bill to fund abortion. Many Democrats are willing to concede the point of abortion for the purpose of getting this bill through. However, there are enough Democrats that are wedded to the abortion lobby that they are willing to kill the entire healthcare bill in order to ensure that abortion on demand is covered in the socialization of the healthcare bill. The Church of course, stands against any bill that provides abortion, and is willing to deny Catholic politicians Communion, the holiest of rites for spouting their pro-choice viewpoints in the face of Catholic teaching.

This point about abortion is a non-negotiable point for Catholics who wish to remain in good standing with the Church; the sanctity of life is not for convenience, or something that is optional. Therefore, how can Notre Dame, the nation’s largest and most visible Catholic University, consider hiring pro-choice candidate Brian Kelly. Is Coach Kelly an excellent football coach? His record certainly points to it, but his positions are unacceptable for Notre Dame. If abortion is such an important issue that the Vatican would see fit to intervene (rightly so, I would add, especially considering that this is an overhaul that will affect the next generation for life), than how can the coach of the largest Catholic University be a pro-choice “Catholic”? I bring up this point about the Church because the Church, like political parties, recognizes that there are significant hills to die on, and one of those hills is in the fight for the lives of the unborn. We so often speak about the idea of a big tent within the GOP, but as we know, if you expand a tent too wide, all of the poles will eventually fall.

Like the Church, it is necessary to call out the RINOs, and the fake conservative Ds, who pretend to be one thing but do another.  Christ tell us “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” It is not enough for us to give lip service to abortion, and talk about it in blogs and in our friends, but we must hold the politicians responsible who insist on grotesquely distorting the value of human life, wherever we see it, whether it is in the football field of Notre Dame, or in the hallowed halls of the Capitol. It is not enough to celebrate passing an overhaul of the healthcare system or winning a college football championship if you have sacrificed your principles to get there. Indeed what do you benefit to gain the whole world and lose your soul? Some say not to turn this into a battle over abortion and then state that their is nothing that social conservatives can do in terms of legislative policy. We can stand athwart history yelling stop, as Buckley advised us to so many years ago. Many Catholics would rather see Notre Dame lose 100000 games in a row than to lose its Catholic identity, the same way that many conservatives would rather see nothing at all pass than any healthcare reform that aids and abets killing the unborn. Our time to fight is now on all fronts, and like Dylan Thomas advised us, we will not go gentle into this good night. Let us rage, rage against the dying of the Light!