Freedom Rosary: For Me, It's Personal

First, a clarification about the local freedom rosary's schedule. The plan here in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, is to pray each evening at 7:30 p.m.: including the evening of July 4. Now, on with this post.

Prenatal Testing? "It Depends:" Definitely

"Should expectant couples get prenatal testing?" (Paul Schlenker, Google+)

That's a good question. I firmly answered, 'yes; no; it depends:'

"For some couples, I think not getting prenatal testing might be a gross neglect of parental duty. Genetic disorders are known, which are much easier to deal with if they're caught early.

If, however, one assumes that prenatal testing always means killing a child who does not match expectations: in that case, it is not a good idea.

The issue isn't prenatal testing: it's why the technology is used."
(Brian Gill's comment on a post by Paul Schlenker, Google+ (June 27, 2012))

Bioethics questions involving birth defects and 'therapeutic' abortions are more than just public issues for me:

• "Memoirs of a Lab Rat"
  (June 28, 2012)
• "Baptism of Desire: Or, Two Thousand Years of Not Knowing Everything"
  (May 3, 2010)
  Particularly
  • What's the Big Deal With Unbaptized Infants?

Freedom Rosary

It's the personal angle that makes going to my parish's 'freedom rosary' each evening easy. That, and the (so far) good weather.

I don't have statistics to back this up, but I think there's a higher percentage of folks with disabilities at these prayer meetings, than in the general population.

Part of that may be because 'they have nothing else to do:' although I'm an example of 'the disabled' who has held jobs. Granted, I'm retired now.

In my case, though, sitting outside with 50-plus other folks for an hour of prayer wasn't a matter of 'finding something to do.' Particularly when I can do online research:

• "Planned Power Outage, Lots of Quiet, and Me"
  Through One Dad's Eye (June 28, 2012)

Most days, I'm concerned about getting all the tasks done: not whiling away idle hours. And that's another topic.

Life, Conscience, and Me

I was in the garden between the parish church and the rectory yesterday evening, and plan to be back today, because I think:

• Human life is sacred
  (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2258)
• Religious freedom is vital
  (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2104-2109)
  • For everybody
    (Catechism, 2106)
• Having an well-formed conscience is important
  (Catechism, 1776-1794)
• Some actions are always wrong
  (Catechism, 1789)
  • Even if the President says it's okay
    (Catechism, 2242)

Catechism, 2242, doesn't specify "president." The document is for all Catholics, not just those living in America. The terms used are "civil authorities" and "public authority."

The point is that there's a moral order in creation that can't be changed by an act of Congress, presidential proclamation, or a Chancellor's emergency powers. Not even the Supreme Court of the United States has that sort of authority.

And that's yet another topic.

Related posts:

• Fortnight For Freedom
  • " '...A Time to Stand Up' "
    (June 27, 2012)
  • "Freedom Rosary: Another Day, Another Hour of Prayer"
    (June 26, 2012)
  • "We Pray For Freedom"
    (June 25, 2012)
  • "Curing the Sick, Helping the Poor; Yes: Killing the Innocent; No"
    (June 24, 2012)
  • "Fortnight for Freedom Resources; Religious Freedom Backgrounders"
    (June 14, 2012)
• Authority
  • "Freedom to Act Like God Matters"
    (June 23, 2012)
  • "John Fisher, Thomas More, and the Big Picture"
    (June 22, 2012)
  • "Obedience, Yes: Blind Obedience, No"
    (March 12, 2012)
  • "Authority: My Wife's Right"
    (March 30, 2011)
  • "The Catholic Church: Authoritarian, Which Isn't Necessarily a Bad Thing"
    (October 2, 2008)