May 1, 2009
Speakers urge parish pro-life workers to keep fighting
Catherine Spears, Tennessee Register
More than 50 pro-lifers from 18 parishes across the diocese attended the April 25 Pro-Life Conference at the Cathedral of the Incarnation to be inspired and share their stories.
Speakers Deacon John Krenson, Maria Graham and Susie Allen inspired the audience and Brian Harris of Tennessee Right to Life updated attendees on current pro-life legislative measures.
Graham, who lives in the Diocese of Dallas and is part of the Catholic Pro-Life Committee there, began sidewalk counseling at 13.
“When I was in high school I used to spend every day praying and counseling in front of an abortion center,” Graham said. “I know there is a very high burn-out rate in pro-life work. There are only two kinds of people who stay in pro-life work. You either have to be completely insane, or a saint.”
“I think that God has called us all to pro-life work because he wants us to be saints,” Graham said.
“In this ministry through the physical, mental, and spiritual suffering we are really united to Christ in his suffering and through that there are three important inspiration messages we learn,” Graham said. “First we learn that evil cannot win and abortion will one day end, but God is calling us all to stand up and be saints during this time.”
“Secondly, we learn the value of just one soul. Jesus would have died for just one soul, and in pro-life work, if all we ever save is just one life, one soul, it is worth it,” Graham said. “Lastly we learn the eternal meaning of success. Christ said over and over that his kingdom was not of this world. We can’t look at human versions of success. Our victory comes from the cross.”
Robertson County Right to Life President Susie Allen presented an abbreviated version of her talk “The Art of Pro-Life Persuasion,” which taught attendees how to address pro-abortion arguments with logical, scientific and philosophical answers.
“My first premise is that it is morally wrong to take the life of a defenseless, innocent human being,” Allen said. “My second premise is that abortion does in fact take the life of a defenseless, innocent human being, and my third premise is that abortion is therefore morally wrong.”
Allen told attendees that America’s TV and fast food society has taken the meaning out of the tragedy of abortion because we no longer study and research, but learn mostly visually, accustomed to the short emotional sound bytes and clips on television. Allen said that before dealing with the subject of abortion, we must first be able to see it, to define what actually happens.
“There are only four differences between a baby in the womb and a toddler in the backyard,” Allen said, “Size, but this is irrelevant, because if size was a factor in personhood, a basketball player would be more of a person than a midget. There is a developmental difference, but this is also irrelevant in determining personhood, or a 4-year-old girl whose reproductive system is not fully functioning yet would be less of a person than an adult woman.”
“There is a difference in environment, but obviously this cannot be what determines a person,” Allen said. “I am the same person if I am here, driving in my car, or in a different state. Lastly, there is degree of dependence, which also cannot be relevant, because then anyone who needed insulin for diabetes or relied on a pacemaker, oxygen or a wheelchair would be less of a person than an individual who did not.”
Allen reminded attendees to answer any challenges with charity, calmness and love.
“For instance, if someone claims that abortion is a private matter that should be between a woman and her doctor,” Allen said. “Say, ‘Oh OK. Can we abuse our children if we keep it a private matter in our own home?’ Of course that is absurd, but then by going through the four differences you can point out that there is no moral difference between that child in the womb and a child at home.”
More information on Allen’s talk is available at www.prolifetraining.com.
Conference organizer Lynn Chaffin, the respect life chairperson at the Cathedral of the Incarnation, said that response to the conference was good.
“I didn’t know what to expect because we have never tried a diocesan wide conference of this nature before,” Chaffin said. “We were specifically targeting pro-life leaders around the Diocese of Nashville. Many people, especially other respect life coordinators in other churches, expressed to me feelings of isolation within their own parish communities. They also want to know what other parishes are doing to promote respect for life. They want to learn best practices. They want to learn how to be more effective.”
“Another major goal for this conference was to invigorate the movement which had been distressed by the recent changes in the political climate,” Chaffin said. “I specifically chose speakers with a goal of motivating pro-lifers to keep up their efforts, since they are doing the foundational work of the Church. By foundational I mean a reference to the bishops’ teachings that respect for life is the foundation upon which all other social justice teachings and rights stand.”
“All of the feedback from the conference has been extremely positive,” Chaffin said. “Attendees have told me they were inspired, uplifted, and informed. They gained a sense of connectedness previously lacking. We fully intend to continue and expand the conference next year.”
Photo courtesy of Ed AlbinMaria Graham, a member of the pro-life committee in the Diocese of Dallas, addresses participants in the first annual Pro-Life Leadership Conference held at Cathedral of the Incarnation on April 25.
Photo courtesy of Lynn ChaffinLeaders of the first annual Pro-Life Leadership Conference included Deacon John Krenson, left, Cathedral Respect Life coordinator Lynn Chaffin, Robertson County Right to Life president Susie Allen, Maria Graham of the Diocese of Dallas and Brian Harris, Tennessee Right to Life president.
Speakers urge parish pro-life workers to keep fighting
Catherine Spears, Tennessee Register
More than 50 pro-lifers from 18 parishes across the diocese attended the April 25 Pro-Life Conference at the Cathedral of the Incarnation to be inspired and share their stories.
Speakers Deacon John Krenson, Maria Graham and Susie Allen inspired the audience and Brian Harris of Tennessee Right to Life updated attendees on current pro-life legislative measures.
Graham, who lives in the Diocese of Dallas and is part of the Catholic Pro-Life Committee there, began sidewalk counseling at 13.
“When I was in high school I used to spend every day praying and counseling in front of an abortion center,” Graham said. “I know there is a very high burn-out rate in pro-life work. There are only two kinds of people who stay in pro-life work. You either have to be completely insane, or a saint.”
“I think that God has called us all to pro-life work because he wants us to be saints,” Graham said.
“In this ministry through the physical, mental, and spiritual suffering we are really united to Christ in his suffering and through that there are three important inspiration messages we learn,” Graham said. “First we learn that evil cannot win and abortion will one day end, but God is calling us all to stand up and be saints during this time.”
“Secondly, we learn the value of just one soul. Jesus would have died for just one soul, and in pro-life work, if all we ever save is just one life, one soul, it is worth it,” Graham said. “Lastly we learn the eternal meaning of success. Christ said over and over that his kingdom was not of this world. We can’t look at human versions of success. Our victory comes from the cross.”
Robertson County Right to Life President Susie Allen presented an abbreviated version of her talk “The Art of Pro-Life Persuasion,” which taught attendees how to address pro-abortion arguments with logical, scientific and philosophical answers.
“My first premise is that it is morally wrong to take the life of a defenseless, innocent human being,” Allen said. “My second premise is that abortion does in fact take the life of a defenseless, innocent human being, and my third premise is that abortion is therefore morally wrong.”
Allen told attendees that America’s TV and fast food society has taken the meaning out of the tragedy of abortion because we no longer study and research, but learn mostly visually, accustomed to the short emotional sound bytes and clips on television. Allen said that before dealing with the subject of abortion, we must first be able to see it, to define what actually happens.
“There are only four differences between a baby in the womb and a toddler in the backyard,” Allen said, “Size, but this is irrelevant, because if size was a factor in personhood, a basketball player would be more of a person than a midget. There is a developmental difference, but this is also irrelevant in determining personhood, or a 4-year-old girl whose reproductive system is not fully functioning yet would be less of a person than an adult woman.”
“There is a difference in environment, but obviously this cannot be what determines a person,” Allen said. “I am the same person if I am here, driving in my car, or in a different state. Lastly, there is degree of dependence, which also cannot be relevant, because then anyone who needed insulin for diabetes or relied on a pacemaker, oxygen or a wheelchair would be less of a person than an individual who did not.”
Allen reminded attendees to answer any challenges with charity, calmness and love.
“For instance, if someone claims that abortion is a private matter that should be between a woman and her doctor,” Allen said. “Say, ‘Oh OK. Can we abuse our children if we keep it a private matter in our own home?’ Of course that is absurd, but then by going through the four differences you can point out that there is no moral difference between that child in the womb and a child at home.”
More information on Allen’s talk is available at www.prolifetraining.com.
Conference organizer Lynn Chaffin, the respect life chairperson at the Cathedral of the Incarnation, said that response to the conference was good.
“I didn’t know what to expect because we have never tried a diocesan wide conference of this nature before,” Chaffin said. “We were specifically targeting pro-life leaders around the Diocese of Nashville. Many people, especially other respect life coordinators in other churches, expressed to me feelings of isolation within their own parish communities. They also want to know what other parishes are doing to promote respect for life. They want to learn best practices. They want to learn how to be more effective.”
“Another major goal for this conference was to invigorate the movement which had been distressed by the recent changes in the political climate,” Chaffin said. “I specifically chose speakers with a goal of motivating pro-lifers to keep up their efforts, since they are doing the foundational work of the Church. By foundational I mean a reference to the bishops’ teachings that respect for life is the foundation upon which all other social justice teachings and rights stand.”
“All of the feedback from the conference has been extremely positive,” Chaffin said. “Attendees have told me they were inspired, uplifted, and informed. They gained a sense of connectedness previously lacking. We fully intend to continue and expand the conference next year.”
Photo courtesy of Ed AlbinMaria Graham, a member of the pro-life committee in the Diocese of Dallas, addresses participants in the first annual Pro-Life Leadership Conference held at Cathedral of the Incarnation on April 25.
Photo courtesy of Lynn ChaffinLeaders of the first annual Pro-Life Leadership Conference included Deacon John Krenson, left, Cathedral Respect Life coordinator Lynn Chaffin, Robertson County Right to Life president Susie Allen, Maria Graham of the Diocese of Dallas and Brian Harris, Tennessee Right to Life president.
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