"Architects of the Culture of Death"

I recently completed reading the book "Architects of the Culture of Death" co-authored by Professor of Philosophy Donald De Marco and Lecturer in Science and Theology Benjamin Wiker. I was surprised to learn how much these architects of the Culture of Death impacted my own thinking.

This excellent study by De Marco and Wiker deals primarily with philosophers, (or influenced people whose philosophy has significant emphasis on our society). The persons discussed lived in modern times since they have the most immediate impact on today's society. The book is broken into seven sections in addition to the introduction and conclusion.

Section one consists of three chapters with one chapter each dealing with a specific person (the same format is followed throughout the book). Section one is titled "The Will Worshippers" and discusses Arthur Schoepenhaur (1788-1860), Friederich Nietzsche (1844-1900) and Ayn Rand (1905-1982). Ayn Rand was very popular when I was young and many of you may have read either "Atlas Shrugged" or "Fountainhead" (which was made into a movie).

Section two is titled: "The Eugenic Evolutionists" covering Charles Darwin (1809-1882), Francis Galton (Darwin's cousin)(1822-1911) and Ernst Haekel (1834-1919)

Section three is titled: "The Secular Utopioanists" covering Karl Marx (1818-1883), Auguste Comte (1798-1857), and Judith Jarvis Thomson (born in 1929).

Section four is titled: "The Atheistic Existentialists" covering Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980), Simone de Beauvoir his partner (1908-1986), and Elizabeth Badinter (born in 1944)

Section five is titled: "The Pleasure Seekers" covering Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), Wilhelm Reich (1897-1957), and Helen Gurley Brown (born in 1922) author of "Sex and the Single Girl" and former editor of "Cosmopolitan" magazine.

Section six is titled: "The Sex Planners" covering the anthropologist Margaret Mead (1901-1978), Alfred Kinsey (1894-1956)the most disturbing chapter to read, Margaret Sanger 1879-1966), Clarence Gamble (1894-1966), and Alan Guttmacher (1898-1974).

Section seven is titled: "The Death Peddlers" covering Derek Humphry (born in 1930), Jack Kervorkian (born in 1928) and Peter Singer (born in 1946).

Reading these capsulized accounts of these "Architects" as the author notes it becomes obvious that "...in the main, they are both atheists and individualists". By "individualist" the author is not relating to their "individualism"; rather to people whose attention is dedicated to self, i.e., selfishness (at least one advocating having total disregard for others and to be totally selfish). A philosophy which has matured into what came to be referred as the "me generation". [One point I need to make, there are atheist who are very good people, who are altruist, who actually put some of us people of faith to shame.] Two things also came across in the book, those discussed who have died for the most part have had sad deaths and as a person reads these accounts, it also becomes obvious that these people's philosophies are interrelated. It saddened me as I read this book, regardless of these persons' intentions, I came to recognize the destructive impact they have had on our society.

Do I recommend reading this book? A definite "YES" Why? I believe for any of us who wish to call ourselves "a people of life", we need to know the driving thinking of the "culture of death". I'm convinced if many people who support much what the philosophies of these "Architects" advocate were told the truth they would change their position. Reading this book also motivates the reader who advocates "life" to heed the guidance and instruction given by our Holy Fathers and others advocating the "culture of life".

Though this book deals with "heavy" material which could be very depressing, because of the authors approach it is readable and I dare to write, offers a degree of hope.

The book is published by Ignatius Press, 2004, ISBN 1-58617-016-3.

Have You Ever Wondered?

The following is a rewrite of an e-mail that I sent to my "Family & Friends" addressees on Sunday, January 20, 2008:

Have you ever wondered, as I, why prior to 1930 most Christians subscribed that the following actions were immoral and today many don't; i.e., 1. Contraception, 2. Elective abortions, 3. Pre-marital sexual intercourse, 4. Non-traditional marriage, and 5. Homosexual relations? Today many Christians tolerate these actions; some embrace them. Does morality change based upon society's whims?

I also wonder how many people see how the above relate to each other and how they fit into the philosophy of the "culture of death"? For those following the trend we see on the horizon as acceptable life choices, Euthanasia and Infanticide. These choices are already being advocated among some in academia/the scientific community.

For those of us of the Catholic Faith who have listened to our Holy Fathers and our Church over the decades know that attention has been brought to all these positions. I'm sure most people, whether Catholic or not, know that our recent pope, Pope John Paul II, repeatedly encouraged that we Christians are to be "people of hope", "a people of life"; i.e., be counter cultural and be willing to stand up to the "culture of death".

A Special Week

The following is a rewrite of an e-mail that I sent to my "Family & Friends" addressees on January 23rd.

This is a special week. The week running from last Friday, January 18th through Friday, January 25th is very special.

On Monday, January 21st we celebrated the life, accomplishments and dreams of Dr. Martin Luther King. Right here in San Antonio, Texas we have one of the largest Martin Luther King Day parade/march in the country.

On Tuesday, January 22nd we reflected on the Doe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision 35 years ago. Beginning this past weekend through Tuesday we prayed, marched and reached out in behalf of our lost unborn and to those who suffered from being involved with an elected abortion. The secular media's lack of coverage of the events was eye opening. I suspect that many of the Americans across the country are unaware of the outpouring of their fellow citizens who participated in the events around the country. In addition to the numerous local prayer services, Masses and marches throughout the US, there was a large "Walk for Life" in San Francisco on Saturday. The major event, however, took place in Washington D.C. Monday evening through Tuesday. On Monday evening there was a Mass at the National Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. The basilica was filled to overflowing with people of all ages and race. There were so many people they were literally sitting on the floor in the aisles. There were at least six cardinals, fifty bishops and over 400 priests in attendance. On Tuesday morning there was a Youth Mass at the Verizon Amphitheater which after reaching capacity of 20,000 had to close the entrance. At mid-morning marchers assembled at the Washington Mall to pray and listen to various speakers before marching to the US Supreme Court building. Though there was an extensive Catholic presence, the opening prayer was given by an Episcopalian bishop followed by speakers/leaders in prayer which included at least one Evangelical minister, some Orthodox Metropolitans/clergy, some Orthodox Jew rabbis and was closed with some Catholic bishops. Interspersed, were various pro-life speakers and congressmen. Conservatively, at least 200,000 people participated in the program and subsequent march to the Supreme Court. What was most heartwarming was that approximately 75% of the participants were 35 years old or younger and 50% were 25 years or younger with large contingents of college and high school students.

Finally, these eight days which began last Friday is a Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Though we have a long way to go, from a Catholic perspective, there has been some progress made in this area. Looking back over the years since Pope John XXIII launched the initiative a few highlights include: the Catholic Church--recognizing that "men on both sides were to blame" for the division; creating a Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity and appointing the first ever Catholic representative to the Assembly of the World Council of Churches; and welcoming the heads of many churches to the Vatican. In 1960 when the Archbishop of Canterbury visited the Vatican it was the first visit of an Anglican Prelate since the rupture of the Church of England from Rome. In 1965 Pope Paul VI joined Patriarch Athenagoras in lifting the mutual excommunication between Catholic and Orthodox Churches that had been in place since 1054. In 1995 Pope John Paul II dedicated an entire encyclical to ecumenism ("That They May Be One"); and his pontificate demonstrated his continued effort to reach out to fellow Christians as has/is Pope Benedict XVI. These two popes definitely follow Pope John XXIII who is quoted to have said:
"Whenever I see a wall between Christians, I try to pull out a brick."

As I noted above, we have along ways to progress in Christian unification, as we do with living with others as our brothers and sisters, as we do in communicating that science now proves each person's uniqueness--though possibly difficult for us lay persons to decipher--begins at conception, and that we continue to stand up for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death.

It is so appropriate that these three events, all requiring self examination and a prayerful contemplative heart, occur during this one week. For me to cap it all off, Thursday, January 24th, Catholics commemorate the feast of the late 16th-early 17th century French saint, Saint Francis de Sales, the patron of journalists and a saint who has greatly influenced me; and on Friday, January 25th, Catholics commemorate the feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, who I'm so fortunate to have as my patron.

A Time for Compassion

This month we commemorate the "Roe vs Wade" Supreme Court decision authorizing elective abortions of our unborn. It is estimated that today one out of three women in the USA will have had an elective abortion by the time they reach 45 years of age. Therefore most of us know someone who has had, or will have, an abortion.

We who are in the "pro-life" camp must do our utmost to help women who are deciding whether or not to abort their unborn to chose the latter. However if these women elect to have an abortion, we must never forget that these women need our love, understanding and compassion, and possibly will need our help and support in the future. Many of these women make their decision to abort their children when they were under great stress, possibly receiving erroneous information and very likely under the pressure of a loved one (spouse, partner, parent, etc.). Many of those who elect to abort their children suffer remorse for the rest of their lives. This remorse is also often experienced by the father.

Therefore, we must be there to help them cope with the results of their actions and prayerfully heal. We need to be there to listen to them (without judging them) and provide the support and direction they seek. These mothers (and fathers) of the aborted children knowing the pain they experience are often the best spokes persons for defending the unborn.

Also, we must not be afraid to listen to our "pro-choice" acquaintances. Though we believe these people are misguided, most are sincere in their beliefs. Very possibly if we approach them with a sensitive ear, a none judgemental mind and a loving heart we can help them realize that elective abortions do not solve their situations but only complicate them with tragic results.

The question remains as to why we as a civilization has become so blasé to the taking of the lives of the unborn, and now the elderly. I subscribe that this is related to our civilization coming to accept the "culture of death".