The kerfuffle over the Obama commencement at Notre Dame has sparked a lot of rather boorish commentary. A more nuanced approach is hard to find, but not impossible:
“The church is not simply the prolife movement, and to the extent that every interaction between the church and our political system is held hostage to the demands of the most confrontational elements of that movement, the church’s social message, including its message about abortion, will be marginalized and ineffectual. The respect and honor owed the office of the president does not depend on any particular president’s merits (as Buckley often reminded his liberal critics). That respect is, among other things, a powerful affirmation of the willingness of Americans to live together peacefully, despite profound disagreement. Notre Dame’s invitation to President Obama is perhaps best understood in that light.”
As I Notre Dame graduate, I've been feeling a bit torn about all of this. I also feel so very qualified (Ha!) to write on this. Expect something from me in a few days about this whole embarrassing situation. I may find myself with virtually no allies on the issue by the time I'm done!.
Thanks for this thoughtful excerpt. Report