Terrorism Begins with a Choice



Since September 11 there has been an awesome display of human compassion as our whole nation has paused to appreciate the dignity of human life. This gross act of cowardly violence has pulled the people of our nation together in welcomed solidarity.

Increased solidarity was not the only response to the attack. Our country entered a period of personal introspection. For most Americans the images of the attack shook us to the core. In the days that followed the attack, most of us walked around with a feeling of numbness, unbothered by trivial daily affairs, which used to occupy our concerns. We started to think about the uncertain future and what was really important. And most of us have now contemplated that some things are important enough to fight for — even die for.

But as our resolve continues to mature, one of the underlying questions from the attack still remains — the question “why?” From every way we look at it, the attack was an unprovoked, senseless act against innocent people. Why did it have to happen? Why is there such evil in the world?

The great C.S. Lewis addressed the issue of evil and suffering in his book The Problem of Pain. At the heart of his presentation, Lewis affirms that “the freedom of the creature must mean freedom to choose: and choice implies the existence of things to choose between.” In other words, human choices have direct consequences. Some choices are good and some choices are bad. While direct consequences and motives are distinct from one another, separating the two can very quickly lead to a fatal deception.

The terrorists had to make choices as they carried out their acts of terror. Their motives may have been understandable from their own perspectives. They may have sincerely desired an end to what they perceived as injustice, but their acts had direct and deadly consequences, which affected real people. We have sadly seen the real effects of decisions made by terrorists on Sept. 11. What they chose ended thousands of innocent lives. Their choice took away the futures of more than 6,000 real people.

Since 1973 when abortion was accepted by judicial decision, the legally sanctioned choice for abortion has become an absolute in our country. The separation between what might be understandable reasons for having an abortion and the actual consequences of abortion has become an almost unbridgeable divide. Nevertheless, the direct consequence of abortion remains the same in all cases. Abortion ends the life of an innocent human person. A future contribution that we will never be able to measure is blotted out.

This essay is not meant to draw a connection between the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 and the act of abortion. Rather, this essay is meant to draw attention to what is at stake when we make “choice” an absolute.

On Sept. 19, in a twisted attempt to join the spirit of service and garner publicity, Planned Parenthood of New York announced that they would offer free abortions to those affected by the attack. They wanted to facilitate the choice to end more human lives. The gall in such a gesture is overwhelming, and it should be unacceptable to all of us. Now as the voices of more than 6,000 lives lost on Sept. 11, still echo in our minds, we need to think about the more than 4,000 voices who cry out to heaven every day as their lives are ended by abortion. Every day more than 4,000 voices cry out when their futures are taken away by “choice.”


(This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)

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