Thou Hast Hid These Things from the Wise . . .

“I confess to thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to the little ones.” (Matthew 11:25).

As a child these words confused me. Wouldn’t the wise and the learned find it easier to grasp Christ’s teachings? And because of this understanding wouldn’t they be likelier to embrace the Truth? As I aged I realized my assumptions were incorrect: often it is the smarter, more-educated individuals who have the most trouble accepting the teachings of Christ and his Church.

The July 13 issue of the National Catholic Register published a front-page story—“Leaders Weigh in on the Kmiec Controversy”—that indirectly addresses the above issue. (http://ncregister.com/site/article/15383)

Doug Kmiec “is a pro-life Catholic law professor at Pepperdine University who made his name in the Reagan administration, at Notre Dame University and at The Catholic University of America”. To the surprise of many, this past Easter Kmiec announced that he is supporting Barack Obama for president—the same Obama who told a group of abortion supporters last year that “the first thing I’d do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act”. As the Register points out, if enacted, the bill “would prevent any federal, state or local government entity from restricting access to abortion.” What is Kmiec thinking you ask?

On www.slate.com’s legal blog “Convictions”, Kmiec says, “’I am convinced, based upon his [Obama’s] public pronouncements and his personal writing, that on each of these questions he is not closed to understanding opposing points of view and, as best as it is humanly possible, he will respect and accommodate them.’” Kmiec’s conviction is curious considering Obama’s “perfect pro-abortion voting record and his campaigning on an abortion-rights platform with the endorsement of NARAL and leaders of Planned Parenthood.” There doesn’t seem to be much open-mindedness there.

Kmiec adds that in his view Obama is not pro-abortion because “’those who are pro-abortion, as I see it, are those who advocate the practice as a matter of fundamental right or as part of a radical feminist agenda that takes no account of the moral weight or significance of unborn life.’” How’s that for rationalizing? I have one question for Kmiec:

If Obama doesn’t defend abortion-on-demand as a fundamental right for women, then why does Kmiec later state that “Obama believes the decision should be left to the pregnant mother”? I’m not an attorney, but leaving the decision to the pregnant mother sounds an awful lot like giving her the fundamental right to have an abortion.

Finally, this next quote wins the award for Most Convoluted Logic. Kmiec contends that John McCain is also pro-choice, despite his perfect pro-life voting record, because he believes that Roe vs. Wade should be overturned and that the abortion issue should be decided by the states. Furthermore, he suggests that “’from a standpoint of subsidiarity and prudence, one can make an argument that the Obama position is preferable since it does not arrogate to a higher level that which can be done more effectively below in direct relationship with the mother.’” Father John Neuhaus describes this argument as “disingenuous”. Deceitful is the word that comes to my mind.

But Kmiec is not alone. Many educated Catholics either dismiss the Church’s teachings outright or perform intellectual gymnastics to prove their views don’t violate Church doctrine and dogma. Why is this antagonism toward the Church so common among the learned?

Education is what you make of it. Knowledge is empowering; understanding builds confidence. Unfortunately, as humans we too easily cross the line from confidence to arrogance. As we gain knowledge we often assume that we are shielding ourselves from errors in judgment. We begin to treat our opinions as if they are declarations from the Oracle at Delphi. As with everything else in life there is no substitution for humility. It is important to remember that when our views conflict with the Church’s, we are disputing principles that have been cultivating for 2,000 years. Some of the most intelligent, most educated, and most holy men and women ever to walk this earth have crafted these teachings—all with the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

I may not be as smart as Einstein or St. Thomas Aquinas, but I am intelligent enough to know that believing my wisdom surpasses 2,000 years of Catholic tradition is dumb.

Only a fool would believe that.



Donald Tremblay