The Mark of Faith

Written by State Representative Adam Niemerg

“Any country that accepts abortion,
is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what it wants.”
~Mother Teresa 

On Ash Wednesday, it is not unusual to see politicians walking around government buildings with a cross marked on their foreheads from ashes. In fact, as a devout Catholic, President Joe Biden has attend many an Ash Wednesday service and has had the cross marked on his forehead to commemorate the beginning of Lent, which is the journey to the most sacred and Holy Day in the Church calendar – Easter.

President Biden constantly reminded the public of his Catholic faith during the campaign. He used his faith as a means to try to seize the moral high ground in the race.

There is nothing wrong with political leaders being open and honest about their religious views. As a Catholic, myself, I am glad that the President and I have faith in God as a common denominator. The question, though, that I have for the President and any other politicians who will wear the mark of their faith on Ash Wednesday, is what impact does their faith have on their public policy positions?

The Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church and most all Protestant Churches roundly condemn abortion. President Biden and other government leaders of faith know this and yet the President has signed an executive order ending the Mexico City Policy that requires any foreign governments from agreeing to not use any American subsidies they receive to go towards abortions. It is a straightforward public policy. You want to get financial help from the U.S? Don’t use American tax dollars to pay for abortions.

The Mexico City Policy is hardly a repudiation or reversal of Roe vs. Wade. It is merely a prohibition of using U.S. tax dollars to fund abortions in other countries. Joe Biden could have kept a significant pro-life policy in place simply by doing nothing. Instead, he chose to do the opposite and pave the way for the U.S. to begin funding abortions the worldwide.

The temptation here is to lash out and bash President Biden as an apostate at worst and a lapsed Catholic at best. But the Facebook page The Catholic Pilgrim has a different take. A recent post challenges people to send a letter to the White House on Ash Wednesday urging the President to remember his Catholic faith and reconsider his views on abortions. According to the post, the letter to be sent must be one “that shows care for his soul; it cannot be hateful or rude. It cannot mention Trump.”

It is a call for people to politely and humbly encourage a fellow believer who has lost his way on an important issue to people of faith.

We are all concerned about what is happening in our country. We are horrified by the violence we are seeing in our cities and yes in our nation’s Capital. Condoning violence against the unborn has taught an entire generation that violence is a way to get what we want, and it is in a way the foundation of the violence we are seeing right now. As we nation we need prayer and we also need leaders who put a premium on human life – all human life – black, white, born and unborn.

I agree with The Catholic Pilgrim post. Instead of fire and brimstone, let’s put our faith into practice by reaching out in kindness to our President to urge him to take the Church’s teachings on abortion seriously. My wife and I are sending our letter to the White House and I urge everyone who is prolife – Catholic or Protestant – to do the same.

Take ACTION: Letters can be sent to: The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20500.