Three Reasons to Identify as Pro-Life

November 2, 2023 By Lois Kerschen

Monica Snyder, Executive Director of Secular Pro-Life (https://secularprolife.org/), recently messaged their membership about making it known that you are pro-life. It is a message we should all read. Consequently, I am repeating it here in my blog with permission. Secular Pro-Life is a member organization of the Consistent Life Network (https://www.consistentlifenetwork.org/), but it focuses mainly on abortion. Its materials are always on target, audience-oriented, and effective. This latest essay explains the reasons it is important to let others know you... Read more

MAID in Despair

September 7, 2023 By Lois Kerschen

In current discussions about programs like Canada’s Medical Assistance In Dying (MAID), I am reminded of an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation: “Half a Life,” which aired on May 6, 1991, (Season 4 Episode 22; Clips of this episode are available on YouTube.) David Ogden Stiers plays a scientist who must abandon important research because he is turning 60, the age at which all people on his planet must perform the “Resolution,” a ritual act of voluntary euthanasia. The... Read more

Sound of Freedom: A Call to Action

July 27, 2023 By Lois Kerschen

Allow me to jump on the Sound of Freedom bandwagon with great fervor. The team that created this movie is hoping that it will be the Uncle Tom’s Cabin of our times, and it could be if we all promote the movie and open conversations about human trafficking. If you are asking, “What bandwagon?” “What movie?” then you have been kept in the dark purposely by major media. The fact that the movie was made by a studio that is... Read more

Having a Catholic Voice in Party Politics

July 4, 2023 By Lois Kerschen

Americans are fed up with the state of politics in our country. People feel that they are not being represented because neither of the two major political parties reflects their values. Catholics, in particular, are desperate to find someone worthy of their votes. So how do we solve this crisis? Our two-party system is failing; indeed, it is the cause of most of the trouble. Surveys show that voters are mostly in the middle, but many politicians have become extremists... Read more

What About You?

June 28, 2023 By Lois Kerschen

For those who criticize the Church, particularly about the sexual abuse by priests, it would be interesting to ask: “What about you?” Not to accuse these critics of being molesters themselves, but to ask as Christ did, “Let the one among you who has no sin be the first to cast a stone.” (John 8:7) The message was, of course, that we are all sinners, so finger-pointing is a bit hypocritical. Jesus taught us to love our neighbors, not to... Read more

Left or Right or Jesus?

June 17, 2023 By Lois Kerschen

The Consistent Life Network posted a blog on June 6, 2023, by Dr. Jacqueline Abernathy, a public policy and social work expert and political activist. Her essay was about how people determine who in society deserves assistance, or even life itself. http://consistent-life.org/blog/index.php/2023/06/06/deserving-and-undeserving/ The article starts with a quote from Dorothy Day: “The Gospel takes away our right, forever, to discriminate between the deserving and undeserving poor.” Dr. Abernathy contends that the American political Left and Right have labeled “entire groups... Read more

Killing Our Child Was Not an Option

February 20, 2023 By Lois Kerschen

In a previous blog, I described Perinatal Hospice, which is the process that helps parents to make a loving plan for the death of a preborn child with a fatal condition. https://www.patheos.com/blogs/musingsfromthepew/2021/09/blogs-musingsfromthepew-p272/ I also wrote a blog about the lack of accurate information and medical advice given to parents whose preborn child has serious medical issues or a fatal diagnosis. https://www.patheos.com/blogs/musingsfromthepew/2021/11/incompatible-with-life-prenatal-diagnoses-and-options/ After those posts, I read an article by a woman I know who has been through the wrenching experience... Read more

Are Journalists Failing People of Faith?

September 28, 2022 By Lois Kerschen

Have you felt ignored by the media as a person of faith? I know the answer to that one: a bitter laugh and a “Duh, yeah!” A new study, released on September 20, by the Faith and Media Initiative confirms that there is a big gap between the religious/spiritual coverage people want and what is provided by the various forms of media. Some of my friends say they have stopped watching the news. I’ve always thought that choice was an... Read more

A Consistent Life Book

September 16, 2022 By Lois Kerschen

If you want to understand the theory behind the Consistent Life Ethic (CLE) as well as how to practice it, Aimee Murphy’s book, Rehumanize: A Vision to Secure Human Rights for All, is a vital resource. In a previous blog, I discussed the fact that the Consistent Life Ethic is part of Catholic teaching. Consequently, Catholics, in particular, should be interested in Murphy’s book. https://www.patheos.com/blogs/musingsfromthepew/2021/09/consistent-life-is-catholic/ In a relatively thin volume, Murphy manages to explain CLE with clarity and simplicity. It’s... Read more

Backyard Mary: Comfort and Inspiration

August 18, 2022 By Lois Kerschen

We often hear the expression “comfort food,” which refers to the kind of food that makes you feel comforted, as if all is right with the world. It’s familiar and a favorite. Would you believe that having a religious statue can give you much the same feeling? In a previous blog, I recommended having Catholic items in your home because doing so “will reinforce your faith and provide comfort. They are needed reminders of what you believe and who you... Read more