Several speakers at last week’s Democratic National Convention (DNC) used the word empathy in describing the progressive liberal morality specifically as it relates to the issues of immigration and abortion. The implication is that having a greater degree of “empathy or sympathy” necessarily leads to a greater degree of altruism and the moral high ground. Empathy by itself is a tool that can be used for good or bad. When empathy leads to compassion—a Christian virtue that requires a positive action, then it is working toward the good. Compassion is a stimulative action that alleviates the need. When Nancy Pelosi said to a reporter “we feed them” talking about government food programs, she was not talking about an act of compassion, but rather an act of coercion. Empathy from a politician that leads toward the transferring of money from the citizens to a government program without the direct participation in the covenant act of charity by the politician or the citizen, can be a great evil. Charity to the Christian is personal with the giver and receiver both participating in the act that includes God.
Empathy is not a Biblical word. It can be found in only newer Biblical translations. It came into general use and was first used in the psychological literature in 1903 by psychologists who translated the German term from the work of Eugene Bleuler—”the Bleuler affect” who described the social functions and usefulness of empathy in psychotherapy.
The Church Fathers talked about compassion as being an “act” and not a feeling.
Jesus acted and taught about compassion:
“Love your neighbor as yourself” “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” “Love” and “do” are actions.
James Carville in an interview with Sean Hannity opined that we must respect the courage of those who risked their lives to travel in some cases thousands of miles to get away from drug cartels and murderous thugs. WE ALL respect such courage, but that doesn’t absolve us from the responsibility of creating and implementing an immigration policy that protects citizens in our country from Fentanyl and a thriving sex trafficking industry, and the infiltration of many thousands of criminal thugs and thousands of terrorists—the very groups that immigrants are fleeing.
Compassion requires a plan of action. Just like during the immigration of millions of Europeans and Asians in the 19th and early 20th century a plan for assimilation, employment and earned citizenship needs to be in place so the values and the physical protection of citizens are secured.
I believe the same misplaced “feelings of empathy and sympathy” have been applied to the abortion issue. The Republican Platform was in complete alignment with the Dobbs case that returned abortion policy back to the States. In fact, according to an article in the Boston Globe 14 days ago there have been more abortions since Dobbs than before—over 657,000 last year. And President Trump has said that he would not sign a bill that would allow the Federal Government to ban abortion nationwide. Conservatives should follow his lead. Just like Lincoln with slavery, little steps toward locally limiting abortion—The Emancipation Proclamation only freed the slaves in the slave states, should be our first goal. We must first have a Great Awakening and then we can facilitate individuals and communities toward the “choice” of protecting all life.
After watching the Democratic Convention I am finally convinced that there is a “cult” of abortion. The transference of guilt into a policy of the acceptance of an evil action only obviates the need to ask for forgiveness and seek redemption. Misery loves company is not safety in numbers and it does not lead to forgiveness and redemption.
Conservatives and Progressive liberals should both do a better job of showing compassion to young girls—and sometimes couples—I know of both men and woman in my life who still struggle with abortions after many years that were the result of a single poor choice—usually after a few cocktails. The act of offering and providing alternatives to abortion is an act of compassion. Knowing that only between 2-5% of abortions are for medical indications, and knowing the tremendous lifelong emotional trauma that in almost all cases accompanies an abortion, the options of adoption and surrogate parenthood should be given to all people. We should also let all people know that that there is no sin greater than God’s love and Mercy and that we are individually part of a community that is sinful, and that we also seek and strive for redemption through confession and forgiveness. We, lovingly and with the strength that can only come from God, welcome everyone into our community.
The Oprey mantra of “my body my choice” is species. I have a body and if I go out in the public square naked, I will have a price to pay. I have a body and if I chose to abuse a family member or a small child, I would have a price to pay. I have a body and if I chose to murder, I would have a price to pay. None of us “own” our bodies. Everything we possess we hold in trust with the “duty” of stewardship. Confusing issues of justice with political rhetoric always confuses the logic of an issue.
We should use feelings of empathy about the plight of an unwanted pregnancy to energize an action of compassion as expressed below. This is what our message of compassion should be:
God’s Mercy is Greater than any Sin
