Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Through Broken Roses

Home
Catholic
Will We Let Fear Win

Will We Let Fear Win

Last updated on: July 8, 2016 at 10:46 am by Leticia Adams

Will We Let Fear Win 2016-07-08T10:46:40-05:00 Leticia Adams

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

“I plead with you–never, ever give up on hope, never doubt, never tire, and never become discouraged. Be not afraid.” ~ St. Pope John Paul II

A weeping angel gravestone in a cemetery in Rome. I took this picture on my trip there in 2010.

Yesterday I wrote a piece for Aleteia about the shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile being a pro-life matter. I explained my personal experience of fear when getting pulled over by police officers as a Hispanic woman. I wrote it hoping that people would read my words and not add all the other words and rhetoric of the day to it. I was wrong. Within a few hours I started getting the messages from people who assumed that I was equating abortion with the death of these men and that I was disrespecting good cops. I rolled my eyes and went to bed. Then the bullets began in Dallas.

I was planning to go to the Black Lives Matter rally in Austin, but my husband said he didn’t think it was a good idea as he ran out the door to go to his class. I didn’t have time to make my case, to explain why I felt the need to be with the Black community or anything because he was running late. I wasn’t going to leave my house to go somewhere that my husband wasn’t comfortable with me going. A friend who knew that I was planning to go had seen the news about the active shooting going on in Dallas and sent me a text asking me if I was in downtown Austin after all. That’s when I turned on the news.

I was glued to my TV and phone as I read tweet after tweet for hours. Tears started running down my face as a Texan, as a human and as friend of police officers and the black community. But mostly my tears fell as a Catholic that feels like we are failing somehow.

It is possible to hold police officers to high standards of conduct while not hating them or condoning the targeted killing of police officers doing their job. I respect police officers and the job they do and at the same time I know that a man shouldn’t die because he had a broken tail light. It is possible to think both things at the same time.

Yesterday I explained the fear that takes over when I am pulled over. Today I fear my white husband leaving the house and some sniper who wants to kill white people shooting him. I have five white sons! I fear a mass shooter at the movies tonight when I go watch a movie that I have been looking forward to. I fear being in the grocery store when I see a woman in a burka in it as I try hard to smile at her and tell myself not to be a bigoted asshole. I fear for my children. I fear for my grandchildren who are just playing in the sand with my son with no clue that they could be shot dead at any moment by someone who needs mental healthcare. I fear for my state, my country, my Church. I am fucking scared.

I am not trying to pit group against group. Every human life is valuable because we are all made in the image of God. Abortion is wrong because it is a violation of human dignity. That is why racism is wrong. That is why it is wrong for me to let my fear of Muslims creep into my heart and take over. That is why the death of cops doing their job to protect people peacefully protesting is wrong. That is why all of these deaths are tragedies.

What are we going to do? Where are we going to go from here? Are we going to double down on the division or are we doing to shut the hell up with all the back and forth debates about who deserves to be dead. Will we realize that as Catholics it is our God-given mission to lead the change in this country that begins with us holding hands with both police officers and citizens? We have the answer: respect for the dignity of the human person. It is a pillar of our faith. Can we live it out now when it is needed more than ever? Or are we going to let fear take over?

Bad Days

Catholicsim

Death

Dignity of the Human Person

Previous Post

June 17, 2016

Absent Fathers

Next Post

July 13, 2016 What About My Words

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category #PopeInUS 7 quick takes Abortion Bad Days Book Review Books Caitlyn Jenner Catholicsim Conversion Crosses Death Dignity of the Human Person Easter Ethics Evil Fall Family Fear Freedom Gay Marriage God Holy Week Homosexuality Jesus Laughter Lessons Love Marriage Mass Motherhood My Life New Evangelzation new year Parenting Peace Planned Parenthood Politics Pope Francis Pregnancy Race Rap Music Relationships Saints Sins Suffering Tempation The Catholic Church The Past Things about me Trust Truth Uncategorized Women's rights Writing

Select a Month December 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 May 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 October 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 August 2011 July 2011 May 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

I am an offering without defect, completely burned on the altar as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. What am I?

Select your answer to see how you score.

A sin offering A burnt offering A grain offering A peace offering