Society’s foundation rocked with Supreme Court vote

    Everyone knows that watching or reading the news can be depressing. We hear stories of violence, prejudice and murder seemingly all the time. We can now add politics to this list.
    As many people across the nation cheered the Supreme Court’s ruling that a key component of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was unconstitutional and supported Texas Senator Wendy Davis as she filibustered an anti-abortion bill, I, along with fellow Catholics, felt disheartened and sickened.
    In a mere 24-hour period, the foundation of society was attacked.
    In dismissing California’s Proposition 8, saying that the case of the constitutionality of California’s same-sex marriage ban had no place in court, and ruling that denying federal benefits to same-sex couples was unconstitutional, the Supreme Court has severely damaged the natural definition of marriage between a man and a woman.
    Although the Court did not rule on the constitutionality of marriage for all couples, whether heterosexual or homosexual, it seems that this case will be decided in the near future. Today, there are 12 states that recognize same-sex “marriages” as legal, while 35 states maintain their ban on same-sex “marriages.”
    Once again, this historic moment clearly shows the nation’s support and acceptance of same-sex “marriages.” We seem to be ignoring the erosion of traditional marriage and family that is occurring in the United States.
    In Texas, Sen. Wendy Davis conducted an 11-hour filibuster, drawing praise from around the nation, including President Obama and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Through her filibuster, Davis effectively stopped the passage of a bill that would have prohibited abortion after 20 weeks gestation by delaying the vote past the midnight deadline. The bill, which is expected to be reconsidered in a special session, also would have required abortion clinics to meet the same standards as surgical centers and required doctors who perform abortions to have admission privileges in nearby hospitals. Thus, the bill was meant to restrict abortions in the name of safety to both the mother and the child.
    As these events unfolded, I was preparing for my doctoral oral exams by reading Edmund Burke’s “Reflections on the Revolution in France,” published in 1790. Imagine my surprise when I came across Burke’s understanding of English government and society: “We know, and, what is better, we feel inwardly, that religion is the basis of civil society, and the source of all good and comfort.”
    In the wake of the terror of the French Revolution, the English held strong to this guiding principle of religion as the root of society, just as our church continues to preach: faith and family form the basis of society. Yet, that is what is being threatened today and will continue to be threatened.
    Moreover, Burke continues: “We know that man is by his constitution a religious animal; that atheism is against, not only our reason but our instincts; and that it cannot prevail long.” In this passage, I believe that atheism can be substituted for same-sex marriage and abortion – the two prevalent tragedies in our time.
    The Catholic Church continues to uphold its traditional definition of the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman for the purpose of procreation, for the purpose of strengthening the bond between spouses by bringing new life into the world. As this definition continues to be attacked and threatened, we must not forget the church’s response: stand firm to our beliefs.
    Heather Bozant Witcher can be reached at [email protected].