Learning from past mistakes

Some insight before I proceed to my point:

For Jane, feminist ideology, the lies of abortionists and their advertisements, limited understanding of the biological and metaphysical issues, widespread social acceptance, abusive relationships both as a child and as an adult, and a deep fear that each of her first two pregnancies would ruin her life all combined to drive her into the abortion culture.

Dr.Mirus' point:
The point of Jane Brennan’s article is that pro-lifers need to try to understand the mindset of women who get abortions, as well as the problems they experience afterwards. She feels that many pro-lifers find the decision to abort incomprehensible, and that this limits their ability to reach these women. Brennan recommends that the pro-life movement make better use of women who have had abortions (such as those in the group Silent No More) to make presentations at parishes and elsewhere which will encourage other post-abortive women to begin to turn their lives around, and help pre-abortive women to do the same. As she says in her conclusion:

Then the grim reality of how abortion shatters lives would be heard, and soon it would not be thought of as a clinical procedure or a fundamental right but the tragedy it is. This might cause people to say, “I don’t want that to happen to my daughter, my sister, my girlfriend, or to me. In fact I don’t want abortion to happen at all.”

Brennan’s story is powerful and moving. While I think most people who work in pro-life counseling are far more sympathetic to the plight of women seeking abortions than Brennan tends to believe, there is no arguing with her recommendation that the pro-life movement should make greater use of personal testimony from those who have had abortions.

My insight/point:
For years Catholics haven't acknowledged their sinfulness. We've stopped going to receive the Sacrament as a way of preparing ourselves for Eucharist. We don't hear it preached from every ambo.

If we regularly spoke of our Sinfulness, we would be better equipped. We would be able to learn from the mistakes of others. We would be more convincing witnesses to the good that God has worked in our lives if people knew the raw material God was working with.

The grim reality of Sin has no effect on those who have never heard personal testimony from the parishioners around them. If we never acknowledge our humanity, how can we manifest divinity? Instead, we've anointed ourselves holy and just and worthy and therefore exempt from the demands of the Cross.

If Catholics paint themselves beige, they will continue to convince few. But if we stand witness to the ways in which our lack of Virtue has bitten us in the rear, then we will be all the more effective in transforming the Culture and its Vices.