Thread by @JamesMartinSJ

Some thoughts about the #Dobbs decision, abortion, dialogue, social media and death threats....
#DobbsvJackson

Over the past few days I’ve received several death threats, though not from where I usually expect them, that is, from the right. Usually I get what I call Catholic death threats: “I hope you die and go to hell, you heretic,” but occasionally I get real ones, too...

”

The recent ones, from the left, were in response to my posting the official statement of the Society of Jesus in the United States and Canada to the Dobbs decision a few days ago. (And since many people thought otherwise, these were not my own words...

but that of the Society of Jesus.) For several years, I have viewed posting important statements from the Pope, from various Vatican dicasteries, from the Jesuit Curia in Rome and from the Jesuits in the US on my social media accounts as...

more or less as an obligation as a Jesuit priest with a presence on social media.

Nonetheless, posting the Society's statement earned me 1,000 comments on Instagram and 600 comments on Facebook, mostly negative, many outraged, many disgusted, some threatening...

(which I’ve removed) and, as I’ve mentioned, a few death threats: “If our bodies are not safe, neither are you, Father.” “I know where you live, Jimmy.” And, more succinctly, “I hope you f*@$ing, die, you d&*$." Also, less threatening: “Coward.” “Monster.” “Fraud...” Etc.

I haven’t responded since I’ve been busy with the Outreach LGBTQ Catholic Ministry Conference. But I read these after the conference at night, along with further comments posted on the posts with Outreach photos, calling me a coward for not responding and demanding a response...

Had I written my own statement it would probably have said three things that I believe to be true: First, all life is sacred and is to be reverenced as a gift from God. Second, a one-minute-old zygote is not the same as a nine-month-old baby about to be born...

And third, women have consciences that must be heard, listened to and respected. But those are only my beliefs and I don’t speak for the Society of Jesus. And since I’m not a moral theologian, I tend not to share them that frequently....

The discussion around abortion in our country has become poisonous, as I’ve been reminded in the past few days. I’m not seeking sympathy: I’m used to these attacks on social media and, recently, death threats....

But it’s not surprising that this has happened. Even though I have very good friends on both sides of this issue (yes, that’s true) the following is also true: pro-life people too often label pro-choice people as “murderers....”

And pro-choice people too often label pro-life people as “misogynists.” That leaves zero room for discussion, only room for a demonization which, ultimately, lead to death threats...

This weekend at our Outreach conference we had an astonishing panel featuring a priest who held the most traditional views on homosexuality, which he laid out in detail (it is an intrinsic disorder that must never be acted upon)...

....along with other theologians who had the most progressive views, which they laid out in detail (one described himself as a “married queer theologian.”) They then engaged in a discussion was open, frank, challenging, provocative and, in the end, inspirational...

...for it modeled listening church and a listening society...

There was no anger, no belittling and certainly no death threats, even though the stakes were high for all the panelists (there were several LGBTQ people on the panel)....

Instead there was listening and dialogue. At the end, one panelist asked everyone, "What did you learn from someone else who had an opposing view?" And everyone learned something.

Would that the church, and society, were able to model that kind of dialogue, respect and charity. Or model what the Catechism calls when it speaks of LGBTQ people, “respect, compassion and sensitivity

Since people are (surprise) not listening in a post about listening: Yes, the zygote is life and all life is sacred (see #1) and to be reverenced. But those two things are indeed different, which means that people of good will will see them differently.

Since people are (surprise) not listening in a post about listening: Yes, the zygote is life and all life is sacred (see #1) and to be reverenced. But those two things are indeed different, which means that people of goodwill often see them differently.