The Catch-22 Cycle of Life in Anti-Abortion-But-Not-Prolife Culture

A devout Catholic who happens to be low income writes to describe her experience.  Listen to her:

May I work outside the home? –Noooooo, your place is with your family. Don’t be a dirty feminist.Okay, may I stay home with my family? –Nooooo, not unless your husband is rich, you welfare queen you. May I take my children to daily Mass or Adoration? –Nooooo, those are places of quiet reflection and you’ll drive the faithful away. Keep the horrible brats where I don’t have to hear them.So, I’m supposed to keep them home and give them no religious education? –Noooo, you unfaithful Jezebel. Here are the instructions for the Fruity Pebbles Grotto and a host of other crafts you can do which will kitchily teach your children the Good News of Our Lord and Savior. Okay, how am I supposed to pay for these craft supplies? I guess I’ll just put them in daycare for a few hours a week and get a part time j––*sound of torn garments* Noooooo no no no no! Put your kids in daycare and they’ll be recruited by gay people!!!! THE ONLY APPROPRIATE EDUCATIONAL CHOICE IS HOMESCHOOLING!!!!! Catholic homeschooling!!! Here’s the Satan Home Study School Official Catalog!!!!But, but, how am I going to pay for this insanely expensive curriculum? That does it, I’m never having kids. –Now you show your true colors, you pro-choice person you.

A culture that is unwilling to support families who make the choice to live in accord with church teaching, but instead punishes them for being poor is merely anti-abortion.  It is not prolife.  We have let the Five Non-Negotiables morph into the The Only Five Things that Matter and allowed them to become cudgels for beating everything else in Catholic Social teaching as “liberal”.  It’s time to stop being Cafeteria Catholics and return to being All You Can Eat Catholics.