Daniel 6:5 Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.
Daniel’s opponents knew well that the only way they could find cause against Daniel was in the subject of morality, his devotion to the law of God. And the ploy worked well against Daniel for a time. The opponents of Mordecai found the same success for a space of time.
So today it seems the left-wing of U.S. culture is using the issues of morality to entrap and indite their opponents in this cultural war. This new accusation of “war against women” I believe is entirely false. However the Left has found a way to use the influence of morality as it relates to contraceptives to entrap the Right. They (the Left) are uncanny in their ability to frame such issues. The Right has never (in my understanding) attempted to ban contraceptives. However, to make them universally available without cost to avoid the consequences of bad decisions raises moral issues with a segment (especially the Right) of our society.
In this latest matter, the issue was framed to address the unusual use of contraceptives for the treatment of other illnesses, such as cysts (with however, the implication that only free and unhindered availability could be the solution). Georgetown University makes exceptions within their policy for proscribed medical uses. Therefore the issue was mute. The only complaint seemed to be the requirement of a recipient to have a Doctor’s prescription, which was presented as being too onerous. All of this seems to have been used to trap those on the Right by their moral convictions and by that accuse them of being oppose to women’s rights.
Now, it is true that the Roman Catholic Church has for years been opposed to the use of contraceptives, but that is a narrow matter of a solitary religious segment of America. And it has been our belief and practice to allow religious groups to freely practice their conviction as long as they are not criminal. I know of no other organized religious structure that is of that conviction. It appears to me that the trap was sprung, the Right was injured and victory was had again. But let us remember who it was that died in the lion’s den. It was not Daniel.
Regarding all of the commotion over the vitriol that came up over this matter, I think it should be noticed how selective we are in our aggravation over it. It appears to me that our political bias (and we all have one) is what determines that someone has gone over the top in their statements. I see this quite plainly within myself. I am in a measure outraged with what seems to me to have been the character assassination of women like Sarah Palin and Michele Bachman. The Left only laughed at the incredibly mean things that were said about the last President Bush, especially regarding his intelligence. It does not appear to me that any of us applies a fair and neutral brush to any of this intercourse. Not that it is right but it has been the course of politics since John Adams ran for office.
I find it both humorous and disappointing to see how those who call for civility find very creative ways to suspend its requirements when it applies to themselves. And unfortunately it seems that it is commonly uncivil language that wins political wars. In all of this I think I can fairly be defined as a fatalist; it will be this way until our Lord reigns on this earth, and what a blessed day that will be.
And so; whether it be the lion’s den, or Haman’s rope, in the end justice will prevail.
