Will Obama Seek the Truth?

What seems to have been lost in the controversy are the key elements of the issue President Obama was not invited to participate in a debate or dialogue of fair minded people which would have been perfectly acceptable for a Catholic university since debate is a valuable learning tool G.K.Chesterton took on Clarence Darrow in a series of debates The Church has courageous defenders who could espouse the Church's teaching effectively and respond to any criticism and doubts raised in objection to Her teaching .
Instead Notre Dame awards an honorary degree to the President .Again not harmful in itself because university honour degrees are often awarded to public figures who have contributed to society in a significant way. If an honorary degree was awarded to President Obama for improving Afro-American standing in the wider community or for political acumen it would have been credible but to award the President who has openly espoused and continues to flag his unstinting support for the pro "Choice" campaign is a gross betrayal of Truth.
The President's speech was soothing, charming and I imagine very appealing to the young people he addressed He pressed all the right buttons I only hope they do take to heart his urging them to protect God's creation by rallying to vote for and support those who have been fighting to protect the greatest of God's creation the human person.
The President himself said at the
Washinton Prayer breakfast Feb 2009
"But no matter what we choose to believe, let us remember that there is no religion whose central tenet is hate. There is no God who condones taking the life of an innocent human being. This much we know."
How does he reconcile this statement with his support of pro abortion funding in Congress and other pro abortion measures he has supported?

I'm not sure whether the President had the choice honestly to skip the subject in his speech. It was made front and center by those who vocally protested in the days and weeks between the announcement of his invitation and the day itself. How could this President, or any other ignore the questions being raised?

One of the strengths of our current President is his willingness to model the very adult behavior that we need to exhibit as a presupposition for fruitful dialogue. It is this sort of modeling that makes possible, I believe, the very Gallup Poll findings you cite.

During the early years of the buildup to, and fighting in, Iraq, the administration brooked no debate. The Roman Catholic Bishops, led by the Pope himself, as well as his own Methodist church leadership spoke out against the war, and the only response from the President was essentially "I've decided." For the past eight years, the images I remember are "I'm the decider." "Mission accomplished" while dressed in a fighter pilot's "poopy suit" and swaggering across the flight deck. "Bring it on". On the subject of abortion, his answers were "No". That fits the Catholic Bishop's statements on the subject, but it hardly gives a place to try and help people of all beliefs on the topic find a way as a nation to reach some sort of understanding (and I realize that for the most strongly anti-abortion held beliefs, there IS no way other than agreement...but there are a huge number of other people who are very uncomfortable with this stance...even as many of us find abortion, at the very least, undesirable. How can those whose position is "No" and the rest of us reach a point of civility, at least, on this issue?)

What a refreshing model at Notre Dame. Instead of cockiness, President Obama explained many of the dimensions of he issue as he sees them, and invited dialogue on the subject. Isn't that what we want in the way of leadership?

I admire Notre Dame for not backing down, thereby providing a beginning on this subject, and I believe that at the end of his term will mark some growth on this subject.

Pr Chris