DETROIT — Boston College professor and popular Catholic author Peter Kreeft, Ph.D., called on faithful Catholics to become active and effective in the pro-life cause at the 2013 Life is a Gift conference Jan. 26.
Defenders of life are involved in a culture war, and need to have a “war-consciousness,” he said, understanding that their true opponents are not people on the other side of the issues, but “the devil and his legions — evil spirits who are trying to get those people, and we’re trying to rescue them.”
Kreeft, the principal speaker at the archdiocesan conference, the theme of which was “Courage to Defend Life,” spoke to about 350 people at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit.
Kreeft said people need to understand they are battling demonic forces out to win souls for hell by getting people caught up in a complex of sins, destroying the family through sexual infidelity and divorce, he said.
While it is ultimately against “principalities and powers” that they must battle, the mainstream media constitute a serious opponent to the pro-life cause as well, he said. “In surveys, 80 percent of Americans say they think abortion is sometimes wrong; only 3 percent of those in media say that,” he reported.
Christians can, however, take hope from the assurance of God’s ultimate victory, he said, pointing to the Book of Revelation. “It is a fixed fight. God can’t lose, but there can be a terrible body count,” Kreeft said.
The spiritual warfare in which Christians are involved is not one played out on a military battlefield, but in such fields as art, literature and philosophy, he continued.
At the heart of support for abortion is the sexual revolution that took place in the second half of the 20th century, in Kreeft’s view.
“We’ve always had trouble obeying all the commandments, but now we’re not even trying to obey the one about sex,” he said, adding that abortion is “obviously” about sex and the essence of birth control is birth prevention.
“Unfortunately, I don’t think we’re going to win the pro-life war on abortion until we win on the sexual front,” Kreeft told the conference.
In his second presentation, Kreeft advised those gathered on how to answer pro-abortion arguments, whether on ethical, scientific or legal grounds. There can be no serious scientific argument that the fetus is not a fully separate — albeit dependent — individual, with the philosophical implications that it has rights that ought to be defended, and that the laws should reflect this, he said.
Kimberly Young kicked off the conference with a message on the importance of promoting fortitude among young people.
“The virtue of fortitude can help us live life more abundantly,” said Young, interim superintendent of Catholic schools for the archdiocese.
Reading the Bible and discussing it help “nurture the seed of courage in young people,” she said.
Young stressed the importance of leading young people to a conversion experience: “Once someone has a conversion experience, they can live a life for Christ, and can do it consistently.”
Building up the virtue of fortitude can help young children deal with the challenges of the playground and teens handle the challenges of drugs, alcohol and promiscuity, she said.
“We live in a broken world, but if we can give young people alternatives, they can embrace a life of virtue with fortitude,” Young said.
Franciscan Fr. Alex Kratz concluded up the conference with a talk that echoed some of Kreeft’s points the night before. Even Christians need to “detoxify” themselves after spending too much time “in front of our modern tabernacle, called the TV.”
“Without regular self-examination, we don’t even realize how we’ve been evangelized by it,” he said.
Fr. Kratz called on the audience to combat the tendency to have a casual attitude toward Mass, and instead approach it with a renewed intentionality. “Liturgical worship is part of how we will conquer in the modern world,” he said.
Attendees said they found the conference’s speakers interesting and helpful.
“I love Dr. Kreeft. I’ve heard him speak before, and I like the way he uses logical arguments you can understand really easily,” said Anjanette Tuirbiak, 37, a member of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Plymouth.
Bill Brewis, 53, also a member of Our Lady of Good Counsel, said he “really enjoyed the practicality of the tips on how to be a witness on a daily basis.”
Jackie Parker, 47, a member of Sacred Heart Parish in Dearborn, said her favorite speaker was Kreeft, followed by “Fr. Kratz with his devotion to Mary and the Mass.”
Jacob Ross, 16, said he had wondered whether this year’s conference could possibly match last year’s, which featured Blessed Teresa of Calcutta’s doctor, “but I was thoroughly inspired, especially with Peter Kreeft.”
“And Fr. Alex ended it on just the right note, telling us what we as Catholic Christians need to do,” added Ross, a member of St. Anastasia Parish in Troy and a junior at Troy High School.
John Nahrgang, 32, a seminarian studying for the Diocese of Phoenix who was in town visiting his parents, said he learned a lot about how to talk to youth about the pro-life message.
“Peter Kreeft’s talks really helped me think about ways to have productive discussions with people,” Nahrgang said.
