Virtues Selflessness and Children

The three theological virtues, faith, hope, and charity, are practiced in some form by most people regardless of any affiliation with spirituality or religious organizations. Perhaps these virtues may provide some common ground for discussion of the polarizing topics of the culture wars. These virtues may be a foundation for our selfless actions. I recently reflected that my grandchildren belong to the face of hope for future generations.

Hope for the future

 

The colours in the table represent the three theological virtues: Green - hope; White - faith; Red - charity. The top row is a suggested definition of each virtue that may be more applicable to our time than definitions from religious tradition.

	Faith: Trust the people who are caring for you and for whom you care	Hope: Contributing to the vision we work towards for the future	Charity: Action that is directed to love that works to support the needs of others.
Abortion	Trust there are several caring choices for yourself and to know care and support from others	A seed has been planted. We may be starting to be the change we seek.	Action that gives love to others reveals a supporting community for you.
Capital Punishment	Sincere efforts to change lives need trust in a process of transformation	Rehabilitation is hope that good can triumph	Acting to address the needs of victim and offender is a way to reduce retribution and revenge
Euthanasia	Trust that each day of life is an opportunity to deepen our humanity and allow others to be agents of our comfort.	Our hopes for the future may transmit to others as we live fully in our last days.	Our life is made full by relationships with others. Give them time to complete the story with you.

 

An article on the Al Jazeera web site reported that Pope Francis suggested people who substitute pets for kids exhibit ‘a certain selfishness’. In the article, the Pontiff urges easing of adoption procedures to increase possibilities for parents to experience one of the highest forms of love, fatherhood and motherhood.

In 2014, the 85-year-old told Il Messaggero daily that having pets instead of children was “another phenomenon of cultural degradation”, and that emotional relationships with pets was “easier” than the “complex” relationship between parents and children. On Wednesday, while inviting couples who are unable to have children for biological reasons to consider adoption, he urged potential parents “not to be afraid” in embarking on parenthood. “Having a child is always a risk, but there is more risk in not having a child, in denying paternity,” he said. “This kind of choice is among the highest forms of love, and of fatherhood and motherhood,” he said of adoption. “How many children in the world are waiting for someone to take care of them!” The Argentinian pontiff has in the past denounced the “demographic winter”, or falling birth rates in the developed world.1 

When common ground in the most confrontational issues in the culture wars, abortion, capital punishment, and euthanasia, is sought in the context of trust, future potential, and addressing needs of the people involved as kin in our broader human family, we may find selfless action for the common good results.

 1 (2022, January 5). Having pets instead of kids robs us of 'humanity', pope says. Retrieved January 5, 2022, from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/5/having-pets-instead-of-kids-robs-us-of-humanity-pope-says