This week’s contribution is from Mark Dol, Director of Youth Ministry

and Confirmation Services for the Santiam Vicariate

Pastor’s Corner
The Culture of Death:

We live in a world that promotes a culture of death under the auspice of freedom of rights. I realize that the world in which I grew
up is a very different world to that in which my son is growing up. Not only has technology moved forward at a rapid rate,
unprecedented in all of world history, but often through this technology we are being bombarded by media and the internet, which
although is useful and entertaining, also has a dark side. Through the media we are seeing a consistent wearing down of the moral
fiber of society through a slow but sure desensitization of what in the past would have shocked us, yet now has become almost
totally acceptable. It is quite a legacy we are leaving to our children.

I remember how many years ago my oldest brother pointed out how television changes our value system by pushing the boundaries
a little at a time of what is acceptable until what was once unacceptable is the norm. When I was in my teens, (not that long ago)
sex was rarely portrayed on the television or in the movies, and when it was shown it was usually suggested rather than blatantly
displayed. Today, you rarely see a movie or sitcom that does not include some raunchy sex scene, and for most of us this is totally
normal and ok. We have become desensitized.

When I recently flew to Indonesia for a conference, I took the opportunity to catch up on a little TV watching during my long hours in
the air. I came across a program call “Modern Family”, and as I watched I was amazed at the totally dysfunctional families that this
program portrayed as normal modern families of today. Single parent families, separated couples, gay couples with children- all
were portrayed as the normal modern family. What bothered me is that I realized I wasn’t really bothered by it. I have become
desensitized. The media presents many things that are against faith norms, and we need to apply the checks and balance of our
Church’s moral teachings to keep our moral standings in check.

Recently on the “Right to Life” day, I left the Church challenged to the core as I time and again mulled over Fr. Steve’s homily. We
live in a world that is for the most part ok with the killing of millions of babies each year through abortion. In the USA alone, for
every ten children born, three are killed by abortion. This is a shocking statistic, which equates to over 1,000,000 murders through
abortion in the US every year.

Fourteen years ago, the State of Oregon passed law that allowed physicians to assist their patients in suicide by prescribing a lethal
dose of barbiturates to patients. Oregon became the first state in this country to take another step forward in the downward spiral
of this culture of death. Many of us do not understand the implications or the ramifications of this law and if you are like me, most
of us haven’t paid much attention to it. Our doctors who have sworn a Hippocratic Oath to preserve and save life are now licensed
to put to death- in a crude sense, to put people down- if the patient so wishes, and all under the auspice of mercy killing!

As I reflect on the state that we, the western world, find ourselves in, I cannot help but remember that just 75 years ago in the wake
of World War Two my parents’ generation was horrified to learn the extent of the Nazi death camps all over Europe. They cried out,
and rightly so, “NEVER AGAIN”. Now we live in a society that has killed not 6,000,000 people systematically over a period a few
years, but 28,000,000 innocent people through this promotion of this culture of death since 1974 here in the US alone, with
400,000,000 worldwide. Sadly, there is no end in sight and few of us are horrified enough by the situation we are facing. Again,
what a future we are leaving for our children and their children.

Seeing an end to this holocaust begins in understanding exactly what is happening, in calling it by name- “murder”, “fornication”
“adultery” – calling sin, “SIN”, and exposing the lie that has been proclaimed by the mass media and the world. This Sunday evening
we have an opportunity to learn about the dilemma faced by our physicians as we hear Dr. Charles Bentz, MD, share with the youth
of our Vicariate an insight into Physician- Assisted Suicide. This is a chance to hear from someone on the inside, someone that lost a
patient when he was off duty, because a colleague of his assisted his patient to die without his knowledge or consent. Join us
tonight at the Student Center of Regis High School from 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM for this presentation by Dr. Bentz. There will be a time of
question and answer following the presentation. This is open to everyone 14 years and older. Parents- why not come with your
children and learn what we all need to know on this hot topic relevant to our lives today, and one on which many of us have no idea
of what is really happening?

See you tonight.

Mark