November 19, 2009

Under a Bushel Basket (or Masking Tape)

It is no small thing to stand up for the truth, as we become especially aware in the readings from Maccabees this week.

Yesterday I found myself in the parking lot of a Catholic religious house. I noticed a mess of bumper sticker shaped masking tape on the back of one the cars. Of course I was curious, but I reminded myself that it was none of my business. But I just had to know...what bumper sticker could have been so inappropriate or offensive that it would have to be covered over outside a house of Catholic religious? So I looked. It's probably a venial sin to have indulged my curiosity, but I did.

I peered through the masking tape to read the text obscured below. What did it say?

Abortion stops a beating heart.

For some religious or other, to display this little message in defense of life was just too much. It's no small thing to stand up for the truth. If we find ourselves able to do it, we should be very grateful. Not everyone is able to accept this grace.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

The thought occurred to me after reading your blog that maybe it was someone other than the car owner who covered the signs some time, some place when he saw the car. Maybe it happened so often that the car owner tired of tearing off the masking tape.

What do you think? Would someone take the trouble to do that?

Brother Charles said...

A possibility anonymous, and certainly a more charitable explanation. To my mind and experience, though, less likely than the one I proposed.

Thanks for commenting!

Qualis Rex said...

Father Charles - before last week, I naively would have thought that odd as well, seeing as the car was parked at a religious residence. But as I mentioned, 2 weeks ago I was scolded by a beligerent Msgr for daring to utter the word "pro-abortion". Unfortunately, the topic of abortion has become controversial even among the custodians of God's church.

As always, we pray for the clergy...

Barb Szyszkiewicz said...

Wow.
You never know...my husband has had his car vandalized more than once for displaying that very bumper sticker. At his workplace, no less.

There is DEFINITELY the possibility that, as Anonymous mentioned, some other person covered over the sticker. The owner may not even know it's covered. If they don't often walk around to the back of the car, they wouldn't see it.