President Obama, Notre Dame and Protesting

This Sunday, President Obama has been asked to give the commencement speech at Notre Dame. Because of the Presidents stance on Abortion and Stem Cell Research, there has been a lot of protesting over the University's choice of him as commencement speaker and getting an honorary degree. There are people getting arrested for protesting on the campus. People pushing strollers around with dolls covered in fake blood and sporting Obama bumper stickers. Planes flying over the campus that are pulling banners with pictures of an aborted fetus. People making threatening phone calls and sending threatening emails to Notre Dame employees. And I am sure that there is more being done that I am not aware of.

The protester's are doing this in the name of Christianity and of Catholics, and they are passionate about their cause. But what kind of an example is this setting for the non believer, that if you become a Christian you are filled with hate for those that oppose your view? That you are intolerant of others? That is NOT the Christianity that I subscribe to, not even close. And, if they think that non-believers are not paying attention to this, then they are wrong. A friend, who is turned off by church and religion, is even more determined to stay away after seeing the display these protesters have put on. Hypocrite's, I believe, is the word he used.

The mantra of these protester's seem to be "If we can save just one, then it's worth it!" How short sighted is that? Why not aim big? What if instead of spending $1,500 to $3,000 per day on that airplane, they were to spend that money on counseling at risk teens? Or a support program for pregnant unwed mothers?

What if, instead of pushing strollers around campus trying to get arrested, they were to huddle in peaceful prayer all day? Praying for the President to change his position on the issue. Praying for the leaders of Notre Dame to be able to have the influence over our President to change his mind on the social issues that matter to the Catholic population. I bet they would not get arrested for that. I bet others would join in. Now what kind of example would that set for Christians and Catholics and non believers?

The other topic seems to be that our President is getting an honorary degree when he has policy that counters that of the Catholic church. My question there is, were they protesting when George Bush and Ronald Reagan received their honorary degrees? They were both in favor of the death penalty, and last I checked, that also counters the belief of the Catholic church. Condoleezza Rice also received an honorary degree from Notre Dame and she is pro choice.

In Romans 13:1-7, 1 Timothy 2:1-2, Titus 3:1-2 and in 1 Peter 2:13-17 the bible speaks about respecting those placed in leadership. I feel Notre Dame is doing just that by having the President Of The United States speak at their Commencement and by giving him an honorary degree. The bible does not state that we have to agree with our leaders, but it does say that we need to respect them.