Jn 3:31-36 Infuriated or Scared?

Thursday of the Second Week of Easter
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By FR ALFONSE NAZZARO

The one who comes from above is above all.  The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things.


What will separate you from God?  If you have never had the chance to read "The Acts of the Apostles," then I suggest you read it today.  You will find great strength (and peace) from it.  After all, it's pretty clear that threats of prison time, torture or even death did not prevent the Apostles from sharing the Good News with Jews and/or Gentiles.

"When the court officers had brought the Apostles in and made them stand before the Sanhedrin, the high priest questioned them, 'We gave you strict orders did we not, to stop teaching in that name.  Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching...'

But Peter and the Apostles said in reply, 'We must obey God rather than men.'

When they heard this, they became infuriated and wanted to put them to death."

Infuriated or scared?  For me, it's pretty obvious: the members of the Sanhedrin were scared of the Apostles and scared out of their minds!  Why?  Because they did not know how to stop this new found faith from spreading.  Threats were not working.  Scare tactics were not working.  Court orders were not working.  Severe punishments were not working.  Nothing was working!  Not even beatings were working. 

Not even stoning to death their leaders was working! 

The followers of Jesus have always found heroic strength in their martyrs.

We must obey God rather than men.  As today's Gospel passage points out:  Those who are "earthly" speak of only earthly things.  What it fails to mention is that sometimes those who are only "earthly" appear to look like clowns or loonies.  Case in point.

Recently, I came across an article regarding John Hopkins University (JHU), the prestigious medical university in the great state of Maryland.  It turns out that a student committee, along with JHU faculty advisers, rejected a Pro-Life display that contained images of fetuses in various stages of development.  The faculty adviser responsible for the initial rejection was Assistant Director of Student Activities Janet Kirsch.  She sent an email to JHU Voice for Life that read in part:  “We've reviewed your pictures with our advisers and have determined that your display contains triggering and disturbing images and content.”

What???  Real life images of fetuses are disturbing images?  This is a medical university for goodness sake! 

Like I said, crazy and foolish. 

After some protests and some major news organizations picking up the story, the committee reversed their ban, stating, “We… were wrong in our initial decision and, upon further reflection, have decided we will not impose restrictions on the displays presented by any community groups at Spring Fair... The committee values free speech.” 

Oh yes, the committee values free speech. 
Sure!

Andrew Guernsey, the president of JHU's Voice of Life, commented on the whole affair in a very classy way, "I certainly find it ironic that a university that has dedicated itself to the advancement of medicine and biology would find displaying medically accurate fetal models disturbing and offensive...I mean, these are images shown in high school textbooks.”

According to Foxnews, two years ago, a pro-choice group on campus submitted a complaint arguing that the pro-life display constituted “harassment”, and the student government tried to forbid JHU Voice For Life from being recognized as an official student group, before eventually being overruled.

Oh, imagine a world without religion.  Imagine a world run by Pro-Choice activists (who apparently believe you should only have one choice - their choice - when it comes to information) and those secularists and atheists who claim to be only scientifically driven or data driven and yet are infuriated by medically accurate images of fetuses! Or simply put, truth and information.

But I wonder...Are these students or faculty advisors infuriated or just scared?