What I learned at Catholic Bellarmine compels me to vote 'No' on Amendment 2: Opinion

The motto at Bellarmine, a Roman Catholic Institution and now a University here in Louisville, Kentucky is In Veritatis Amore, translated as "In the love of Truth." As a senior student, 50 years ago, graduating in English and Theatre, I was one of three men nominated for the award based on the motto. I certainly didn’t merit winning and didn’t, but felt both honored and completely humbled some faculty thought I was somewhat headed in that direction in any sense whatsoever. At the time I was in vows and headed to become a Roman Catholic priest in the Passionist religious community of men that was frequently and genuinely idyllic. I deeply love the life.

Abortion was a somewhat theoretical issue in those days before the Roe v. Wade Decision in 1973 the year after I graduated. But in an ethics class I learned it was morally wrong and just put the issue in the forbidden bucket. It was a purely theoretical issue for me at the time.

In that same year I left my studies for the ministry and religious community life because I felt I would be sheltered from the full spectrum of life. In a short time, I was working in my first advertising agency creating print ads, broadcast commercials for clients like Churchill Downs, Falls City Beer and Rebel Yell Bourbon I had realized I am an experiential learner, not lock step accepting somebody else’s theory. I suppose that is why I am deeply drawn to the words of the Indian poet Kabir, "If you have not lived through something it is not true."

But there is a problem regarding the truth on issues of abortion for me. I am not female. And in my personal experience no woman I've ever known in my circle of family or friends has had the procedure or asked my advice; I have never had to make a judgment. That is until now with the absolutist Amendment 2on the Nov. 8 ballot here in Kentucky.

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Near the beginning of the 20th century the brilliant Irish playwright, novelist and essayist Oscar Wilde noted The truth is rarely pure and never simple. At Bellarmine I confronted an axiom attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle: Learning is not child’s play; we cannot learn without pain. One would have to be a masochist to enjoy grappling with the difficult and complex issue of abortion without a reason. In my opinion it is Aristotle’s child’s play to take a predefined answer from anyone else rather than exploring it with one’s own heart, conscience and life experience. And, as the pithy comedian Moms Mabley advised us “Use your head…your brains are in it.”

Current Kentucky law forbids abortion on all grounds (including rape and incest) with legal procedure only in life threat to the mother. Should my daughter face a pregnancy because of a criminal act we have the means to whisk her to another state or country for a procedure: not so for a poor woman in Kentucky today. I cannot accept the finality of this legislation in good conscience or sound reason.

Many women and men in the U.S. Catholic Culture have made the decision to hold tension on the issue of abortion:

More:Jewish women sue to block Kentucky abortion ban, say it violates religious freedom

Overall, about three-quarters of U.S. Catholics (76%) say abortion should be illegal in some cases but legal in others. Just one-in-ten say abortion should be illegal in all cases, with no exceptions, while a similar share (13%) take the position that abortion should be legal in all cases, without exceptions. Pew Research, May, 2022.

I deeply honor a side of the debate holds a profound reverence for human life; I am with you. And I stand steadfast with those who seek to protect individual rights of women in the experimental and delicate system called democracy; especially in protecting the economically marginalized. It is not inconceivable in Kentucky’s future the unbending legalize an adopted amendment would allow a well-meaning political majority to take away the current allowance for termination of pregnancy when life threatening to a mother.

Since in my opinion none of us have all the answers on this issue I will be voting "No" on Amendment 2.

I have discovered in my 73 years that as I have opened my heart, mind and conscience on some dense questions I have traveled from the illusions of truth and feelings of certainty to the certainty of past illusion and impermanence of emotions.

Love the true truth? It is rarely pure and never simple and not child’s play.

Jim Aalen's marketing and advertising career left Louisville forty-five years ago with stops in Dallas, TX, Salt Lake City, UT, and The West Coast. A long list of Clients included Chili's, Southwest Airlines, Zales Jewelers, Chiffon Margarine, and Paramount Pictures. Jim and his Wife Lyn moved back to Louisville to retire here eight years ago. Lyn taught humanities and directed plays for JCPS at Waggener and Moore High Schools.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Abortion: I'm pro-choice because of what Catholic University taught me