Warp and Woof

What would you say to a couple that insisted on aborting a perfectly normal child because they dearly wanted a disabled child?

It happens.

Deaf couples not uncommonly desire only deaf children.
They do not want children who can hear because such children would not fit into their tightly knit deaf community. Consequently, some deaf couples would be willing to undergo genetic testing only to assure themselves that their child will, indeed, be deaf. Children who do not carry the gene for deafness would be aborted.

This came to mind over the recent lesbian-inspired brouhaha in Canada, wherein a lesbian took offense at the presence of a Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) quote in a pamphlet distributed in her childrens' school.

Seems she finds the CCC offensive.
She wants the Catechism passage removed.

Now, there would be no shortage of bishops in the United States who would undoubtedly strike the offending CCC quote from all teaching materials, lest some sodomite be offended (Cardinal Wuerl, call your office!)

But the case made by the deaf parents strikes to the heart of an argument raised by Catholics - the notion of "intrinsic disorder."

What does it mean to be "intrinsically disordered"?
Deaf people would disagree with hearing people.
Deaf people would be wrong, of course.
They would, however, still strenuously disagree.

Eyes are meant for seeing.
If you are blind, you suffer from intrinsic disorder.
Ears are meant for hearing.
If you are deaf, you suffer from intrinsic disorder.

It doesn't matter if you have a wonderfully tight-knit community despite your hearing disorder.
It doesn't matter if you have a wonderfully tight-knit community because of your hearing disorder.
You suffer from a disorder.
Insofar as your community is built around a disorder, so does your community.

Same goes with being homosexual.
Sex organs are made for procreating.
Using your sex organs in ways that can't lead to procreation is disordered.
It doesn't matter if you have a wonderfully tight-knit community despite or even because of your sexual disorder.  You suffer from a disorder.
Insofar as your community is built around a disorder, so does your community.

There are many wonderfully tight-knit communities that are intrinsically disordered.
La Cosa Nostra is a wonderfully tight-knit community, but it's centered around a disorder.
Amish communities are wonderfully tight-knit, but centered around a basic theological disorder.

Too many people are so fascinated by community that they are willing to forgive literally anything as long as community is promoted. But, while Christianity is about human community, human community is not the point.

If promoting human community were the point, becoming a hermit would be a sin.
Since becoming a hermit is a virture, it cannot be the case that human community is the point.

It is communion between God and man that matters.
Any community which arises between man and man as a result of the pursuit of communion with God is just gravy.

Someone might want to mention this to the lay and ordained socialists who inhabit our parish and chancery offices.