CNN

To all the pro life supporters It's real simple if you don't like abortions don't get one now mind your own business.

I don't care about his views on abortion. I don't want him to speak because I am sick to death of hearing his voice read his pre-written speeches off the teleprompter. I mean, that idiot is still campaigning EVERYWHERE! Where will he show up next while the country is falling apart? "I Love New York Season 3?"

Someone needs to tell him the campaign is over, and his on-the-job training has begun. Seems the only thing he's learned really well is how to fly around on Air Force One and giggle like a middle-school girl when being asked serious questions.

"These people" (according to Len from Washington) – are Catholics! If you are a practicing Catholic then you can't be pro-choice; also, it is a sin to knowingly support a pro-choice candidate/president.

Having BHO speak at the university is an affront to the Catholic Church and the Sanctity of Life. If you don't agree with the Church then why are you Catholic?

The protesters are not saying that Obama has to agree with them, as many comments here claim. They're saying they don't want to give a position and platform of honor to someone whose policies are not in line with a basic tenet of the Catholic faith. Remember, Notre Dame is a Catholic University. I personally don't believe in abortion but don't expect everyone else in the world to agree with me. But I'm not about to facilitate someone else getitng the procedure. Get the paralell??

Finally, I disagree strongly with the characterization of anyone who is against abortion (as most Catholics are) as a "right wing zealot." The majority of Catholics are not Bible belt, Christian fundamentalists who blindly follow televangelists. Why do you think the last Pope had so much of a problem with the US ("a la carte")Catholics?

Planned Parenthood is making a fortune off this? They're a non-profit genius...

Right Wingers are truly the intellectual elite.

"The man is NOT pro-abortion. "

Oh yes he is. Name one bill he voted against that would have limited the abortion rights movement in any way. The only times in his political life he took a stand were times when he voted for bills that not even some of the most radical abortion rights groups dared support. I don't know why he likes the idea of killing babies so much but he does. This guy has a radical agenda that is so over the top that most people can't believe he holds the positions he does.

People....People.....People.....

Get over this !!!

P-R-E-S-I-D-E-N-T Barack Obama was elected by the people in November 2008.

Get over it, its time to move on. I am sick of these who are angry that President Obama is in office. If you don't move on..it will be a very long eight years for ya (smile).

For all of you that keep screaming Freedom of Speech let me ask you this... Would you let a pro-lifer speak at your kid's graduation? Most of you would probably say no. Notre Dame is a Catholic university. Catholics strongly disagree with what he's done. They have a right to say "I don't agree with what you've done and I don't want you to speak in my college." They have that right. Freedom of Speech doesn't mean you can't disagree with someone and not listen to them.

This from the church whose head says condom use will make the AIDS crisis worse. Earth to Catholics: it's the twenty-first century. Get with it.

to Mississippi Mike:

On a side-note, I find it amusing that pro-lifers are being called "anti-choice." Oh, we believe that people can choose whether or not to have a baby, we just believe people should be making that choice when determining whether or not to commit the act of making babies, not deciding whether or not to kill babies.

that same argument aplies to you, now lets turn it around....

On a side-note, I find it amusing that pro-choice are being called "baby killers" Oh we believe that people can choose whether or not to have an abortian, we just believe people should be minding there own business when determining what woman wants to do to their bodies in their private lives.

On another second note:
"Oh, we believe that people can choose " who is we? you mean people that only think like you?

"we just believe people should be making that choice when determining whether or not to commit the act of making babies"
Listen ABSTINENCE DOES NOT WORK ITS PROVEN!!

"not deciding whether or not to kill babies." Because a faith decides when a baby is alive doesn't make it so. It is that arrogance of "We are the only ones that know whats right" that turns so many away from archaic fairy tales like religion.

I don't find this alarming at all. The current Pope.. Oh excuse me I
mean 'Holy Father' Please! Called for pro-choice politicians to be denied Communion, during the 2004 U.S. presidential election campaign.

I have a better idea why doesn't Notre Dame invite Bishop Richard Williamson to speak at the May commencement.

I bet all those students would love too here him talk about the Good Old Days, when Pro-Life Catholics ran a wonderful vacation resort called Auschwitz!

Perhaps Bishop Williamson is free that day.

Progressives think it is wrong to go to war for any reason but it is alright to kill babies for any reason.

Science has enabled us to view these tiny human beings, with all of their DNA intact, in the womb!

Will we kill the disabled and the elderly next?

I think much of the uproar over this situation is largely due to a misunderstanding of the issue at hand: when one acknowledges that an unborn child is in fact a child (as pro-lifers do), abortion changes from a simple medical procedure to a morally outrageous act. In the eyes of those who are pro-life, abortion is responsible for nearly 50 million innocent deaths, in the same way the Rwandan genocide claimed 1 million lives or the current situation in Darfur an estimated 300,000.

There is no doubt in my mind that Barack Obama is a very intelligent man and brilliant orator, or that he might even be capable of bringing our country out of its current economic crisis. However, as a Catholic, pro-life University, to offer an honorary degree to a man who as a central part of his political agenda has promoted this extensive genocide of unborn children is antithetical to what the University claims to stand for.

To all the pro-choice people reading this thread, it is necessary to understand that trying to convince a pro-life person that abortion is just a 'single issue' is almost like trying to convince an African American that civil rights are 'nothing to get worked up about,' or a Jew that the Holocaust was 'no big deal.' Abortion is a huge issue, in the same way some might feel about violence toward women or child abuse, and I feel that the alumni of the University and Catholics are justified in their outrage.

I don't see the issue here. Is Obama going to give a speech about having sex and getting abortions? I'm Catholic and pro-choice (wow- they do exist!) and I would be honored to hear ANY president speak.

It's amazing that when liberal college students oppose ultra-conservative speakers, the right accuses them of seditioning speech...rightly so. Now we have the right doing the same. Give it a break and allow the President to speak. For the person that feels his/her advice to eight family members to attend Notre Dame...TAKE THEM OUT OF NOTRE DAME! There's other universities. I'm sure several other college students will be glad to take those spot vacated.

"You cannot be a good Catholic and be pro-choice!"

But, apparantly you can be a good catholic and:

1. Pro Capital Punishment
2. Pro War
3. Pro guns (probably due to the fact that Jesus always packed heat)
4. Anti-Mortgage Bailout. (because kicking people out of their house
if they made mistakes is very Christian)
5. A Pedophile

So, being a good Christian/Catholic means you protect life in the womb but, once it's out, if it does something we dont like, we get to beat its head in with a rock.

Progressive think it is wrong to go to war for any reason but it is alright to kill babies for any reason. Science has enabled us to view these tiny human beings, with all of their DNA intact, in the womb!

Will we kill the disabled and the elderly next?

I am Catholic. I understand the conern about President Obama speaking at Notre Dame if you are solely focused on the abortion issue. In no way do I feel outraged by the choice. I am an product of Catholic Schools and it would have been an honor to have him speak to us. President Obama has done what many people said was impossible. He has a story to tell. His journey to the Whitehouse is an inspiration to our youth. The conservative catholics are having a hard time seeing the big picture. There are many things he supports that falls directly in line with the Catholic church like social justice, education and taking care of our children. The Catholic church is also focused on having a universal belief, all are welcome no matter what age, gender, race or socioecomonic group you come from. I think his life story would be able to amplify this.

please get on with your own life and leave others to theirs. geez.

I just spoke to god.... he doesn't like christians, muslims, etc.

I hate to bust any bubbles here but nobody on this planet "knows God" nor "Jesus" well enough to say what he/she/it would do in any situation! All we know, as a matter of fact, is what we're "colored" to believe! Being positive & helpful to your fellow man, no matter what, is the only absolute that I take away from any religion! Grow up!

Luringer doesn't believe that the President of the United States is respectable enough to speak at Notre Dame? This man needs to get a grip because he is defaming both the President and Notre Dame. A university which embraces one philosophy over all others is not an educational institution; it is a mental institution.

I am pro life and democrat, what I have a problem with is these so-called pro-lifers that are only half pro life, no abortion, death penalty and war killing okay. If you're pro-life you gotta go all the way, otherwise you're just another right-wing republican born-again nut case. I am also a Catholic, the church needs to spend more time helping these women than putting them down. It's like your a sinner if you don't have the baby and if you do have the baby and get on welfare, you're a no good low live.

If the Catholic Church had done the right thing when it came to protecting BORN children from pedophile priests instead of protecting the priests, it would have greater credibility.

If the fetus isn't yet a human life, then why does a person who kills a pregnant woman get charged with a double homicide?

meant to say you're a sinner if you don't have the baby, please note correction

I am pro life and democrat, what I have a problem with is these so-called pro-lifers that are only half pro life, no abortion, death penalty and war killing okay. If you're pro-life you gotta go all the way, otherwise you're just another right-wing republican born-again nut case. I am also a Catholic, the church needs to spend more time helping these women than putting them down. It's like your a sinner if you have the baby and if you do have the baby and get on welfarek, then you're a welfare no good low life

J..P.. March 24th, 2009 11:46 am ET

Take it easy Yosemite Sam, this doesn't have anything to do with guns.

Wait a minute...why do I hear banjos?

Notre Dame is a private University based on Chatholic values. They DO NOT have to let him speak – that is America! In America you can organize – whether for religion, politics, or anything else – and you are not required to invite people who believe differently.

They only love babies until they're born, after which they're unwilling to help feed, shelter or clothe impoverished children, but they're keen on building more prisons.

How about the 4000+ service men and women and hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi's that these right wingers got killed in the misguided Iraqi war to benefit the oil companies. DID THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO LIFE?

Ignorance and deliberate deception are alive and well. Obama has never said or done anything to merit this label. He's not pro-abortion, any more than any of the pro-choice proponents. Even if he were, Notre Dame has no obligation to only invite speakers it agrees with.
I'm pro-choice, and pro-LIVES, and do not accept the opposition's labeling itself as "pro-life', a framing term calculated to cast the opposition as "pro-death", which we are not. The day the "pro-lifers" start taking the issue of sex education seriously, I'll take them seriously. Can we not all agree on that one thing, that we're opposed to unwanted pregnancies and that we're willing to explore EFFECTIVE ways of preventing them?
And where's the outrage against the men involved in unwanted pregnancies? All we ever hear from "pro-life" people are comments directed at the pregnant woman.

Catholics seem to be the most self-centered, egotistical, short-sighted people I know! Please wake up and see that the world doesn't revolve around you! I always wondered what our world would look like if you had your pro-life way! Un-wed single parent households tripling, foster home filled to the brink, abandoned & neglected children quadrupling, social services totally overwhelmed, hmmm, should I go on? I guess not, seein how I don't see the Catholic Church jumping to help the Octuplet mom!?!?

Obama got a lot more than 50,000 catholic votes during the election. Most catholics don't vote on abortion. This is just a fringe group trying to hijack the catholic agenda in this country.

And the slaughter of thousands during war time is "Pro-Life"?...ah, the difference please?

I am Catholic but am so sick and tired of hearing how the church will not give communion to Sebelius because she supports Obama etc. and telling people who to support. Does that mean it was okay to support Bush who tortured (some were killed because of torture)started unnecessary war etc. I think the church needs to take a long hard look at itself before condemning others i.e. priests abusing children. I cannot get over how the church chose to hide this by simply moving the priest to a different location to commit the same offenses or to try to buy their way out of it. In the end, GOD will judge us and that is all that matters to me!!!!!!!!!!! Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

Um Planned Parenthood is non-profit

Fair is Fair> The soldiers make that choice, but the civilians who are killed in Iraq do not. Pro-Life is a misnomer.

Regular Guy> Not to mention, Pro Death Penalty, which often seems to be the case. At least be consistent, guys. Sheesh!

Ah yes, the old "think like I do or pay the price". Works every time.

Now I can call Conservatives Pro-Death Penalty, because calling people names is the "in" thing to do.

Bravo! Just like Jesus taught you.,

So does that mean that if they invited a president supporting the death penalty, he would not be allowed either?

Geez. At least at MY Catholic college, the Students for Life group protested the death penalty as passionately as they protested abortion.

I guess they're upset that he won't lie to the students like the Pope lied to the Africans.

Okay so let me get this right – Persons we disagree with are our enemies and there should be segregation of those persons. Is this the message? And we wonder why so many people hate America? America's Philosophy: You either agree with us on everything or you're the enemy. Wow!

Excuse me, but the President did not invite himself to speak at their commencement. It seems they should have vetted their commencement speaker candidates BEFORE an invitation was issued. The President certainly has plenty of venues where he would be welcomed with open arms that would be glad to issue him an invitation. Let the church be the church, the universities be the universities and the government be the government and be done with it already. Pro-life groups might better spend their time and energy on taking care of the lives in their communities that are hungry, homeless, healthcare-less, jobless, etc. There is more than enough work to be done by serious people who care about the lives of others.

To all of the men out there protesting Obama speaking at Notre Dame:

I find it amusing that the ones who protest the most are the ones that are incapable of having children in the first place. If as a male republican you have a problem with WOMEN making their own choices, then why do you not have a problem with thousands of frozen embryos being thrown away as "medical waste"? Do those embryos have a choice? No. Don't see concern about those. I also don't see your concern on the many children with no parents that need adoption...Perhaps you antagonist ones should focus on your own lives for awhile and leave the personal choice of what a woman does to the woman?

Pro-choice is just that...choice. While life is sacred, what becomes of that life is also sacred. If a baby is unwanted and unloved, it has a higher percentage (statistically speaking) of having parental issues, developing social issues, and, in many cases, turning to crime . What's ironic about this? People who are pro-life also usually favor the death penalty.

If you pro-lifers have so much energy to protest, how about adopting an orphan and caring for it? Channel the hate into something useful, people.

Either you are for RIGHT or WRONG. You cannot have it both ways, Notre Dame. You can't pick and choose what christian values you want to practice. Practice the whole letter of the law or none at all. The request to rescind the invitation to the President is a form of Judging and casting the first stone.

Although his views may not coincide with your views; it does not mean that he is a outcast. Suppose our heavenly Father shunned us because we did not agree with his ordinances. Thank goodness God is not like man. If he were . . . . we ALL would have a place in Hell!

?

I agree with the "Jesus loves the children" quote. He also loved all the children that were sexually abused by Catholic priests, but the self rightious Catholic church chose to close it's eyes to that abomination.

CNN, Please print this message

Greg, you most certainly can be a good Catholic and pro-choice. I am. Get off your holier than thou high horse. Obama is pro responsibility, pro planned parenthood–know what you are talking about! You can't vote for a party on 1 issue–and if you do, you are narrow minded. Perhaps you and the other wingnuts would prefer to return to the days of my great grandmother-who was pregnant 18 times, gave herself several abortions and died at 48! Grow up! We must govern out of intellect, not out of extreme views (including religious).

jim March 24th, 2009 12:32 pm ET
I guess if you don't know God then you don't understand real love and you just can't understand that the killing of the unborn is wrong?
An abortion is always selfish and self serving any way you look at it.

Gosh, jim, are you claiming to know God or to be God? Maybe you ought to have a look at that log in your own eye before you start worrying about the mote in your neighbors'.

Are these the same "Pro Lifers" that don't blink an eye when sending out beloved soldiers to be slaughtered in unnecessary wars? The same "Pro Lifers" that after a child is born would deny them adaquated health care or education? I am sure that it is. Hypocrites.

" On a side-note, I find it amusing that pro-lifers are being called "anti-choice." Oh, we believe that people can choose whether or not to have a baby, we just believe people should be making that choice when determining whether or not to commit the act of making babies, not deciding whether or not to kill babies. "

That's funny, because last I checked the Catholic church was also anti-birth control.

It is odd that some people find it offensive that others value their progeny? It is not a "choice" that is being opposed, rather the killing of their young.

Regarding pro-choice not being pro-abortion, I wonder what people would call those who did not openly condemn the systematic slaughtering of Jews or the enslaving of African Americans? It takes great courage to stand up to wrong and inhumane treatment of others.
Allowing abortion because it is useful to certain people despite the fact that it means killing babies is WRONG – like slavery and like the killing of Jews in concentration camps. WRONG is WRONG.

Mississippi Mike wrote:
"On a side-note, I find it amusing that pro-lifers are being called "anti-choice."

Were you equally amused when you called the president "pro-abortion"?

Grow up and apply the same standards to yourself that you do to others.

Mississippi Mike – But the pope and the catholic church supports pedophiles.

God & Jesus do not support war either but there's always an excuse for that from the far lunatics.

@ Fair is Fair:

Sure OUR men and women of the armed forces may have made the choice to join. But how about the tens of thousands of Iraqi women and children who died by our bombs because of our decision to go to war? Did they make a choice? I suppose you do not care about them anyway since they don't have the "correct" faith and will surely go to Hell, right? That is abortion on a large scale, and you never picketed against that, did you?

Idiot!

I am a prolife and I am against abortion and all other ways that people cheapen and flipantly kill human life. What bothers me about the Prolife movement largely in America is that it is hypcritical and a tool in the service of Republican politics just like the case here. If they really care for Prolife causes I assume they are also against the unjust war in Iraq which took tolls on untold number of children and innocent human life as well as others without a just cause. And at the same time applaud the president for opposing it from the begining, his peace loving and diplomacy intensive efforts as well as his efforts to wind down the war! If not it is not life they care about but Republican politics for which this is a cover!

Wow! I find it completely RIDICULOUS that our SITTING PRESIDENT would catch flack over speaking at ANY venue in the country in which he presides, especially over a fundemental difference( its not like hes commited any crimes). Democracy and the freedom to have your own opinions as well as thoughts are the basis for our country and way of living, and ANYBODY who would try and exclude the LEADER of the free world from speaking at a university in my book is the definition of UNAMERICAN and should take a look in the mirror and ask " if I do not support my president AND acknowledge that he along with everyone in this country has and deserves to have their own opinion, should I even be able to call myself an TRUE AMERICAN? "...well my friends.....the answer to that question is "NO" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Once again, we see graphic evidence of why the Republican party is cementing its' future as just a noisy and intolerant minority party.

So single-issue politics means that the President of the United States should be uninvited to speak on this campus? Single-issue politics is so important that there cannot even be a dialogue between the President of the United States and the Notre Dame community?

Shame on all those who are calling for this. How completely narrow minded of you.

""As a Notre Dame parent and supporter, I am outraged by this invitation to Barack Obama. I have apologized to my eight children for the poor guidance I provided them when I encouraged them to enroll at Notre Dame," Lauinger said in the letter."

Psst...Mr. Lauinger, there's always Liberty University. I doubt President Obama will be speaking there.

Wow, do these people need to get a life......keep your bible thumping to yourself. We still live in a secular, democratic republic. Anybody out there that want a theocracy should seek it elsewhere.

I'm against abortion, but I am also against somebody who doesn't know a darn thing about me trying to tell me what I should do with my body. It should be my choice, MINES.!! If this man wants to have 25 or 75 children, to go to Norte Dame that is his right, HIS!! I will be waiting to see what Norte Dame decide to do. I sincerely hope they don't back down to this man.

The Catholic Church is also against the death penalty, but I bet you wouldn't hear any fuss if a pro-death penalty politician was invited to speak. Diefining your live and views around one issue is ignorant and not useful to the political or social process. If you don't like what someone is saying either have a civil discussion or shut up and go away.

As a firm believer in free speech, I think the President should be invited to give the commencement address at Notre Dame. What I personally disagree with as a Catholic is the decision to give him an honorary degree given his position on abortion and stem cell research. As a Catholic university, Notre Dame should uphold and affirm the principle tenets of the Catholic faith in all that it does, not just when it is politically expedient.

If Norte Dame doesn't want the president to attend their commencement ceremonies, then I would love for him to attend mine at Temple University.

Don't be hypocrites, pro-lifers. Were you out there protesting Bush when he started an unnecessary War that caused the deaths of over 4,200 American soldiers and countless Iraqi civilians? A death is a death. Obama isn't pro-abortion. No one likes abortion. But there are lots of forms of contraception which could prevent abortion yet your Pope is against that, too. You better rethink your positions because you are getting left behind!! And this message is from a former Roman Catholic who uses logic and common sense when posting comments.

You mean... uninvite the president of the United States? Regardless of political views, how stupid do these guys think Notre Dame is?

To the holier than thou Catholics: Please deal with your freaky priests first. How many men out there have been molested by these deviants? You hide your pedophile priests, and now you want to cast stones at the President. Hypocrites!!!

This debate is idiotic. First of all, the President is not "pro-abortion", he is pro-choice. This means he believes it is up to the individual, and their morals/values/beliefs to make that decision.

If you are a Christian, then you probably believe other religions to be wrong. Does this mean you think they should be outlawed and people should only be allowed to be Christian? Or, do you recognize that people have the right to make their own decisions, even if those choices are, in your opinion, wrong?

It is not the job of the government to dictate morality. Oddly, I would wager that many of you who think abortion should be outlawed claim to be for less government intervention in our lives.

(song) 'RECLAMATION'...(lyrics)..."Here are our demands. We want control of our bodies. DECISIONS WILL NOW BE OURS !" – (band) Fugazi...Thank you very much for enlightening me.

The outrage over Obama speaking at the commencement makes me embarrassed to be a Notre Dame alum. How can a school claim to be an institution of higher learning if they do not allow opinions on both sides of the issue to be heard? I applaud Fr. Jenkins for his decision to ignore these pro-life nuts and do what is right.

THIS IS PURE DOO- DOO OF TRYING TO STRONG ARM THE SCHOOL! IF YOU DISAGREE WITH THE GUY JUST DON'T ATTEND!

It's a parasitic wad of tissue, not a baby.

Keep harping on pro-life, Republicans, and keep losing elections. I'm fine with that.

How ignorant of them. Obama didn't create abortion so how is he the 'abortion President'? These people really need to get a life.

Now do all of you blind sheep see why we need to keep religion and state SEPERATE? This is all the proof any thinking person should need!!!!!!!!

since obama's speaking at a catholic college immediately calls forth a debate on abortion, let us contemplate the differences between the destruction of an unthinking embryo and the post-natal abandonment of a fully-alive and unwanted tiny human. how many consequences can we elaborate?

oh and while we're on topic, catholics, what is the official stance of condom use in the prevention of aids, and of pregnancy?

If the Catholic Church had acted appropriately to protect the BORN children, instead of subjecting them to the r*pists and pedophiles that hide under the cassock, it would have a little more credibility.

If the Catholic Church had acted appropriately to protect the BORN children, instead of subjecting them to the rapists and pedophiles that hide under the cassock, it would have a little more credibility.

I'm a Christian and don't support abotion rights but I recognize the law has given those who choose abortion the right to an abortion. No one makes a person who has the right to an abortion get one. I'm someone tired of this abortion issue being Christians #1 issue when men/women/children are starving/no medical support/homeless and we are arguing about an issue that some misguided person chooses to have. The President nor anyone else can force a person to have an abortion. So why make the President or anyone else the reason for abortions? The reason for abortions is the people who are having them not those who are not. Jesus is concerned about other issues that we as Christians have failed miserably to respond too.

Greg: Jesus loved the children. He would not approve of abortion.

It's a baby, not a choice!

_________________________________

I actually agree with you, however, it is not the GOVERNMENT'S role to enforce religious beliefs. Some people do not believe the same as you and I. GOD will judge people and it is not up to us to do that. If you believe that abortion is murder, people who have abortions will be judged accordingly by God. It is not our government's place to enforce religious beliefs.

There are numerous jewish students who attend Notre Dame. are you banning them from the commencement or would you ban your 8 children if a rabbi were asked to speak. hypocrit!!!!!

Under conservative GOP Presidents the abortion rate goes up. Under liberal Democratic Presidents the abortion rate goes down. Intelligent people would be wise to make sure that abortion is rare and legal. Fundamentalists would rather legislate our bedrooms and doom our kids to not have the right tools to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Once a person is pregnant the GOP comes to the rescue of the fetus at all costs. Once the baby is born, the liberal Democrats come to the rescue of the baby from the GOP!

If Notre Dame caves in to the pressure of these "religious" zealots I can guarantee my children will never step one foot on that campus. Universities are schools of higher learning – including theology and philosophy. They should also espouse as our U.S. Constitution does the freedom of religious choice.

To fight to protect unborn life is highly commendable, and perhaps a "commandment" or edict for some, however, how about we also protect the lives of the living through sound science and innovation?

I am sure President Obama will be there to inspire the future leaders graduating from Notre Dame, and not to debate abortion and embryonic stem cell research. At the same time he will be there to enlighten as to the capabilities of the human mind and spirit...gifts bestowed. These self-righteous zealots should hear this message before they cast their stones.

Mark Twain once said of free speech that to be against free speech, even when the Devil is speaking, is un-American and un-British, but it is French. Maybe the president's extreme, right-wing radical critics should consider moving Notre Dame back to France. Preferably to medieval France during the 1300s.

Hate to break it to all of you but

1) Since when is the First Amendment involved here? Does Obama have a RIGHT to speak at private school Notre Dame? No. Is the government preventing him from speaking? No.;

2) ND is a CATHOLIC university. The Church believes abortion is an abhorrent act. So, why in the world should they be giving an hornorary degree to MR. PRO-CHOICE, supporter of abortion on demand?

ND Alums are right to be ticked off about this. Let Obama speak at the next NARAL luncheon.

I have 2 children who graduated from Notre Dame and am very proud of the wonderful adults they have become. I applaud the university for supporting dialogue between people with differing views. It is how we come to understand each other and work together to find solutions to complex problems. So many of President Obama's programs address concerns that represent a commitment to like values such as quality education, healtcare, and a fair economic system for all citizens. I do not equate Pro-Choice with Pro-Abortion, free will is all of our right and it is each of us individually that must make our own decisions and respect the responsibility that that decision brings to bear on us. No government should dictate beliefs, there are enough repressive religious institutions to fill that need.

"Pope" Maledict the Clueless has shown again and again that he has a virulent case of recto-cranial inversion ...

Pro-life?

My Aunt Fannie!

Condoms are about the ONLY thing that MAY slow the African AIDS pandemic. Even if they DO fail 20% of the time, unprotected sex fails to protect 100% of the time. Duh!

Starvation, disease, pollution, wars ... OVERPOPULATION plays a LARGE role in ALL of those things.

But the Catholic "church" continues on a collision course with the very SURVIVAL of civilization.

"Gotta make more babies than the infidels!"

You hypocritical people. Stop using the lords name in vain you so call christian. You right wing idiots don't have anything better to do. Ypu hide behind the word christianity because you don't want people to see your racist, hateful heart. God will struck you down.

Here we go again. "Do as I say. and beleive in what I beleive!!! "I will think for you and decide for you!!!!!! ....This is the mentallity these idiots have. CHOICE and freedom rules this country.

I respect their view but feel strongly that it should not deprive the students the wonderful opportunity hear him in person on a host of issues that effect them. Pope and Vatican violate the law of nature by proclaiming celibates and have been violating it by having pedophiles and homosexuals in their ranks and paying millions $ for their crimes

Another reason why we need a constitutional amendment allowing abortions. These same people do not speak out against the death penalty in fact most encourage the death penalty,so much for the so call sanctity and dignity of human life.

Obama is more concerned about the rights of the gitmo detainees than the rights of infants and the unborn. That is a FACT people.

@ Jack, who said "Eight children enrolled at Notre Dame? wow! how special is your family! ? "

Yeah, no kidding...it's a uterus, not a clown car.

Is it ok for priest to molest the lives that these anti choice loons are so quick to run their mouths about? HES THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES! I am so sick of the right wing nuts! 8 kids??? Someone is NOT in their right mind, take the pill!

I suppose they shoudl be telling Notre Dame not to accept federal funding such as Stafford Loans too then.

I kind of doubt he's going to talk about abortion at the commencement address, so what's the problem?

******************Please Post CNN***********************************

As a Roman Catholic, I am appalled at NRLC however they have a right to voice their objections, they do not have the right to demand anything!

With 54% of Catholics voting for Obama in November it is clear that Catholics are waking up to the FACT that our church ALSO has Social Justice values that have been ignored by the GOP!

To ALL the Pro-life people on this blog, I ask......

What is pro-life about Bush attacking a sovereign country and killing countless civilians?

What is pro-life about Bush, a so-called-pro-life-president, denying healthcare to ........ 7 MILLION......... children? When he vetoed the SCHIP Bill in 2008??

What is pro-life about Bush-the-pro-life-president ....... TORTURING?
OR supporting the Death Penalty???

Its hypocritical of pro-life Catholics to condemn Obama, while not practicing Church laws on contraception....... if all Catholics did we would all have 12 or 14 children!

ALL LIFE IS SACRED........ not ONLY the baby in the womb!

Their beliefs come from a 2,000-year old patchwork book of myths. They talk to their invisible friend in the sky who hears all their thoughts and intervenes on their behalf - but only if they disregard all evidence and rational thought and belive in him.
Why are we listening to what they have to say?

Fair is Fair March 24th, 2009 12:16 pm ET

_________________________
Our brave men and women in the armed forces volunteered their service, accepting the risk of possibly making the ultimate sacrifice.

Unfortunately, the unborn have no "choice" – it's made for them.

_______________
And you are saying that the thousands of innocent civilians that have
been killed had a choice?? No they didn't-the choice was made for them. You can't have it both ways

I wonder if Catholics were outraged about their Priests molesting little boys. I never heard any outcry from them about that...

"I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live"
(Deuteronomy30:19)
God is PRO-choice – and LIFE is the choice He recommends.
Imagine if more Christians – in a loving way – would help women to make the right choice – rather than simply condemning them or throwing the law in their face – we might actually make some progress in reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies and abortions.

Notre Dame should let Obama speak the day Columbia or Harvard allows the same for Rush Limbaugh.

@Mississippi Mike
The Pope couldn't be more clear that he does NOT support any public official who is pro-abortion.
On a side-note, I find it amusing that pro-lifers are being called "anti-choice."
-----------------------------–
Actually, the Pope *is* "anti-choice". Or didn't you pay attention when on his trip to Africa he said that condoms should not be used in HIV prevention? Only absinance.

I wouldn't call it being "pro-life", just "pro-fetus".

@ J.P., who blabbered "Thank goodness for the Second Amendment… it's exactly this creeping government control for which the founders included the Second Amendment."

Soooo, your argument can basically be reduced to the following: "Liberals who voice the OPINION that it is unreasonable to exclude differing viewpoints from responsible discourse are in fact the ones who are trying to control the conversation, not the people who are trying to exclude those differing viewpoints in the first place. Thank God for the right to bear arms, because if we're not allowed to exclude all differing viewpoints, I'm going to shoot someone"? Typical, hypocritical, self-righteous GOPer trash. Pro-Life = Pro-Control. It's entirely disingenuous for you to project your desire to control everyone and make them behave the way you think they should onto the people who are, in fact, arguing for the gov't to stay out of our pants and our bedrooms.

I agree with a couple of posters here. How can any Christian, Catholic or whatever, be so against abortion, but totally in favor of war and the death penalty? Either every life is important to God, or none of us is. I do not support abortion, nor the death penalty, nor any war, but I do not think it is up to man to legislate moral behavior. God will judge.

Wow,

These guys are funny!. They are so certain they are right. So certain they understand and know God's will and can judge others without error. Obviously we dont even need a God with these folks around... They can make all the judgment calls for Him. It must be nice to know... with such certainty. But I dont. I am not sure that life begins as the egg is fertilized, at least not life as we know human life to be. I am also not sure that embryonic stem cells represent the termination of human life. I am also not sure that I know the mind of God. His intent and purpose involves many people that die prematurely, of hunger, neglect, disease, accident, and other things. And I do not know the meaning of this. This does not make me "ProAbortion." And since I choose to allow God His judgments, listening to the leader of the free world on the host of issue that only he can address seems a reasonable thing to do for a University. It strikes me as hypocritical that the Catholic Church (and by default these particular believers) embraces the Popes decision to hold a dialogue with the Muslim world. One might well argue that the conservative factions of that religion do not respect human life as it pertains to people outside of their faith structure, yet it seems fine that the Pope should talk and listen to them.

I am not sure, but I think this may have more to do with taking a smack at Obama because he beat McCain in the election. It seems less logical that this stems from real opposition to ideological stances.

There no end to this subject, if we stop eating poultry,steak and pork.a group will say stop eating vegetable you know it is alive.

It's called FREE WILL and it was given to us. It is our right and our choice, speak for yourselves only please.

Go!!! Notre Dame!!! I applaud you for trying to stick to your morals and values. Uninvite this fool. He has done enough damage with our financial system, don't allow him to attack our values as well.

Whew glad I don't go to Notre Dame, sounds like a tough crowd. Oh and separate church and state like the constitution says so, stop whining.

prolifers be part of the solution at the peace table and get out of your dark tunnel. Evolve already!!!

who did Jesus have a lot of fight with? The religious leaders of his day. The bible talks about respecting those in authority, praying for our leaders. Jesus had his feet washed by a prostitute. Are talking about the same Lord?. How many of us who are critizing Obama have even earnestly prayed for him? Brothers and sisters in Christ WWJD. he will pray for our president ,support him and encourage him to rethink about some of the issues he differs with Him. Do you know that God gave us a choice in this life ,even to choose or not to choose Him. I am a Jesus follower, I do support and pray for my president. I pray for our country to succeed. The Bibles says to pray for your city/ country because when they succeed, we will succeed.

Murder is illegal in our society. Just b/c we call it by a different name doesn't mean abortion should be legal.

I am sick and tried of all these legalistic, judgmental, condemning, hypocritical so called "Christians" – Love God, love your neighbor, and tell people the good news of the love our Savior Jesus Christ.
Do not forget that Jesus was crucified by people that were a lot like you!

For the comment of Denise in MD

Very thought provoking. Nice.

Michael M. Phoenix, AZ – "His war" saved the lives of many more. There is a time for war and a time for peace. Some things are worth fighting for. Freedom is one of them. If the Islamic terrorists have their way we will no longer have freedom. But, with freedom comes responsibility and one of those responsibilities is to let the unborn have the right to life.

Notre Dame is NOT a PRIVATE school where parents pay their college tuition bills out of pocket. The school has a FEDERAL FINANCIAL AID program just like all colleges in america do. In order to be eligible for these funds the school has to abide by certain FEDERAL STANDARDS! The first being FEDERAL ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAWS they can not discriminate by age, race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or RELIGON. Notre Dame excepts students from all over the WORLD therefore; NOT all students are CATHOLIC and to FORCE Catholic beliefs on NON-Catholic students is morally, ethically, and LEGALLY WRONG!! If, Mr Anthony J. Lauinger is so against the President speaking maybe his childrens FEDERAL FINANCIAL AID SHOUL BE SHUT OFF!!! I thought Notre Dames MISSION was to provide a QUALTIY EDUCATION for it's students not to MONITOR each students moral and religous beliefs??

Mississippi Mike March 24th, 2009 12:20 pm ET

On a side-note, I find it amusing that pro-lifers are being called "anti-choice." Oh, we believe that people can choose whether or not to have a baby, we just believe people should be making that choice when determining whether or not to commit the act of making babies, not deciding whether or not to kill babies.

This pearl of wisdom coming from someone living in the state with the highest out of wedlock birthrate in the country

People kill more with there words and hatred than abortions ever will... I don’t believe in abortion; but my views have nothing to do with, to each is own... I don’t believe in hate but that don’t stop people from hating and I can’t control the heart of others...

He is not the Abortion President Abortion what here way before he ever arrived in office or on the face of this earth... Pharisees are at it again... Check your own heart against Christ first before you start judging people...

Anonymous March 24th, 2009 12:12 pm ET

Obama moderate on abortion????
•1997: opposed bill preventing partial-birth abortion. (Aug 2008)
•Opposed legislation protecting born-alive failed abortions. (Aug 2008)
•Rated 100% by NARAL on pro-choice votes in 2005, 2006 & 2007. (Jan 2008)
•Voted against banning partial birth abortion. (Oct 2007)
•Trust women to make own decisions on partial-birth abortion. (Apr 2007)
•Moral accusations from pro-lifers are counterproductive. (Oct 2004)

If you weren't such an idiot you would check into why he voted against those bills. Hint, it was not because he supports partial birth abortion (which, btw, there is medically no such procedure) it was because there was other language in the bills that would have curtailed a women's right to choose at any point...but you knew that, didn't you?

If I were Obama, I would not sully myself. The school should invite a far-right, neo-fascist to speak who is more in line with the national politics of the church hierarchy.

I grew up in very Catholic community in upstate NY, where the city was basically divided by parishes. I and my 8 brothers and sisters all attended Catholic school through high school – through the sixties and seventies.
Almost all of the Catholic schools in my hometown are now closed, none of my siblings and very few of my friends still attend church. Church attendence worldwide is down. One of the main reasons? The teachings of the church became less and less relavent to our lives the more and more they focused on birth control (none),abortion, and the lack of leadership roles for women in the church. The US Catholic Church lost an entire generation of Catholics and those leading the protest of President Obama's appearance reminds us why.

Whoever extended the invitation might want to come forward and explain what he (she) thought they were doing. Free speech doesn't mean anyone has to sit there and listen. It is time to get the situation straight for some people – voting pro-choice IS voting FOR abortion, so all those "moderate" or liberal catholics that seem to think it is fine.

As to why membership is dropping, it is obvious why, lower moral standards and even lower integrity being an acceptable way of life in this country. It is easier to do nothing, and point the finger of blame – SEE the catholic church is so rigid, WAHHHH.

Why as one who believes in the santity of human life should you be any more outraged by abortion than by capital punishment? Would there be this sort of outrage if Pres. Bush (pro-capital punishment) had been invited? This is an example of how radical the pro-life movement has become.

He is the President of the United State. Notre Dame did not secede from the union when he won. Notre Dame is rightfully proud to have a sitting President address their graduates, as ANY university should be. It does not mean they endorse every one of his positions!

I don't get why the pro-lifers don't just give it up already. We had a republican president for 8 years and we still had abortion!

I practice the teaching of the Catholic faith, sent my children to Catholic school through high school, my grandchildren have made their sacraments, my daughter-inlaw converted when marrying my son, I am a Catholic Mom however, there is one thing I don't agree the church has no right TO JUDGE, WE WILL ALL BE JUDGED BY GOD is my belief. No man on earth has that right no one! Our Pope, Bishops, Cardinals, Priests and Nuns are here to spread the message only and have no right to Judge. I don't agree with ABORTION but I won't do the judging as it is not my place to judge. The Catholic church has also had it's fill of scandal. I say let him speak.

Nunya March 24th, 2009 12:31 pm ET

"…I am outraged by this invitation to Barack Obama. I have apologized to my eight children for the poor guidance I provided them when I encouraged them to enroll at Notre Dame"

Good riddance of such narrow-minded intolerance would be my response.

Haaaaahhha.....yeah, right

This is going from the sublime to the ridiculous! What an honor for the graduating class to have the President of the United States speak at their commencement. Why should an entire class be denied the honor of having the President speak because some over zealous individuals do not share his views on an issue! In these difficult times, we need to find as much common ground as possible. Get off your soapbox folks and welcome the President to the Notre Dame campus.

When you are so ignorant that you aren't even able to listen to someone else's point of view without foaming at the mouth, you become dangerous.

The National right To Life Committee - What a joke these get-a-life hypocrites are!

Why are we paying attention to the National Right to Life nutjobs? Our economy is in a crisis we need to fix that first.

A perfect shining example..yet again..on why formal religions of the world are nothing more than fear based social clubs..what a bunch of morons! What would Buddha do?

Notre Dame is a outstanding institution, with whom I'm proud to support and back the Irish any day. All this is doing is putting a stain on the proud history of this college. Don't let religous fanatics cloud the opportunity for a great president to inspire and uplift our graduates, and give them a commencement ceremony they can tell their grandchildren about. This kind of retoric is why Catholism is declining in the world today.

The dems are quickly becomming the atheist party and once again it will be your down fall. I think the whole argument for choice is hypocritical- a parent doesn't have the right to choose to kill their children.
Funny to listen to the libs try to justify it though. And freak out when someone questions it.

By the way the Catholic and Protestant churches do a ton of work to feed the babies and help the afflicted. Most food pantries are supported by Churches and Church members! But most of you libs are atheist and have no idea how much good they do!

It is sad to see this kind of hate come from a school founded on religion. The church is not GOD. The church is suppose to pray for people not judge them. This is very disrespectful and I think it goes deeper than pro-choice. I am sad when I think of all the schools that would have Loved to have President Obama speak at their schools. Why not Moorehouse, Spellman,Howard. This disappoints me with President Obama, the fact that he continues to reach out to people, who do not like him, will not like him, did not and will not vote for or support him ever. I can see nothing to be gained from this constant outreaching. I wonder where all the outrage was when the cover-up of all the molestations was going on...oh we can't talk about that.

Okay if the Catholic church and other Pro-Life supporters want to prevent and stop abortions lets have them all sign up and we'll charge them an tax that will go to give 100% health coverage to anyone who would have had an abortion to cover their dr visits and missed time from work and even more we'll go ahead and then send the babies to the supporters and the church when they are born. If they had to actually take care of and support the babies maybe they wouldn't be so quick to judge.

When it comes down to it they don't have the right to tell me what to do.
I personally have not been in a situation where I would have to decide if I should have an abortion or not but I don't believe I could. However I know 2 of my close friends that have, one because her doctors were worried about her safety and another because the pregnancy resulted from being raped. The one who was raped had actually been a Pro-Life supporter for several years even going so far as to protest in DC and now she feels like while it hurt her emotionally and religiously to have the abortion she felt that she couldn't cope with actually having the baby and reliving the horror over and over again even if she were to give the baby up.

Win one for the Zipper.

If Notre Dame does not stand for abortion, they should find a different speaker. But why do they want Obama there? What topics do they want him to speak about?

Pro choice is PRO LIBERTY, not PRO ABORTION. Get it through your heads. Only a truly sick person would be PRO abortion, yet that's the term I hear so many ANTI-LIBERTY anti-choice advocates use for anyone who is pro choice.

So - from now on, when I refer to people who are "pro-life," as they like to call it, I will instead use the term ANTI-LIBERTY.

Religeously speaking, God created the lives, only God has the right to take them back. Some may argue, people killed in wars, in other ways by the acts of men is what were written in their fate by God and ofcourse we the men should not to criticise what God wrote in their fate and must believe everything God does is for good.
The religeous conservatives shall also understand that all the research and development work in any field done by the scientists to explore knowledge to help the need of the mankind, is also God's will to do so. Let the President talk at the Notredame University and listen to what he says, who knows God willing some conservatives (not Rush) may like that too. Long live 'Freedom of Speech'!!!

So President Obama is pro-choice. So What? It's disturbing to think how a group of people are constantly trying to confuse others with the Pro Choice terminology. Pro Choice defends more than just abortions. Its offers women the freedom to choose issues that affect their lives, not only abortion. I'm against abortion but I also believe that I don't have a right to force my belief on others and that I have to respect the choices of other women, regardless of what motivates them to make these choices. Since Anthony J. Lauinger is not a woman, then how can he speak for us? He does not, will not, could not; understand the trials and tribulations that women go through.

And this is the problem in this country. Instead of open dialog - just BAN him.

Here's a news flash for you - abortion is legal in this country. I suspect that NO ONE is pro-abortion; however, many are pro-choice.....there's a very clear difference between the two. To insult President Obama by calling him the "Abortion President" is amazing. He's following the law of this country.

Seems amazing that when the Republican Party is in control, they never seem to make any effort to change the abortion laws. I believe they just want to use it as a pawn for political diversions.

I am a proud Democrat and a Christian - shame on Notre Dame! They should be thrilled to have the President of the United States speak there anytime.

I wouldn't go to any place that baby killer was speaking and I cannot believe a Catholic college would even consider it! They need to be stopped from this madness!!!

Cost of Attendance

The average 2009/2010 Notre Dame undergraduate student expense budget includes:

Tuition and Fees $38,480

Room & Board 10,370
Books and Supplies 950
Personal Expenses 1000
Transportation 500
Total $51,300
That is PER YEAR

Catholic ND parents-What is the only way to speak up so that Notre Dame will hear you? $$$$$$$$$$$$$

$$$$$$(-$51,300) per year $$$$$$$

Catholics, you know the issues-the answer is to no longer support so-called "Catholic" Universities that fly in the face of the Church's most fundamental issues. I'm talking parents of CURRENT students especially-that $51,300 per year can be better used elsewhere –where your children might actually get a real Catholic education. Take your money and run. Then the University might actually care what you have to say.

I am all for people having their own opinion, even it is based in ignorance and/or arrogance.

But, to watch medievalism set up camp in institutions of higher learning is a scary proposition. It is only through education, and NOT regressive superstition, that we will solve the problems we face today.

I wish these people would just evolve.

These are the types of groups that don't give a darn about our elderly and the starving children in America. They are only worried about the ones in the petrie dish. Morons.

I'm Catholic and I'm pro-choice, just as about 50% of all Catholics are. The Catholic population mirrors the general population in almost all social issues. This man is the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES...why would someone NOT want their graduate to have the opportunity to hear him speak...a once in a lifetime opportunity? I have no doubt that his address will NOT include abortion or other social issue platforms, but will be like every other college graduation address and look toward the future with optimism and hope...something no one else is as qualified to speak on as Obama. Grow Up Folks!

The GOP are suppose to be pro-life, however they gladly advocated for going to war and killing over 150,000 Iraqi’s. So what exactly does their position on Prolife really mean?

Maybe the National Right To Life committee should have George Bush instead. His values on life are high on his agenda. Like the
4500 kids that were killed in a war that should not have been fought.
Maybe Dick Chenny could give a torture demo also.

So, here's a question for all you stupid, short-sighted libs:

Can Sarah Palin come and speak at a gay rights parade?

The people who disagree with President Obama will be outside the university, carrying signs, singing, praying in a peaceful demonstration, because that is how conservatives treat their ideological foes.

On the other hand, if Sarah Palin even SHOWED UP at a gay rights demonstration, she'd have to fear for her life, because that is the way liberals treat their ideological foes.

If you don't like these comments, just watch the video of the gays attacking a little old lady holding a sign at a gay marriage rally. They ripped the sign out of her hands, screamed in her face, shoved her, all on camera, because they knew they would not be charged with any crime.

God help us.

NO FREE SPEECH ALLOWED. I GUESS THEY DON'T TEACH CONSTITUTIONAL LAW AT THIS COLLEGE.

He's not the "Abortion President." He is the President of the United States. Notre Dame should be honored to have him take the time to deliver a commencement address. He is not there to perform abortions.

I am just sickened by how the right wingnuts have acted since Obama has taken office. I didn't LIKE George Bush, and I have a hard time thinking of too many of his positions with which I agreed, but he was STILL THE PRESIDENT OF MY COUNTRY, and while I certainly hoped he would not win in 2000 or be re-elected in 2004, I would NEVER for a SECOND have hoped that he failed AS PRESIDENT.

Because if the President fails, the country fails. Hoping for the President to fail is unpatriotic. Full stop.

And speaking and acting in ways that suggest that he is not YOUR President is also loathsome. It is not "us" versus "them".... We are ONE country, whose government is run by leaders elected by majorities. Sometimes the guy you like wins, sometimes not. But that's how the democracy cookie crumbles. Get over it, and stop trying to undermine the President at every turn. All you are doing is dumping on the country itself, and its hopes of making an economic recovery.

Criticism is fine and should be encouraged, but there really has to be a certain prudence in making criticism: make sure you are criticizing the policy or the plan, and not the man; if you are condemning a program barely after the President has had a chance to articulate it, you are NOT acting in good faith. You are just seeking to score political points.

I join those who would rescind the invitation.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Enough, Enough, Enough.

They don't see that it means doing what you want. These people want to take your rights away. The same people who want to invade other countries to give them rights...

They want you to have freedom to do anything THEY WANT. lmao

Such a morbid religion. Everything in christianity revolves around death and morbid punishments.

Actually the group should be called "National Right For Fetus to be Born as Baby". Do you know it is a natural process that many fetus didn't become baby called miscarriage? Also, please do not put religious and moral together. Did you read the history that numerous peoples killed beause of religious war? Church didn't say anything when Nazi killed Jews during WWII. Church didn't say anything when many innocent Iraqi killed. There have been many instances of child and sex abuse by priests.

Looks like the one-issue clueless zombies are out in force again. You know, the ones who are walking poster children against their own causes...

Fact is, abortion, birth control, and the pet peeves of the theocrat Prude Patrol are irrelevant. Practically every university in the nation would give their trust funds to have a sitting President come and do commencement. My alma mater had an alumni who was a Nobel laureate do commencement and you couldn't get in the place.

Hopefully Obama will accept, do a good speech (as he is shown to do), and give those graduates and their families a good life experience in the process.

Let the students vote on it!
So sad that many women have rallied around the right to an abortion as the end all in women’s rights. You are more special than that don’t sell yourself short for an idea. Women had limited rights and rightfully so rebelled. So sad that somewhere along the way the womans movement lost their values. Ladies you have the power to bring life into the world. Don't bring death! Choose life!

We want freedom! But no rights...

What? lol

Ah this world would be so far ahead and so much less stupid if it wasn't for organized religion. Never have I seen a group responsible for more death through out history that would stand there and pretend it was all about life.

I am Catholic and I truly believe that everyone should make their own choices and have the right to believe what they want without being vilified. What is correct for one person, may not be for the next. I can also tell you with authority, that there are many, many hypocrites in the pews today. Most of the Catholic women I know today, believe in birth control and have no problem filing the prescriptions. And as for the men arguing over what is correct or right to believe, I think you may need to critique you own life and actions before dictating to others. I really believe that we need to look in the mirror at ourselves and worry about our own problems and the world would be much better.

Greg, you are correct. Jesus did love the children. But what so many of these radical right wing Christian zealots forget is Jesus loves everyone and practiced a little thing called forgiveness. Love and forgiveness seem to be completely missing from the modern Christian faith.

Sorry – the word should be contraception.....My mistake.

Where is teh outrage from the STUDENTS? They are the ones that should have their voice heard, not do as I say not as I do religious entities.

Peace

Just maybe if the Catholic Church wasn't so against conception & birth control there would not be as many abortions. It's time to move into modern times -

Thats downright stupidity..cutting thier OWN throats now !!!!

I see these comments saying free speech, and that we dont live in Russia, but yet when it comes to our money, you people want to give all the power to the government. No more stimulus we dont need it, Obama is going to be the worst president ever in history, just wait till its time to start paying back all this money he is dishing out. We are doomed thanks obama.

"As a Notre Dame parent and supporter, I am outraged.....", said Lauinger. Mr. Lauinger, You are an outrage to the American people! Pro-Choice is not pro abortion you idiot. However, in reality, Pro Life IS Anti- Choice. How dare you!

jim-
Get your own uterus or sit down.

Pro-choice wingnuts: Agree with us or be outcast.

I think they should keep the invite and then no-one show up for his "speech". You think he'll get the message???????????

You know Jesus reached out to all people,, he didn't turn his back on people because their beliefs weren't the same as his, so as a Christrian Institution Norte Dame should follow in the footsteps of Christ, Jesus doesn't discriminate , we are all equal in the eyes of God (right or wrong) or have you Right wing Christrians forgotten that......Remember what the Bible says, when we get to Heaven we are going to be surprised to see those who are in heaven that we thought for sure would not be allowed there (sinners) and even more surprised not to see the ones that thought they for sure were going to be there .......

If they were really "pro-life" they would get their big noses out of political issues and support the survival of children who don't get basic nutrition or clean water and food.
These are the people that will shell out thousands when they want to disrespect women's rights, gay rights, minority rights... But when some place like UNICEF wants to actually PROTECT children, then suddenly their funds and interest dry the heck up.
So sick of people hiding behind religion as an excuse to be ugly & immoral.

I'm a former Notre Dame grad and abortion survivor and am angry about not being given the chance to determine if I should or should not have been allowed to enter the world. Trust me, Barry is not welcome on campus because he just does not get it! What on earth could he bring to the graduates other than if you are in the right place at the right time you too can get a job you are universally unqualified for and that you could work hard but likely won't be able to screw things up as badly as he has in your first two months on the job.

That should get the graduates really excited and prepared!

these people cry and yell for these children to be born, and then cry and yell that they dont want to fund social services that these babies need.

Bigoted losers, all of them: Notre Dame, the Catholic church, the religious right, and wing-nut neo-morons. As someone else already said, I'm tired of humoring these baboons. They beat their chest and show their red rumps at any mention of outside threats to America's freedoms, yet they work feverishly to threaten those very freedoms from within. They are America's taliban. You'd need to be a vacuous moron to side with these hypocrits.

Anyone that thinks having eight children is a reponsible thing to do has to be troubled. The biggest problem we face is that we have 6 billion people living on a planet disigned for at most 3 billion. All the wars and polution and global warming, etc, that we are up against are caused by people. It will not be long before we are all forced to curb our procreative habits or develop a taste for soylent green.

He is personally pro-life, but politically pro-choice – the two are compatible. - really?

"If my daughters make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby." – Barack Obama

Why are people becoming so upset about this? Do they think that President Obama is going to speak to young people about abortion?
I don't think so. I can hear him talk about service to the community and helping others, not whether they are pro-life or pro-choice.
I realize that Notre Dame is a Catholic University, but, if the students wish to have the President speak to them, let them have their way.

Greg...You cannot be a good Catholic and be pro-choice!
---------

I hate to tell you this Greg, but by your logic, the majority of Catholics would "not be good." since they support choice, birth control, etc

Jim said – I guess if you don't know God then you don't understand real love

Jim, Jim, Jim – knowing real love has nothing to do with knowing God. Knowing real love has to do with the people already around you. Do you not love them if they don't accept God? I don't think so. I have many people in my life that I love and I don't know God. Don't want to, never did. So far everything I've seen in my nearly 50 years has told me that he and every other talked about god is not that great.

Notre Dame may be supported by the Catholic Church, but the students do not have to be Catholic to attend. My bet is that most are not Catholic, but that is just my guess. It is interesting that people that are so "pro life" are only so when it comes to the unborn child. Once the child is born, to hell with them, they are on their own. President Obama is right. This nation needs to return to some of its moral values. Christians need to worry about, and help the less fortunate. When these nuts want to refuse low income people the use of birth control, don't want them to receive health care, and don't want to let them receive any assistance from the state, then they are not Christian, and should evaluate their own morals.

You can't have it both ways, catholics.. either you are against abortion AND the death penalty and all forms of killing or you aren't. Like you say.... life is life is life.......Bush was invited to speak at Notre Dame in 2001 and he is just SLIGHTLY pro death penalty. I guess in your cherry picked Bible lessons you missed that little detail that murder is murder and that little Thou Shall Not Kill issue. Maybe the rest of the country would take your argument to heart about abortion if you weren't so hypocritical. Isn't it curious that most of the other countries in the world that allow the death penalty are all so called " religious fanatic " countries. ( Iran, Saudi Arabia , Afghanistan, etc.. ) ? Pull up a list of countries that still allow it.... not alot of shining examples of Democracy ......what does that make us ?

to "mississippi mike", your pope is also the one who doesn't believe in condoms! he thinks they encourage hiv rather than help prevent it. i wonder if it's so worth it to believe in a mere mortal man.......... who says he speaks for god anyway? wasn't he just picked out of a crowd by a vote?

signed,
proudly a FORMER catholic

These are the so called real americans. Instead these are communist citizen, who dont listen to others than themselves. Christians........ OMG

As the saying goes...if the Pope could get pregnant abortion would be a sacrament...

Blah Blah Blah
The right to choose and the right to privacy are fundamental
constitutional rights.
The decision about whether to become a parent is one of the most important life decisions that a woman can face. She
should make it with her family, her doctor, and in the context of her religious and ethical values; government and
politicians should not make the decision for her. Rush Limbaugh and the Catholic church and the Bush Administration placed ideology before science and women's health. Let them keep pushing this issue until 2012 and then select Sara Palin as your nominee
We dont want these moreons deciding for us.

I am a black catholic living in Detroit, MI. Since the campaign for the 08 election, I felt as the catholic church was just "anti-black". The comments of some catholic bishops have just amazed me. But, nobody has ever stood to critize a Shawn Hannity who is christian catholic and who is spreadind "anti-black" sentiments. I now understand why must of the black community is evangelical. They seem to be more moderate and inclusive. I am considering the move knowing that there is only one God.

Chris
Detroit, MI

SD,Michigan March 24th, 2009 12:38 pm ET
These intolerant bigoted people think they own Notre Dame?! Talking about freedom of speech, live and let live….they're ready to shove their views down our throats, but can't stand anybody with a different position. ---------------------------
Sounds like you need to follow your own advise. They have a right to this protest and the request is just that a request. It is up to ND to descide. Let the students vote!

Get over it. Most Catholics support the right to choose. That does not make them pro-abortion but they recognize that we are a diverse nation.

Please Presient Obama, COME TO NOTRE DAME!!!!! I have a daughter attending Notre Dame and we pay dearly for her to attend. I want my daughter to hear all views and to learn from President Obama's leadership. He is a hisotric president. As a taxpayer of South Bend and a tuition payer of Notre Dame, I welcome the President.

Hey Greg, when you grow a uterus,then you have a say. Meanwhile, shut up.

Funny to think that a pro-abortion president was born to a single mother. Talk about hypocracy.

Trying to control what people think, isn't that communism. Does the National Right To Life people study from the book of Stalin?

Mississippi Mike – if the Pope is so concerned about abortion then he should support the use of birth control, but he does not. In not supporting birth control, whether it be by condom or pill, he is inviting more women to have to make the choice between pregnancy or abortion. Let's be logical about this – people are going to have sex, in or out of marriage, birth control is essential. The use of condoms also helps reduce the rate of sexually transmitted diseases. If the Pope and the church truly cared for people, they would be shouting from the top of the Vatican and Notre Dame for people to use birth control.

@EO March 24th, 2009 12:27 pm ET... Grow up people, we live in United states of america not Russia. Freedom of speech and thinking for yourself. I Agree!!!

I have to say, I am not pro-life. No, not me, I am pro-DEATH. Just love that stuff, can't get enough of it.

Having said that, I HATE the idea of abortion. It is silly to argue when human life begins, because from the meeting of human egg and sperm the 'thing' has nowhere to go and nothing to be but human, if nature lets it live. It has a single defined line. So call it abortion, infanticide, homicide, patricide, or forced enthenasia, and nothing you can call it changes what it is.

I know that. You know that. The problem is we do not know what to do about the people caught in unwanted pregnancy, or with the unwanted unhappy people that get added to our numbers. It is a lose-lose scenario.

So I think Law has to give it a maximum of distance, because I do not see anyone making Law who has total wisdom. By the way, anyone who preaches abstinence and shuns sex education and INTELLIGENT contraception, they're the last people I'd ask about abortion. Mr. Pope.

President Obama is president of the United States. That includes people with the same beliefs and people with different beliefs. Enough with the politicking already. Let him speak.

Pro-lifers, your time would be better spent trying to help the babies that did make it through. You can't see the forest for the your misguided trees.

These intolerant bigoted people think they own Notre Dame?! Talking about freedom of speech, live and let live....they're ready to shove their views down our throats, but can't stand anybody with a different position. They're pushing it too far.

Catholic church seems to be a great impediment to scientific advancement and progress because of archaic beliefs and traditions dating back to dark ages. What about the lives stem cell research is going to save? Does it not make it pro life even if we look at it in that direction?

Greg: Jesus loved the children. He would not approve of abortion.

It's a baby, not a choice!

That's right Greg, and God created us all Free Agents, free to choose and suffer the consequences of our choices... Which means neither you or the Government should impose upon my freedom of choice!!!

Academic freedom at Notre Dame? Not.

I guess if you don't know God then you don't understand real love and you just can't understand that the killing of the unborn is wrong?
An abortion is always selfish and self serving any way you look at it.

That said making it ilegal won't fix it but spending taxpayer money to support abortion is wrong. Forcing medical staff to suport it is wrong. Not getting parental consent for minors is wrong!

Planned Parenthood is making a fortune on this!

Notre Dame is a Catholic college so I am not surprised over the protest of having Obama not speak there. I think though at the age of 18 and older women are going to make up their own minds when it comes to abortion and has nothing to do with Obama speaking there.

To Eddie B, "I am sure that the vast majority wants Obama to speak." How are you sure? Are you a spokesperson for the Majority?

"...I am outraged by this invitation to Barack Obama. I have apologized to my eight children for the poor guidance I provided them when I encouraged them to enroll at Notre Dame"

Good riddance of such narrow-minded intolerance would be my response.

You mean President Obama was invited to speak on religious morality issues? Notre Dame should have invited someone more in synch with their religious and moral views.

I am a Notre Dame parent, my daughter is a junior, majoring in Biology and french, i do not condone abortion, nevertheless, everyone is entitled to their opinion and was raised to believe that my parent no matter how poor they are, they are my role model, not the president, teach your children at home instill values in them and no matter whom the commencement speaker is, they will follow what you teach them at home. Barack Obama should only be a role model to his children, not yours nor mine, charity begins at home, stop living your parental job to some else to influence. Grow up people, we live in United states of america not Russia. Freedom of speech and thinking for yourself.

Eight children enrolled at Notre Dame? wow! how special is your family! ? hopefully the ELECTED "Abortion President" will continue to work hard so the rest of our country can enroll in higher eduation!

You cannot be a good Catholic and be pro-choice!

These people are so concerned for the unborn but think nothing of sending our sons and fathers to wage wars and invade countries. I do not see any of these same people helping any children, by adopting the children in orphanages! They are shameless.

Abortion is a personal issue, not a political issue. If you are so pro-life go help someone who is already living. Pro-life should mean more than pro-fetus. You nut cases had your chance the last 8 years to control the topic, now go away.

I am sure that the vast majority of the students want Obama to speak at their commencement. To get the current President to speak at a university's commencement is big. These conservative protestors will do anything to oppose Obama and most of them are radical.

The man is NOT pro-abortion. He is a devoted father of two beautiful little girls. He simply feels it's not his place to tell a woman what to do in her individual situation (and it's NOT).

How about instead of protesting against people who stay out of women's wombs, try implementing some social services within the church to help women with unwanted pregnancies have and support their babies. How about doing something to facilitate adoptions? How about pushing for health care reform so that women can have healthy babies and take them to the doctor after they're born? How about supporting equal pay legislation so that women can financially support the children they have? If you're going to be pro-life, then TRULY be pro-life, not just anti-abortion! Ideology is hollow without praxis.

The year is 2009 but there still remains people who claim to be christians who are so full of hate and can not & will not understand that all of us are different and can have a different view or belief than they proclaim....and still be believers & worship the BABY JESUS...I am so glad that I am not one of those with a closed mind & have a tunnel vision....

I am pro-life, and a Democrat. Why? Because the GOP has adopted the pro-life platform for no other reason than to get votes. Have the Republicans even put a dent in Roe v. Wade? No. Why? Because they don't care about the issue. Every president has been an 'abortion president' including Reagan and both Bushes.

C'mon people. If you were REALLY pro-life, you'd care about people AFTER they are born as much as you care about them BEFORE they are born. I am in fundamental disagreement with Obama on abortion, but he's trying to help people. Get off his back!

You know, for starters, religion is a personal issue, this is why since the beginning of our country, church and state where debated. And that means is a personal one, not an obligation. I've always said that when you talk about church and state, you gotta be careful, very careful. For the record, I know Notre Dame, he got supporters there, does that mean they also believe in his abortion rights or other stuff?? Maybe, maybe not but he's not imposing it on them, he's not gonna give a speech on your life and your beliefs, he's our President. He's our President for who he is and not what he believes, you can get personal if you want but if God wants me to get personal on you, I will...

And if I'm not mistaken, I don't think he's the only pro-choice person giving a speech there, we find that very disturbing...

Let the students vote on it. We live in a democracy don't we???
While we are at it let the people vote on abortion as well. Wonder what the outcome would be?

Notre Dame should rescind its invitation. The Pope couldn't be more clear that he does NOT support any public official who is pro-abortion. Since Notre Dame takes direction from the Pope, even if indirectly, it should not allow Obama to address its students.

On a side-note, I find it amusing that pro-lifers are being called "anti-choice." Oh, we believe that people can choose whether or not to have a baby, we just believe people should be making that choice when determining whether or not to commit the act of making babies, not deciding whether or not to kill babies.

It's disheartening to think that we are arguing over whether or not killing babies is ok. Have we really sunk this far as a society?

George Bush took his girlfriend at the time, Robin Lowman, to Houston for an abortion – two years before Roe v Wade was passed.

Pro-Lifers vote Republican. I want their opinion on the Bush action before they tell ND what to do.

These "National Right to Life" people should wake up to reality;
check what civilised european nations do and then go and jump in
the ocean. It is intellectually extremely embarrassing to have them
around. Intelligent people around the world are laughing at us.

I am sure President Obama will not be speaking on the abortion issue. That's already a topic for your church. Why not take a survey and see how many Catholics really pratice pro-life. I remeber with law can into being. The admit list at those hospital that treated pt's for abortion 75% of them were Catholics. So let the President speak so your young people can hear the truth about abortion and how the can prevent even having one. This man is a Christian, he know what to say and what is right by God. Remember he to have 2 girls he is raising. Trust him. Your will be presently surprise.

@ Michael M., Phoenix, AZ, who wrote:

"March 24th, 2009 11:56 am ET

Just what does "pro-life" really mean? Does it just mean no abortion or birth control, or does it apply also to our armed forces who continue to get killed in a war started by "pro-lifer" former Pres George W Bush?".
_________________________
Our brave men and women in the armed forces volunteered their service, accepting the risk of possibly making the ultimate sacrifice.

Unfortunately, the unborn have no "choice" – it's made for them.

It's not about abortion, it's about the free exchange of ideas–the reasons universities EXIST! Yes, Notre Dame is private so they can choose whom they'll invite and whom they won't. And yes, it is Catholic, and the official position of the church is against abortion. But this is a university, and the Catholic Church has a tradition of thoughful dialog and of the individual examination of one's faith, at least in some quarters. Ever hear of the Jesuits? This anti-intellectual faction of the church has no business trying to force a great Catholic university into squelching intellectual pursuit.

I didn't read where President Obama had accepted their invite so the removal of it may be premature.

We will accept our President speaking here at Stanford University anytime.

Obama moderate on abortion????
•1997: opposed bill preventing partial-birth abortion. (Aug 2008)
•Opposed legislation protecting born-alive failed abortions. (Aug 2008)
•Rated 100% by NARAL on pro-choice votes in 2005, 2006 & 2007. (Jan 2008)
•Voted against banning partial birth abortion. (Oct 2007)
•Trust women to make own decisions on partial-birth abortion. (Apr 2007)
•Moral accusations from pro-lifers are counterproductive. (Oct 2004)

I find it appalling that these catholic supporters show no support for their president. Personally, I am against abortion. But I respect the right of others to do what's best for them. I would find it more in keeping with their faith if they would use their considerable power to effect change in the children already here. I mean the lost ones, the homeless, the abused children. If the catholics want to help support life, why not use their time on the ones already here and in need? Of course, it is far easier to try to block someone's right to abortion than it is to help stop the abuses of children that are already here. I suppose the commitment would be too much. Far better to talk, yell, shout and picket. In the long run, they are not about much.

Now I am positive why I am no longer a Catholic, the hate these people show towards people is just disgusting. Only GOD can pass judgment, they should learn how to forgive.

Typical single-issue thinking. The University is giving the students the rare opportunity to have a commencement address given by a sitting President; one whose views on other issues are more in alignment with current Church teachings than they probably realize.

Time will tell how great an opportunity it truly is; President Obama will go down in history as the first African-American President, and one who certainly got many people interested in the process for the first time; he may or may not go down as a great President. Either way, these students will certainly not struggle, even 50 years hence, to remember who their commencement speaker was. That's more than most can say, for sure. The University administration should stand their ground, and they should be commended for it.

The majority of students at Notre Dame are thrilled he is coming. It is a very vocal minority along with plenty of outsiders that are being ridiculous. I am thankful that Fr. Jenkins and the University administration are not giving into pressure from some ultra conservative Catholics who believe the only issue in the world is abortion. They forget that after babies are born, they have to have a fair chance to grow up. Getting Obama as the commencement speaker is a huge honor for Notre Dame and for the Class of 2009 and most people at Notre Dame realize this.

Nitre Dame is a Catholic school. We do not support abotion. It is the law of the Church.

All this stuff like mailing red envolopes to the WHite House next week and protesting the President's appearance do NOTHING to slow the abortion rate.

I wish and pray both sides of this issues do as Obama has suggested, work together to drastically reduce the number of abortions. Now, some of the activity may be against pro-life core beliefs, like age appropriate sex ed and birth control. But abstenance only and other previous efforts have gooten us 700,000 abortions a YEAR.

No one on either side of this issue can think that number is acceptable.

wow they are really living their faith at Notre Dame. He is the President of the Unitied States. How can people make their decisions based on one moral issue. They do not know what is in his heart anyway. Hypocrites. They should call on Dan Qualye I think he has some openings on his schedule!!

As with everything else, the answer lies somewhere in the middle. Fringe groups, both on the right and the left (although there seem to be a lot more on the right), have the right to have their grievances heard, but shouldn't expect to be pandered to. A discussion is not possible when one side has its ears plugged up.

Isn't Notre Dame a medical school? Where they obey ethics of medicine and let only the patients make decisions that will affect them? Why is it then that forcibly making a woman, a girl reject abortion treated like god's commandment? Denying a woman her right to judge whether or not its the right time to bring a baby into a world is sheer religious domination. If this ever happens, the government will be no better than the taliban, which also imposes its will on the people. Maybe, after abortion becomes illegal in the US, the people who 'commit' it will be publicly flogged, the woman lashed 100 times in jail and the father publicly hanged. Maybe they'll even put people from other religions in concentration camps. Sounds fantastic? Its happened before and no one stopped it. Keep church views away from reality. I believe in God, but I will not live in an abstract reality to appease the priests.

@ Virginia March 24th, 2009 11:52 am ET

Yes, Virginia, but Notre Dame had already MADE it's decision. Now is being imposed upon to change that decision for POLITICAL reasons. It's crap.

President Obama is not the first pro choice President. This is highly disrespectful and they should be ashamed of themselves. What American citizen uninvites the President?

Bush made me sick, but if he would have asked to come to my family's home for dinner, I wouldn't have dared told him no. He was an awful President, but he was my President, and I owed him at least a modicum of respect.

What makes Notre Dame so special, because the rich can afford to send their kids there......I am a catholic and I go to the same church as Anthony (Tony) Lauinger here in Tulsa......I believe in birth control, I believe that women have the right to choose, I believe that what ever a woman decides to do about abortion is her decision and right or wrong it is between her and her God (not Tony Lauinger, the catholic church, or the Pro-Life groups) I hope Notre Dame pays no attention to this group but if they do there are better Colleges that will consider it an honor to have the President speak at their commencement.

If all you do your entire life is hang out with people who think the same way you do then how can you ever expect to grow and learn? Having a strong belief is great – but it's more impressive to listen to someone with a different opinion and at the end of it be objective, polite and appreciate their view point.

Where do we progress as a nation if we teach our children to hate and to be suspicious of those who dare have different thoughts to us?

Having a sitting President at your Childs graduation is something they'll never forget, just like they'll never forgive their parents if they stop it from happening.

How can you be Pro Life & Pro War?

Some people are just dumb. Bless their hearts.

just as stupid as those who didn't want Rick Warren to speak at the inauguration.

Just because you disagree with someone on an issue doesn't mean you shouldn't hear what they have to say. I'm willing to bet you agree on things, just as you disagree on certain issues.

Its give and take.

Its OK to talk to people with different views.

That goes for lefties and righties.

Bethie in Texas –

exactly!! couldnt have said it better..

Pardon me, it appears that Notre Dame has invited the President of the United States to speak at their Private Catholic University. It appears that the President does not have a problem with this, it is quit apparent that Norte Dame does not have a problem with it. So the only ones that have a problem with it are individuals that basically its none of their buiness.

The Catholic Church's view is that abortion is a primary issue, a basic issue of life, superseding other issues such as poverty or civil rights.

It is also illogical to deny credibility and authority of the Church on the abortion issue based on other mistakes the Church has made.

I think all Roman Catholics have the right to voice their objections to having President Barack Obama speak at the Notre Dame commencement. I also understand the "need" to have a speaker who agrees with their pro-life stand. However, I think it is so unfortunate that this difference would necessitate prohibiting the President from speaking....after all between Christians, can't we tolerate differences?

How incredibly stupid, arrogant, and anti-American for these people not to realize that the most essential value of a liberal arts education is the free and open exchange of differing values and ideas. Unlike both the Taliban or the Holy Roman Empire, theseThe United States are not a theocracy. Appreciate where you are and be part of it. Grow up.

Universities exist to expand the mind. I would think this university would be honored to have the president as a speaker; there is no more appropriate person as an earlier person suggested. I am positive the aborthion issue will not be part of his speech . For some reason, the right believe they have the correct answers to all issues and are not willing to listen to other views and for me who is usually down the middle on many issues, that is what moves me left. The left seems to be more tolerant and I believe that was Jesus' position unless my Baptist upbring was in error. Get over it! Abortion is not the only issue in the world! How about spending tax money to take care of children which the right opposes by the way.

Just what does "pro-life" really mean? Does it just mean no abortion or birth control, or does it apply also to our armed forces who continue to get killed in a war started by "pro-lifer" former Pres George W Bush?
His war caused the death of tens of thousands, both civilian and military personel.

Notre Dame should be allowed to makes it's own choices without any outside influence.
Likewise, Barney Frank should not make comments about Judge Scalia, calling him a Homophobe. Its kind of like the pot calling the kettle black when all of us now know that barney Frank and Chris Dodd tried unsuccessfully to influence bonus payments to the AIG contractors to allow the payments and restrict oversight. The same thing they did during the Bush presidency when repeately asked to implement oversight and refused.

Republicans had control of all branches of government for 6 of the last 8 years, and tell me again what they did to change abortion laws? Nothing. When they had the chance to put their money where their mouth is, they did nothing. Nothing has changed since Obama took office. He is pro choice not pro abortion. If you are opposed to abortion, you are free to not have one.

Separation of Church and State was one of the principals on which this country was founded. Lets keep it that way. I dont mind seeing a nativity scene at Christmas time or for that matter a Star of David. But your religious views should not take precedence over the views that others hold.

Separation of Church and State!!! Spent a lot of time at Notre Dame and it is a very progressive campus even if it is Catholic.

This is a long tradition. President Bush spoke even though his stance on the death penalty is in opposition to that of the Church.

Catholic Church's – Need to be thinking about all the guy priest before judging any one. Clean up your on house first.

Why does anyone listen to these anti-choice groups? Anti-choice is not the majority opinion in this country and never will be. The only power they have is the power we give them by reacting to anything they say.

I am not a graduate of this great univeristy. However, I have the deepest regard and respect for Father Theodore Heisburgh. ND is an academic instution where respect for a variety of intellectual and ideological principles and practices should be discussed in an open and candid way.
That some would not want President Obama to speak is sad. Pres. Obama is an historic president with deep respect and reverence for life in all forms of development.

I can see trying to stop candidate Obama from speaking at a university, but he is now President of the country, that means everybody including catholics and all of those who disagree with him on other subjects.
As a catholic myself, I wonder where all of this outrage was when the Republican Senate, House, Supreme Court (at least 5 members are Catholic) and President, were doing absolutely NOTHING to overturn Roe v. Wade. Know why? Because there was no political will, nor popular support to do so. It was all politics all along.
If these pro-life groups think that their one narrow issue should preclude the President of their own country from speaking anywhere in this country, then I would support the President if he declined the invitation, and went somewhere where clearer, more patriotic heads prevail. I'm absolutely sure that many, many universities around the country are standing in line waiting for his acceptance of their invitation to present the commencement address. There may have to be a lottery in fact. The protestors are jumping to conclusions.

Jesus loved the children. He would not approve of abortion.

It's a baby, not a choice!

Does this mean that ALL the staff and students at Notre Dame practice "abstinence"???????? I don't think so!!!!!!!!!

Yeh Right! and you can make 'OctoMum' your symbol of pro life.
That's it isn't it. save the fetus but as soon as it's born. You bible thumpers couldn't care less. don't try to tell me, or anyone esle what to do with our lives. That'e between me and my God not your's

@ Thomas Paine

"Stop trying to impose your religious beliefs on others. "

That may be what it seems like in regards to supporters of Notre Dame; however, Notre Dame is a private university founded by and supported by followers of a specific religion. I think those supporters of that University have the right to speak up and ask the school to reject those who do not hold that same belief. That is not imposing religious beliefs on others when it is a private university that can make choices based on their religious beliefs. More people need to stand up for those beliefs, just like those who don't hold those beliefs are allowed to stand up for their own beliefs. I agree with the university–take a stand regardless of who it is you disagree with.

I am Catholic and I support President Obama. The Catholic church is also very strong on social justice issues which Preisdent Obama does a great job focusing on. President Obama has said that he does not like abortion, but does not think overturning Roe v. Wade is the correct approach. He favors reducing the factors that bring women to have an abortion and reducing abortions that way versus making it illegal which does not totally prevent abortions anyway. I happen to agree. I think the petition is silly and an overreaction. The "pro-lifers" are not swaying moderates by acting this way.

If the Catholic Church's stance on abortion is so clear and the "truth" then why would Notre Dame have a problem with someone who might disagree? Isn't this an educational institution where students are exposed to new ideas and thoughts? I guess the right-to-lifers only believe in Freedom of Speech when it applies to them and ONLY them doing the speaking. Can anyone spell censorship?

I think that catholics who believe that only someone who believes strictly as they do, in all things, should support this movement to rescind the invitation to Pres. Obama.

If the catholic faith is so fragile that hearing someone talk about success or dreams or America then it should exist in a bubble that sheilds catholics from the rest of the world.

Build a compound that only allows in catholic thoughts and people who are true believers of the faith.

I can only imagine what catholics who support this type of measure really think of their neighbors and associates (because they can't possilbly think anyone who isn't catholic deserves the title of friend) who are not catholic. They must really look down on the people around them with a since of superiority from a religeous standpoint.

If your faith can't stand in the midst of the world, then it must not be very deep or real.

Its OK for the right to life people to have their views, but they should also allow Obama to express his in any forum. This is why the GOP and the ultra Christian Right is so despised.

The country needs to stop listening to these groups totally. They are evil, produce hatred, want to take the rights of Americans away, and are the main dividing factor that has the country at odds with each other. All in the name of Religion. Keep your religion to yourself. Make sure your own family is following your religious ideals and keep trying to legislate your beliefs on those whom you have no right to legislate. Keeping President Obama from speaking on the grounds that he is pro choice is just more religious rhetoric that the American people are getting sick and tired of.

Let the pro-life zealots ALL sign a contract to ADOPT an unwanted baby – even if it is drug-riddled or a product of incest, no preferences allowed for race.

Or shut up.

They are not stealing MY RIGHT to choose.

Sorry hippies. This is a private university founded in religious faith.
Too bad.

The right to free association will be the next in the liberals' sights.

Thank goodness for the Second Amendment... it's exactly this creeping government control for which the founders included the Second Amendment.

"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."
-Thomas Jefferson

Calling for the President to be "uninvited" as the commencement speaker is not the appropriate course of action. A better example to follow would be that of the President, respecting the fact that all of us have a voice in issues that affect us. President Obama is principled enough to hear dissenting voices without being disrepectful. The religious right, Catholics, evangelicals, etc. could learn a lesson or two. I'm an ordained minister and I'm sick of their "it's my way or the highway" – self righteous attitudes. Sounds like the Pharisees and Saducees to me!

This pro-life people can not even define what life is without contracticting themself with proven scientific facts.
Religion is the opium of the society. It puts to sleep the spirit of the human being into sleep and kills any devotion of curiousity for developpement.
That's why I believe In GOD as a supreme leader of the good spirits fighting the Bad spirits let by the Devil governing our lifes on earth but I refuse to join any specific religion.
If it's up to the religion we will never be able to write on this blog.

How would the university have responded if the president had said he would not speak at a Notre Dame commencement because the Catholic church's policy of conspiring over the last 50 years to protect their employees against charges of pedophilia and homosexuality while knowingly throwing the children of their faithful into the arms of these monsters? The Catholic church is in no position to judge this president nor anyone else. If you regret sending your children to school there, you've more than one reason to feel that way.

Excuse me. Notre Dame is a PRIVATE Catholic college. If they can't encourage a particular religious beliefs, then who can? That's why many of us send our children to Catholic or Christian Schools. This is not a Republican or Democrate issue. This is a Catholic issue. If you are not Catholic or have kids at Notre Dame, why do you care if some of us believe there are more appropriate people to speak there?

I'm Catholic. My message to these fellow church-members is . . . just shut up! You and the clergy have done enough harm already. Keep your yaps out of politics.

The right to an abortion existed throughout the Bush administration. Is this just another try by the repubs to slam Obama? It seems that they are using everything they can think of to discredit him. But it isn't sticking, is it? Thats what makes them so frustrated. Now that Obama's plans to help the economy are starting to work, they really are in a tizzy. All they ever wanted was big tax cuts for the rich and big corporations. Can you imagine how things would be now if McCain had won? He didn't believe there was a problem and would probably put his good buddy Phil Gramm in Tim Geithner's position. Phil Gramm is acknowledged as one of the people who helped destroy our economy. Whew!!! Talk about a narrow escape for the country!!

This right wing movement to get a great university to acquiesce to their radicalism is anti-American to the core. This country was founded on the idea of freedom of religion and freedom FROM IT. Even a Catholic University if it has any credibility, must adhere to the highest tenets of education. To attempt to defeat freedom of thought by censorship is archaic and a total disservice to the students as well as higher education..

I went to a religious (Catholic) college, and saw stuff like this happening all the time. There is a group of Catholics that want to make abortion THE political issue. The Catholic Church's positions on a lot of issues are quite liberal (in the currently used meaning of that term): death penalty, welfare, globalization, etc. I find it hard to believe that the same people asking ND to uninvite Obama due to his position on abortion would also ask ND to uninvite a pro-life politician who was pro-death penalty or favored reducing welfare benefits.

Turn about seems fair play. In other universities across the country, if you don't spew liberalism they don't want anything to do with you. Now that a university founded on Catholic beliefs is being pushed to control the message, they are the bad guys? Pleeease. This is a private university and it should remain true to its core beliefs, and more importantly, as a private intitution it has a RIGHT to do so. People that pay for education at Notre Dame have every right to expect that what will be conveyed aligns with those core values. Notre Dame should rescind the invitation.

Obama won a majority of the Catholic vote. Sadly, I see the church trending to the extreme point of view where abortion is the only issue its concerned about. This would make the Catholic church just another pawn of the Republican party.

The issue is that Notre Dame is a Catholic university. The Catholics calling for them to rescind the invitation to Obama do not have a problem with him speaking at a non-Catholic university, but at one of their own. It is hipocritcal to honor him.

It's funny how "Christians" can be selective when it comes to God's commandment "Thou Shall Not Kill." Aside from the issue of abortion, where is their outcry for the death penalty (Indiana Code 35-50-2-3 Murder Penalties) in their state? If people actually read the Bible, they would realize that no exception is listed for someone who has gone to jail. In Matthew, Jesus says that criminals should do their time, but says nothing about being put to death. In other parts of the gospel, he condemns "an eye for an eye." Nobody likes a criminal and especially not a career one or a dangerous one. But taking away their life takes away their opportunity to repent and change, and some do. Not to mention the imperfection of our system which still has hundreds of innocent persons waiting to die, absent DNA evidence to free them.

Would they oppose an invite to George Bush, whose war in Iraq killed hundreds of thousands and brought over 4,000 Americans home in coffins? That's not pro-life, either.

Obama is the Predisent of the United States. He has not ordered the death of anyone. He has not participated in an abortion. He has not ordered troops into a country that had not attacked the U.S. and had bombs dropped on targets with the knowledge that innocent civillians would die. He is personally pro-life, but politically pro-choice – the two are compatible.

These radical wackos on the right have to get a grip.

I'm sure that this graduating class will REALLY appreciate outsiders (read non-students) interfering with their commencement and depriving them of their chance to have a sitting President of the US speak. Who would you seek to replace him with Michael Steele?? John McCain, Sarah Palin........ or the Great Rush Limbaugh??

It blows my mind that these religious leaders try to control every aspect of what people think and do. The whole point of America is to keep church and state seperated for this very reason. To not invite your leader to speak about certain issues just because he is pro-choice is just rediculous. I'm pro-choice but I myself wouldn't go and have an abortion, however, what someone else does is their own business.

They need keep that in mind next time they start waving their crosses around.

Someone create a petition for everyone else to sign that indicates how stupid we think this is. I'll sign it in a second.

And the administration at that "Citadel of Liberalism"(Notre Dame) will ignore all those protesters and rush to kiss the feet of "The Great One" (obama). They cannot disinvite him if they have any hope of getting a big wad of "Stimulus" money. Notre Dame, just as is most other Higher Education facilities nothing more than a brain washing facility. Their only purpose is indoctrination.

So let me get this straight: it is okay to invite someone to speak at their commencement if they are pro WAR (you know, the killing of thousands of innocents), but to have our distinguished, intellectual, intelligent, and historical president speak because he's pro CHOICE would be a problem???

Give me a break!!!!

Keep your religion to yourself. If you don't like abortion, don't have one, but you have no business trying to control other peoples lives.

People wake up. Obama did not right the laws the laws are there. Unlike Mr. Bush he has to abide by the laws. When Bush was in office did he stop one abortion. I am a Democrat and I believe that you shall not kill however do it stop us from killing. Call Mr. Bush and ask him why all of these soldiers and others are die because he was playing god. Advocate for these young women so they will not be having sex without being married which is the right thing. However for does who chose to have sex before marriage needs to understand, have protection because once she becomes pregnant she will find out he really did love her the way he said when they were having sex. Don't allow a guy to tell you he loves you or it will be ok, make him put protection on, not for him, but you.

Whoever you are of the national right to life committee, you seems like a bunch of uninformed, irrational idiots. The president is advocating stem cell research to be done using the unused, frozen eggs. These will be discarded after a while anyway. Why not use them for the good of all of us including you who oppose it.

Grimm March 24th, 2009 11:25 am ET

How many times must it be spelled out that President Obama is "Pro Choice." Being "Pro Choice" is not synonymous "Pro Abortion" regardless of how hard over zealous "Pro Life" advocates try to make it so.

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exactly. NO ONE IS PRO ABORTION.. People just want the decision to do what is right for them and their body..

how can the GOP who wants so much small government not see the hypocrisy in there ways of wanting to regulate on what someone can do with his or her own body.

In what way is President Obama going to change current legislation to change the status of abortion as it is now? Is he going to create a government fund specifically for teen abortions with a "use it or lose it" incentive? Is he sending the Duggars to prison? How is abortion policy now different than it has been for the past 8 years? Pro choice is not Pro abortion. Thank God my president lives here in a place called reality.

At this point, I think all that's really needed in response to the insane, fundamentalist nonsense is a brief chuckle, a disappointed shake of the head, a semi-sad sigh...and then move on with the business of building a pragmatic, realistic society devoid of theocratic strictures. Enough is enough. They know they're losing the battle and that's why they're getting all the angrier. They'll tucker themselves out eventually tho...just like a 2 year old does after a good foot-stomping temper tantrum about not eating her brussel sprouts.

The pro-life group said that the school's invite "is a betrayal of the University's mission and an affront to all who believe in the sanctity and dignity of human life."
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And if Obama's economic and social agenda actually lift more women out of poverty and reduce abortion rates further, what will they have to say then? I am against abortion, but I feel that it's each individual's responsibility to make right, moral choices. If someone professes to be a Christian, then he or she should be trying to help bring about fewer unwanted pregnancies and increasing the number of choices women have (for example–making adoption easier; providing greater access to good, inexpensive health care; protecting women from rape and providing better counseling services).

Making abortions illegal doesn't bring about fewer abortions. The rate of abortions has steadily DECLINED since 1980. If abortion were illegal, some desperate women would still seek unsafe, illegal abortions. A black market for the procedures would develop and flourish. Is that what we want?

If Notre Dame doesn't respect Obama, our elected President, then many other schools will welcome him. Obama is a breath of fresh air after the dark years of the Bush/Cheney administration. Their "pro-life" stances brought about an unnecessary, unjust war that has killed over 4,000 soldiers and more than 1 million Iraqis–many of whom were children.

Amazing how the right to free speech is being trumpeted in these posts, but no mention of the right to life

Lfie comes before speech

Stop trying to impose your religious beliefs on others. This country was not founded on the principle that any one religion supercedes other religions.
We are all free to follow or not follow religious beliefs.

Frankly, I am weary of humoring religious zealots. I am a tolerant person who believes that there is room for all faiths – including no faith – in the public square. I don't mind a manger scene in the city park and I don't mind a star of David either.

However, none of those religions deserves to be the official religion. Quit trying to shove your theology into my head.

The issue really, is that personal and religious choices should never have become a political concern. That separation is a core value of this country. The separation became blurred, I believe, when the Republicans who protect the rich and desire to maintain the poor at the level they are at., needed to attract those same people. The only way they could attract the lower income people to their party was to cater to emotional and personal issues and make those issues into political ones. They took personal and volital issues into American politics and that is a no win situation. That, then means, that an excellent president, like Barack Obama, who really has some inspirational things to offer to these students at Notre Dame, becomes a point of contention because of personal issues....personal religious beliefs that have nothing to do with the value of a human being or what they bring to the political table.

Notre Dame needs to set the example. Religious beliefs are not political beliefs.

Wow, a University that opposes ideas and seeks to limit the speach of the nations leader, whats next, goose stepping? Notra Dame would have egg on its face if they cancel Big Daddy O.

Now we are going from the sublime to the ridiculous! Barack Obama IS the President of the United States and what an honor for the graduating class to have the POTUS speak at their commencement. If this organization chooses not to attend that is their business, but an entire university community should not be punished for the sake of a few over zealous individuals.

Pro-choice doesn't mean pro-abortion. It means that someone should have the choice to do what they want. And there is no reason to rescind the invitation. Obama isn't going to stand up there and tell all of those Notre Dame graduates they have to have abortions. He's not there in any way, shape, or form related to pro-choice or pro-life. I am sad that some people are trying to take away from this graduating class to push their own agenda.

How many times must it be spelled out that President Obama is "Pro Choice." Being "Pro Choice" is not synonymous "Pro Abortion" regardless of how hard over zealous "Pro Life" advocates try to make it so.

To me, this is like saying someone who is proud of their ethnic/cultural background is against the American culture. For example I am of Irish descent (among others). I'm quite proud of my Irish roots but that doesn't make me anti-American. Or does it... ?