I will admit it: I've seen the name Kardashian on and off over the past few months, mostly in spam e-mails and spam comments to this blog, promising nude photos of Kim Kardashian. Then, over the past week, I started seeing many headlines (mostly from Catholic and pro-life websites) declaring that Kim's older sister, Kourtney Kardashian, is "resisting pressure" to abort her baby.
Until today, however, I knew virtually nothing about the Kardashian sisters, including that their father was Robert Kardashian, O.J. Simpson's attorney at the time of his murder trial 14 years ago. But today I have taken a crash course in Kardashianology, because those headlines about Kourtney had begun to bother me.
It seems that Miss Kardashian is 30 years old, pregnant out of wedlock with the child of a former "boyfriend" (with whom she has apparently now reunited). The headlines were all inspired by an interview that she gave to People magazine after announcing her pregnancy. In it, LifeSiteNews.com reports, she "openly supports abortion as a legitimate choice," yet declares that she decided that it wasn't something that she could do "after researching the emotionally and physically devastating effects of abortion on women."
Moreover, Miss Kardashian admits that the reasons she would seek an abortion would be selfish ones: "It wasn't like I was raped, it's not like I'm 16. I'm 30 years old, I make my own money, I support myself, I can afford to have a baby."
What strikes me about this interview is how little of it is about the child Miss Kardashian is carrying. Sadly, that makes sense: She hasn't changed her mind about the morality of abortion; she has just decided that it wasn't something she personally could face.
Is her decision really any different from that of any other Hollywood actress or socialite who attends fundraisers for Planned Parenthood yet chooses to keep her child after she becomes pregnant outside of wedlock? The only difference I can see is that she has been willing to explain to a national magazine why she made her "choice"—and, in the process, to reaffirm her belief that killing a child in her womb is a choice that a woman should be free to make.
That is why I find it odd that Miss Kardashian is being elevated to an unofficial poster child for the pro-life movement. Is doing what a mother should do when she finds that she is pregnant—carrying the child to term—so unusual today that pro-lifers cannot help but praise a woman who has, up until now, lived a life that they would not want their own daughters to live, and who has yet to express any regret for living that life?
All of this was brought home to me when I received an e-mail from a local Catholic with a link to the headline "Kourtney Kardashian Refuses to Abort." Never mind that "refuses" is far too strong a verb to describe her decision (at least as she related it to People magazine). More interesting was this note in the e-mail to explain who Miss Kardashian is: "young actress; some outfits she wears are immodest."
Are her "outfits" really the problem? What about her actions? Do we want our daughters to imitate Miss Kardashian, so long as they "choose" not to abort our grandchildren when they get pregnant outside of wedlock? Have the Catholics and other pro-lifers who are applauding Miss Kardashian's "choice" become convinced that chastity is no longer realistic, so all we can hope for now is that our daughters will stop short of murder?
Please don't misunderstand; I am glad that Miss Kardashian intends to bring her child into this world. But I would be even happier if, in her next interview, she were to announce that she is marrying the father of her child and to urge young women to conduct their lives differently from the way she has conducted hers.
Until then, it seems premature to consider killing the fatted calf and throwing a feast in her honor.
AMEN! You verbalized my opinion. Thank you
This reminds me of the Catholics who became excited because of Sarah Palin, a Miss America contestant, and thought Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ was the Magisterium. It seems as if many Catholics are so desperate they take up any scrap popular culture drops on the floor.
I applaud Kardashian’s decision. I cannot believe you are not shouting her praises. This could have ended so differently. Yet, she is choosing to support and love this child. What more could you want?
Here here….. 100% in agreement! Loss of morality in all aspects is my belief. I have a daughter who is 18 and is celebate in her life. I believe that morality is learned at home. I practice the same belief as a divorced single mother. There is a lot of responsilblity that comes with adult behavior. I find it very easy as a Catholic to be a positive role model in all my children’s lives. Love your site, it brings me great comfort and inspiration daily. God Bless You!
I agree with you, also. But I guess this is what we can expect when a majority of Catholics were willing to vote for President Obama and our highest ranking elected Catholics are outspokenly Pro Abortion (Biden, Pelosi and Kennedy). I think it is God’s miracle of ultrasound that abortion is actually declining in these times and so many women are deciding to carry their babies to term.
Betty, your reaction is precisely what concerns me. “What more could you want?”
How about this? Miss Kardashian could change her mind about abortion altogether. She could talk a bit about the child she is carrying, rather than why she couldn’t do this to herself but if others can, that’s fine. She could not simply get back together with the father of her child, but marry him. She could use the publicity she has garnered to urge young women not to make the choices she made that resulted in pregnancy out of wedlock.
I’m afraid, as I mentioned in the post, that Catholics and other pro-lifers are so desperate for any good news that they’re willing to put Miss Kardashian up on a pedestal for doing—what? For deciding not to murder her unborn child, something that should simply come naturally to a mother.
But if you put her up on a pedestal because she “chose life,” then you’re putting all of her baggage up there, too. I don’t want my teenage daughter looking up to Kourtney Kardashian. I don’t want her thinking that anything goes, so long as, in the end, you don’t have an abortion.
Missy, the Catholics and pro-lifers I’ve seen lauding Miss Kardashian have not been people who voted for Obama. In fact, in many cases, these are folks who implied that it was wrong not to vote for John McCain (even if one also did not vote for Obama), because abortion is such an overriding issue.
I agree that abortion is central, but that does not mean that other concerns—such as chastity—can simply be discarded when someone chooses not to abort. And I think we need to be clear on this point—Miss Kardashian did not “choose life”; she chose not to abort her child. There is a big difference, which is illustrated by the fact that she believes that other women can and should have the right to abort their children if they wish.
I don’t know whether you have control over the ads that pop up, but one was for ‘Las Vegas Abortion’. Just thought you should know.
David, unfortunately I do not. I have explained how the various ads on the Catholicism GuideSite work in “Reader Question: Why Do You Run Non-Catholic Ads?“
This is actually the first article I read on this site. I am truly confused. As a Catholic, I try everyday to be the best example I can be for my kids. But as a parent and as a human, I have made many mistakes in my life (as all of you have also). Some people’s mistakes will be greater than others. The truth is that with time, Miss Kardahian will learn her lesson on why one shouldnt have kids out of wedlock. I dont agree that the term “applauding” would be correct though. The fact that the child was concieved out of wedlock- can not be reversed. Therefore her “keeping” her baby was the Best decision possible. This article is a negative for me, One shouldnt judge and bash others. I really think that instead we should all take the time of day to help keep our children from making mistakes like hers. Let the Lord judge!
by the way I hate hearing the stereo type “Catholics” as if one is going to be judged as a group on judgement day.
Scott –
I have been a member of your site for a long time now, but this is the first time I have commented.
Thank you for all you do and thank you for your continuous defense of our wonderful religeon called Catholicism. I wish we did not always have to feel like we are defending our faith, but it just seems like so many are out to ridicule and laugh at what we believe.
Thank you too for all your beautiful explanations and insights into our faith that awaken so many sleeping thoughts within me. Your perspective gives me courage to search for more and a closer relationship with our Jesus.
You are so correct when you state that “just because she chose not to abort her child, does not mean that she chose life”
Life is such a monumentous gift given to us by our Creator – how can we even begin to think that we are somehow “heros” because we decided to “not have an abortion because of the fact that we can handle it socially and financially, but we forget the moral reasons why we should not do it? Gosh, we all fall short, but to make a decision that involves the life or death of a person (yes, person) that has no say in the matter is very surreal and unbelieveable
I believe our Father is waiting for a time when we can all believe in the sanctity of life before He will come again and grace us here on the Earth as we know it.
May God bless you.