Rep. Mike McIntyre, D-N.C., gave a lecture entitled “A Reflection on the Importance of Faith and Prayer in Shaping National Policies” in Mendoza on Friday as part of ND Right to Life's Pro-Life Respect Week.
McIntyre, a pro-life Democrat and member of the bipartisan congressional pro-life caucus, spoke about his faith's role in inspiring him to pursue issues in politics, specifically the decision between life and choice regarding abortion.
“I know that during the 18 years I’ve spent in Congress, I’ve always thought it was important to honor and respect the opportunities the good Lord gives us,” he said. “When I, in Congress, try to make sure that we’re doing the right thing with regard to pro-life issues, it’s something which we take very seriously as part as our faith and as well as part of our concern and our constitutional responsibility.”
McIntyre said he believes the influence of faith can help bring people together to solidarity on these divisive and controversial issues.
“When we talk about a variety of backgrounds, the question is how important is your faith to affect what you do,” he said. “We want to make sure that as long you’re on a Catholic campus or a Protestant campus or a private campus or a public campus … do we have to know there is a void between our faith and the public marketplace of ideas, and the answer to that is compellingly, profoundly absolutely not. There should be no void and in fact that’s the challenge.”
McIntyre’s said his inspiration to pursue political science came from personally watching John Dean testify against Richard Nixon — for what would later be known as the Watergate scandal — in a hearing chaired by his senior senator, Sam Ervin. McIntyre said that event and expressing ‘faith in the little things’ helped him see the services he could provide as someone in public service and bring integrity in the much-maligned field of political science.
“I didn’t know any friends at all that were going into political science,” he said. “They said, ‘It is so dirty and so corrupt why would you want to be involved in that?’ But for me it was the opposite effect because those of us with the right motives and ideas don’t get involved …
“I have plenty of doctors, bankers, realtors, teachers, even carpenters, plumbers and asphalt layers who come see us in Washington because they know the government will affect their jobs and what they studied to do. … When we think about being faithful to little things and what God calls on us to do, the question is are we willing to lay our faith and apply it to whatever services we have? My situation, I had the opportunity to go up to [the University of North] Carolina and decide to major in political science thinking one day I’ll get to go back [to Capitol Hill].”
From his historical inspiration to his political career that came 22 years later, McIntyre said being alert and willing to act on God’s calling helped him see the success he enjoys today.
“Pray, prepare, pursue,” he said. “We talked about how prayer ought to be the first resort and not the last resort. I challenge you to do that. Someone challenged me to keep a prayer journal. I don’t know if any of you do that, but write down your prayer request and then reflect on how God answers them.”
