Some Thoughts Around Abortion
Dangerous topic - abortion. First off, I realize that as a male, my opinion is of secondary importance. Second, I am pro-choice in that it's not the government's responsibility to dictate reproductive decisions for anyone.
I also do not support legislation based on religion or morality. I do not accept that an embryo is a person nor is a non-viable fetus. Other than that I don't know, but defer to the people actually involved in the pregnancy.
I prefer we not have abortions, but choose not to criminalize what is already a tough decision. I think the best way to minimize abortions is through truthful sex education, strong promotion of contraceptives including the "morning after" pill and a supportive, non-judgemental attitude toward all women. Stygmatizing women through guilt and fear essentially instills only guilt, rarely motivation.
And where are all the anti-abortionists when it comes to paying for pre-natal care and welcoming and supporting the new mother and child into the community with celebration and open arms. No, it seems to be heaps of scorn no matter what decisions a woman makes.
How do they rationalize that all good things are from God and all bad things are brought upon by the individual? What kind of weak, vengeful, arbitrary monster is the god they portray?
While I do believe from personal experience that God (the nuturing one I believe in) can involve himself in the creation or lack of creation of children (I just have to look at the contortions of coincidence that brought my son into the world), I refuse to leave it totally in his hands. Neither do I let him completely control my car.
I find it frustrating in that many abortion opponents are anti-contraception, against teaching kids the facts about sex in schools, are anti-women's rights, and want to label girls as pure or whores. Many refuse to acknowledge that sex outside of marriage not only exists but can be a blessed thing.
I wondered what would happen if they did manage to reverse Roe v Wade - if they were able to turn back the clock to a time where abortions in many places were illegal. Of course the wealthy would still get safe abortions like they always have. The Republicans would lose a plank in their platform that has produced votes for them. The poor would create larger populations of poverty and die more often.
But I'm sure that's "acceptible" as due punishment for their sins. Society as a whole has to put up with more crime and poverty.
I think more about the children born to mothers who do not want them, to live without a loving and nuturing parent. I think about the women who struggle as they might, cannot support their families, I think of the women put to death by the law whether through unlicensed practitioners or the inaction of doctors to sacrifice a fetus to save a mother. What a cruel insensitive world that would be.
Perhaps their god who cannot stop a woman from having an abortion will bring down a hurricane on everyone for our unwillingness to usurp women's right to make their own decisions. And while he's at it, maybe send another one to North Korean.
I also do not support legislation based on religion or morality. I do not accept that an embryo is a person nor is a non-viable fetus. Other than that I don't know, but defer to the people actually involved in the pregnancy.
I prefer we not have abortions, but choose not to criminalize what is already a tough decision. I think the best way to minimize abortions is through truthful sex education, strong promotion of contraceptives including the "morning after" pill and a supportive, non-judgemental attitude toward all women. Stygmatizing women through guilt and fear essentially instills only guilt, rarely motivation.
And where are all the anti-abortionists when it comes to paying for pre-natal care and welcoming and supporting the new mother and child into the community with celebration and open arms. No, it seems to be heaps of scorn no matter what decisions a woman makes.
How do they rationalize that all good things are from God and all bad things are brought upon by the individual? What kind of weak, vengeful, arbitrary monster is the god they portray?
While I do believe from personal experience that God (the nuturing one I believe in) can involve himself in the creation or lack of creation of children (I just have to look at the contortions of coincidence that brought my son into the world), I refuse to leave it totally in his hands. Neither do I let him completely control my car.
I find it frustrating in that many abortion opponents are anti-contraception, against teaching kids the facts about sex in schools, are anti-women's rights, and want to label girls as pure or whores. Many refuse to acknowledge that sex outside of marriage not only exists but can be a blessed thing.
I wondered what would happen if they did manage to reverse Roe v Wade - if they were able to turn back the clock to a time where abortions in many places were illegal. Of course the wealthy would still get safe abortions like they always have. The Republicans would lose a plank in their platform that has produced votes for them. The poor would create larger populations of poverty and die more often.
But I'm sure that's "acceptible" as due punishment for their sins. Society as a whole has to put up with more crime and poverty.
I think more about the children born to mothers who do not want them, to live without a loving and nuturing parent. I think about the women who struggle as they might, cannot support their families, I think of the women put to death by the law whether through unlicensed practitioners or the inaction of doctors to sacrifice a fetus to save a mother. What a cruel insensitive world that would be.
Perhaps their god who cannot stop a woman from having an abortion will bring down a hurricane on everyone for our unwillingness to usurp women's right to make their own decisions. And while he's at it, maybe send another one to North Korean.
posted by Scott | 10:01 AM
5 Comments:
Check out today's front page article from LA web magazine, Zócalo Public Square, titled "Losing My Religion: Confessions of a Guatemalan Mormon Who Grew Up in the Hood". Zócalo intern, Brenda Yancor, describes her courageous religious resignation: http://zocalopublicsquare.org/thepublicsquare/2011/08/31/losing-my-religion/read/apostasies/
This comment has nothing to do with the post that im commenting on. I just want to say i like your blog. I read a lot of the earlier posts and admire your journey. You give me hope that maybe one day i iwll come to a sense of peace with my own self
Some thoughts.
"First off, I realize that as a male, my opinion is of secondary importance"
?...not at all. It's a matter of life or death for the baby. All opinions on it matter vitally.
"Second, I am pro-choice in that it's not the government's responsibility to dictate reproductive decisions for anyone"
Sure, such as choosing to have sex and choosing to attempt to have children. Choosing to keep or destroy a child that has already been conceived, however, is no more a "reproductive decision" to be left alone than throwing your 5-year old down a flight of stairs is a "parenting decision".
"I do not accept that an embryo is a person nor is a non-viable fetus. Other than that I don't know, but defer to the people actually involved in the pregnancy."
But do you see how this is like deferring to the slave owner on a decision about whether blacks constitute "persons" (with associated rights, etc) or not?
"And where are all the anti-abortionists when it comes to paying for pre-natal care and welcoming and supporting the new mother and child into the community with celebration and open arms."
The repercussions of someone's actions are not someone else's responsibility (I am against drug use, but surely no one can hold me accountable for rehabilitation treatment of addicts, though I may voluntarily help out). At any rate, I have seen some ads for organizations aiding those who struggle with pregnancy/abortion, presumably from pro-life advocates.
"Many refuse to acknowledge that sex outside of marriage not only exists but can be a blessed thing."
I am confused why you, a professed Christian, state the latter.
"I wondered what would happen if they did manage to reverse Roe v Wade - if they were able to turn back the clock to a time where abortions in many places were illegal. Of course the wealthy would still get safe abortions like they always have. The Republicans would lose a plank in their platform that has produced votes for them. The poor would create larger populations of poverty and die more often."
The only one that is close to sound reasoning against abortion prohibition in my mind is the latter, though that's a bit China-style population control for my tastes/sensibilities (interestingly, in Canada we're already getting into some other sticky situations that China knows all too well, with allegations of gender-selective abortions, let alone disabilities and other eugenic themes).
"I think more about the children born to mothers who do not want them, to live without a loving and nuturing parent."
A child's life is forfeit if its birth mother does not want it, love it or nurture it? Hm. How many happy and successful people have come from such backgrounds?
"I think about the women who struggle as they might, cannot support their families"
I think about birth control, sex education, and adoption. At any rate, there are already many women who struggle to support their families for a variety of reasons. At least their children have a fighting chance.
(cont'd)
"I think of the women put to death by the law whether through unlicensed practitioners or the inaction of doctors to sacrifice a fetus to save a mother."
This depends highly on the specifics of abortion laws you are talking about. Many anti-abortion people will accept it in this rare kind of special case, for obvious reasons (though if we are talking about the moment of childbirth, one could even argue that it makes more sense to save the new life than the mother who has already lived a good portion of hers, but I digress). Others hold to no death sentences at all, arguing that the goal should never be to kill either, but to save both by any means necessary until the end. True pro-life. At any rate, I highly doubt that any abortion legislation would be such that doctors would be unallowed to potentially save a mother's life by performing a procedure that may end the child's life.
When it comes down to it, as a Christian and a biologist, from what I know a fetus is a new life and a soul, with all the sanctity and rights deserving of such. I do not discriminate simply because it has not developed beyond some arbitrary point in the human life cycle. And, should any doubt exist in one's mind, surely the wise thing to do is err on the side of caution.
It truly matters man! if you will be always like that you will be continuously doing sin so it is better for you to pray for that and ask the Guidance of the Lord
calvaryoakville
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