I wanted to address some of the stuff brought up in comments on the last abortion post.
First, abortion does come from a much deeper problem within our society, a lack of respect for human life. People just don't see others as having an intrinsic value. We only use people to further our own goals. Abortion is simply an expression of this idea of "whatever is good for me is ok." Like OOB said, women turn to abortion because they don't have people who authentically care for them in their lives, "real men." The disease that is destroying marriage in our world is the same one that causes abortion to be an apparently legitimate option.
Secondly, on the pro-life movement's efforts to stop abortion: We have to accept the fact that repealing Roe v. Wade will not end abortion. Thought it may be illegal, it will happen. There are lots of doctors out there who will see it as their duty to provide women with this "choice." Besides, it's a big moneymaker for a lot of people. They have an interest in its survival. Also, even if it would make abortion legal, I wouldn't want to see conservative "legislation from the bench" any more than I like to see it from liberal judges.
However, I think that it is important for the laws of our country to reflect the true diginity of human persons, whether it is followed or not. It's an important symbolic gesture - and symbols do have power. Abortion is murder. So, my opinion is that we do need to have abortion made illegal, but there are several other things that need to go along with that:
1. A commitment from the pro-life movement, especially where the Catholic Church is involved, to continue to preach the Gospel of Life and provide support for pregnant women who would consider having an abortion and women who have already had one. Like I said, truth and love.
2. Some sort of declaration, maybe a constitutional amendment, that states our country's commitment to upholding the value of human persons. Yes, I know that the constitution, etc. already do that to some extent but apparently it hasn't worked. Also, it will probably be ignored by a lot of people. But, we need to strike the problem at the root - a lack of respect for life. So ...
In conclusion: I don't think the pro-life movement has taken the wrong approach so far, I just believe that it is going to have a sort of "building up" effect. Finally, we have young people who know the truth about abortion and aren't afraid to proclaim it. This is the generation that abortion has attempted to kill ... and they're fighting back. These people will affect the country as they grow up and will be able to change things for real.
We can't place our trust in politicians, we need to do the work ourselves until society is transformed enough that government will finally reflect the truth. This does not mean that we shouldn't work to change the government/laws now, but we have to understand that the real battle is in changing the hearts and minds of the people of the United States. Ultimately, this lies in the hands of God.
So what do we do? Pray, preach, and help.
Pray for an end to abortion and for the conversion of all the world.
Preach the truth of abortion and the Gospel of Life.
Help anyone you can, whether they agree with you or not.
Spread God's love.
6 comments:
Very good post :)
Also, in the comments box of Part 2, someone asked if Bush has done anything to help end abortion, and he has. He did end partial-birth abortion... or, at least, its legality. So, he's trying. Just want to give credit where credit is due.
Thanks.
Definitely, I do think we should thank politicians who do good, but in general, it's not good to entrust our hopes about abortion to the government. I think a lot of poltical types use abortion to gain support for themselves and then do little about it once in office, whatever party they belong to.
I understand your point and it is a strong one, howeverm abortion is either ok or it is not. Yes, there's a sacrifice in carrying a child that was the result of incest or rape, but it is just as wrong to murder that child as it is to murder one that was concieved with a boyfriend or husband. It is a tough decision, but murder is wrong all the time. If we admit that from conception on, there is a person there, how can we say that it is sometimes ok to kill it? The people who are for abortion say that they're "pro-choice." Where is the choice for that potential life? It is a life-changing event for the mother, but nothing gives anyone the right to kill someone.
Oh yeah, and like I've been saying, it's the job of the pro-life movement (especially churches) to help out women in these situations. They can get them financial help and even counseling. I think a lot of abortions happen because no one is there to help out if they chose to have the baby.
I'm not trying to be real harsh or dictate the lives of women, but we shouldn't have to consider this in our country. It is murder.
These abortion posts have gotten quite a bit of discussion, so that's great. I just wanted to say (especially to Sara) that none of this is personally aimed at anybody, whether I disagree with them or not. I'm glad I get to talk with everybody that reads this thing, so thank you for responding.
Whether this continues or not, here's my final (for now) point: Whether you think abortion should be illegal or not, I think we all agree that ideally it wouldn't happen whether it were allowed or not. That would be in a perfect world.
My arguement is that abortion is always wrong because it is the intentional ending of an innocent, defenseless human life. People call themselves "pro-choice" and say they are defending womens' right. I am all for womens' rights, but I am also for the rights of these children who never get a chance. Yes, they could be born into bad situations, but at least there is the possibility of making the world better. In abortion, all those chances are taken away ... by choice.
It's a difficult situation with rape, incest, etc. but why should an innocent suffer. I know I'm not in the position to speculate about what it would be like to experience what some women go through, but choosing to allow their unborn child to live is doing something much bigger than their attacker could have done. They have chosen life and goodness. I'm not saying it's easy ... but it's right. Again, it's far simpler to type this than to do it. Though abortion may seem like a solution to a horrible crime, in the end the psychological damage from having abortion will only be added to the rest.
Also, the case of danger to a mother's life is entirely different. In that situation, a doctor is trying to save the woman's life, not kill a child. The intention is different. I'm sure people could say "that's abortion too" but it just isn't. It's a hard decision regardless, but it is not a procedure intended to end a human life.
I believe in choice, but not a choice that overrides the rights of others who have no choice.
Thanks again!
Absolutely. What I like about discussion is that you can debate and disagree but not hate the other people. A lot of time the media makes disagreements into wars where one side is totally against the other. We are all human beings and deserve the dignity that involves. Thanks for commenting!
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