This was never meant to be an abortion blog, and so this will be my last pre-election post on Sojourners' slighting of the unborn. I do hope to do one more installment of "In Defense of Single Issue Voting (aka Valuing the Unborn)" before the election. But, generally, it is time to turn to other matters. I hesitate to say "other matters" though because I do view abortion as a key cornerstone for a broad ethic of life.
Does it make valuing the disabled, the poor, and the powerless of Darfur more or less likely if the unborn are also valued and protected? I believe all life is raised up when no segment of the living are "put down" just because their most vocal defenders are found in the Religious Right.
Sojourners however seems to believe that the only way to broaden a "life" agenda is to take out any call to legally protect the unborn. It now is a daily mantra. Today's edition tries to blur the clear distinctions between Obama and McCain on the abortion issue. See the full story here. Take time to scroll down for some thoughtful (and some not-so-thoughtful) comments from readers---including one short one and one long one from your favorite timber embracer.
Blessings.
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Ramblings on faith, politics, and the environment.
Automatic Hugs
Email Hugs
Blog Archive
-
▼
2008
(112)
-
▼
October
(13)
- CNN: Obama Breaks Promise
- Creation Care Back Issues Online
- The Endorsement: McCain
- Frontline on Global Warming
- Moving On
- Debate Recap
- Sojo on "Life"
- Signs from the Heartland (aka Clingerville)
- In Defense of Single Issue Voting (aka Valuing the...
- The Gift of Good Land
- The Way It Is
- Palin Stays
- Biden and Palin---Supreme Court Scholars
-
▼
October
(13)
More on the Hugger
- John (The Cautiously Outspoken Semi-Anonymous Timber Embracer)
- I'm just your stereotypical evangelical Christian right-wing environmentalist. Attorney by training. Texan by the grace of God.
From a Time When Conservation was Patriotic
Limbs on the Tree
Topic Finder
- Abortion (17)
- Al Gore (2)
- Andy Crouch (1)
- animals (3)
- Bad Theology (2)
- Baptists (1)
- Biden (2)
- bill mckibben (1)
- Blogging (12)
- books (11)
- Bottled Water (2)
- Bush Legacy (3)
- China (3)
- Chris Tomlin (1)
- Civility (3)
- Classics (2)
- Clean Water Crisis (2)
- Colbert (2)
- colson (2)
- Congress (1)
- consumerism (1)
- CT (2)
- David Brooks (2)
- Death of Discourse (10)
- Democracy (2)
- Dr. Matthew Sleeth (1)
- E.F. Schumacher (1)
- earmarks (2)
- Education (1)
- Eschatalogy (3)
- Evangelical Manifesto (3)
- Fallingwater (1)
- Food (2)
- Frank Lloyd Wright (1)
- G.K. Chesterton (2)
- Gay Rights (11)
- Global Warming (23)
- hope (6)
- Huckabee (8)
- Humor (3)
- Iraq (1)
- Jesus (3)
- Julian Simon (1)
- Ken Burns (1)
- Mail (3)
- matthew scully (1)
- McCain (21)
- me/me/me (10)
- Media (10)
- Monks (1)
- Movies (1)
- Mt. Rushmore (1)
- Music (2)
- n.t. wright (6)
- National Parks (1)
- Nixon (1)
- Obama (12)
- Os Guinness (4)
- overconsumption (3)
- Palin (5)
- Pope (2)
- pork (5)
- Progress (1)
- Reagan (1)
- Renewable Energy (3)
- Rich Cizik (6)
- Rich Mullins (1)
- Richard Weaver (1)
- rick warren (2)
- RNC (4)
- Rod Dreher (1)
- Romans 8 (2)
- Russell Kirk (2)
- Sabbath (1)
- Sam's Club (2)
- sex (1)
- Simplicity (1)
- Skeptical Environmentalist (1)
- sports (2)
- St. Francis (2)
- Supreme Court (2)
- Tilton (1)
- Tom Friedman (1)
- toothpicks (1)
- Torture (1)
- TR (1)
- Truman (1)
- W (4)
- Washington Post (1)
- Wendell Berry (5)
- William F. Buckley (1)
Keep the Hits Coming
Disclaimer (Yeah, I'm a lawyer.)
Due to the high probability of your friendly hugger contracting foot-in-mouth disease, let it clearly be stated that the opinions expressed here are those of the hugger only---and should not in any way be attributed to my employer, my church, my political party, my family, my nation, my acquaintances, my college, my barber, my friends or my Lord (though I hope I get a few things right in His eyes).
2 comments:
I rarely add my voice to this issue, but your discussion compels my comments.
I personally do not believe in abortion. But I take issue with reversing Roe v. Wade because I am old enough to remember what happened when women went to back alley abortionists and died from the butchering care of the untrained.
The decision is have an abortion is a personal and torturous one for most women. It is a moral issue that they must confront, and then live with the consequences of their choice whichever it may be. It frequently haunts them forever.
To criminalize these women, and the doctors who attend to them, by overturning Roe v. Wade would not deter women who are truly desperate.
Voting on this single issue, when there are other serious and compelling issues, will not "solve" this dilemma about the sanctity of human life. But it may prevent electing a president who would care about the sacredness of the lives, including children, of those who are already in this world and struggling each day to survive.
I'm with Jim Wallis on this one. Let us express our Christian love and our respect for the value of all life by caring for those who are here, and let's find ways to make it possible to shelter and help those women who cannot care for their unborn children by giving them other options than abortion.
I appreciate your thougthful and intelligent reasoning on these difficult issues, and respect your point of view even though I see things differently.
Ann
Thanks for commenting Ann. No doubt I greatly underestimate the fear and confusion that must accompany an unplanned pregnancy, and I agree that the church, government, and individuals should do more to provide other options regardless of Roe.
However, the implied "either/or" choice Sojo has been presenting between no-Roe and abortion reduction is a false dichotomy meant to (in my analysis) "cover" for an Obama vote. I'm more of a "both/and" kind of guy. Reduce the demand and protect by law.
Finally, and this in not meant to be read as glib, but I offer a couple of thoughts on your statement "The decision to have an abortion is a personal and torturous one for most women."
(1) It is personal and torturous for the baby too.
(2) Sadly, for many women, after 35 years of being told this is their "right", the decision is apparently not that difficult. I'll quote from a liberal source here--- "Liberal message-makers would probably have an easier time if repeat abortions were rare, but the truth is, they're not: . . . about half of the women who terminated pregnancies in 2002 had previously had at least one abortion."
http://www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/2006/11/27/abortion/
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Ann and you are welcome to comment any time . . . especially when you disagree with something I blog.
Post a Comment