L,
FanChan wanted you to see this…in case you’re still in “ignore” mode …
And I’d like to ask a similar question…
If you grew up in a society where abortion was always illegal, but you knew that some people were doing it illegally, how much do you think you’d do to publicly advocate and argue for the legalization of it? I mean, do you support legal abortion because it already IS legal? Or would you fight for legalization if it never WAS legal?
I grew up in a society where abortion had always been illegal. I had my own abortion before Roe. I would neither fight for nor against legalization. Every human being will do what s/he must do in times of strife, regardless of the il/legality of the act(s).
And no…I’m not trying to expose sinfulness. I’m trying to understand why in one breath you admit that abortion is wrong, and is indeed the killing of a human…and then in the next breath, say that you advocate for keeping abortion as an available option for all women? Granted, I know you are saying that, to you, abortion can be “justified” when not used as a normative means of birth control. Nevertheless, I’d be interested in your response to these questions. Thanks, as always.
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I believe abortion is wrong if one believes it is wrong (yes: relativism). I happen to regret having taken a life but I did what I thought was the right thing for me, in my circumstances, at the time. Many women struggle with the dilemma and others book abortion appointments like hair appointments, once every six weeks. I support abortion as an option for all women, those who believe the tissue is a blob and those who are certain God will banish them from the kingdom of heaven for eternity if they proceed. Each struggle is unique unto itself. It is personal, it is private, it is no one’s concern but that of the woman and God, if she believes. If the father of the fetus is in the picture and wishes to be heard on the matter, then of course his position should be considered.
If abortion again becomes illegal, it will be business as usual, circa 1950, although I believe medical options for the pregnant woman have progressed in the last fifty years. Abortion will go underground but it will not evaporate. Some doctors and some women will get busted in the process, which is the risk they will be willing to take. Each is accountable for his or her own participation in the act. In anticipation of your next question, let me say that I am not convinced that God is the same entity for every person, as in your objective moral truth argument. I was saturated with images and examples of a vengeful God from a very early age on so, no matter how I try to morph this image into a more kind and loving God, I am completely unsuccessful. Whatever I have done in my life has been put before this Higher Power and likely partially explains my withdrawal from life. I find it is impossible to undo years and years of faulty and controlling indoctrination. I have had a couple of very positive experiences with God, but the main body of my dealings with Him (or His dealings with me) have been bookended with "If it’s all the same to you, God … " and “Oh, well - I was a fool to expect anything good to come of it.”
My relationship with God is a by-product of uber-wrong catechesis, alcoholism, drug addiction and bi-polar disorder. The events that have colored these conditions are just the symptoms of deep illness that are now in remission but still call the shots from time to time. If an opportunity comes for advancement I refuse to take it. If an invitation arrives in the mailbox to celebrate something I do not respond. Nearly all the things I have loved in my life - music, art, composition, photography, gardening - one by one they have fallen. And I look at them academically, as if I were never inspired by them, as if they are just cluttering up a space that should by all rights be empty and devoid of any signs of life.
Maybe this is more than you bargained for when you asked. Just please be aware that I don’t want your God because I can’t believe in Him. It would be the same as wearing a size 42 men’s tuxedo and entering a wedding reception as if everything were on the up and up.
Limerick **