Cooperation with Evil (abortion)

[Neil_Anthony]

That’s what I’d say. There has to be some reasonable connection to make it cooperation. You might as well say that serving in the Armed Forces is remotely cooperating with abortion because our Army protects all its citizens, the pro-lifers and the abortion providers.

I’d say that it’s not even remote, it’s non-existent.

What principle draws the line between remote and non-existent? Is it the principle you mentioned, where if you provide the service to the general public, then the service doesn’t “count” as cooperation?

 

[JRKH]

Actually the list in the poll can be broken down into items that are either assisting or neutral.
These can pretty clearly be seen as cooperating with evil. the only grey area might be benig a landlord and that would depend on theparticular laws about who you can and cannot rent to.

• Performing an abortion (the abortionist)
• Assisting with abortion (the nurse)
• Receptionist at abortuary
• Janitor at abortuary
• Janitor for landlord of abortuary

The rest of these are etither neutral or basaically unknowable

• Work for company that provides electricity to abortuary
• Employing people who donate to planned parenthood
• Purchasing from businesses whose employees donate to planned parenthood
• Paying tax to governments who provide abortion insurance to employees
• Doing business with people who pay tax to said government

Employing people who donate or doing business with a business who’s employees donate is pretty much an unknowable.
Paying taxes is an obligation to “render unto Ceasar…”. When Christ Spoke those words it was pretty obvious that the Empire was doing sinful things with the tax money.

Peace
James

 

[irishpatrick]

I see what you’re saying. We never will for the abortion to occur. However, if we get up and go to work every day as a janitor at an abortion clinic, we at least must “will” to take that job. What we can’t will is the abortion themselves. Maybe we don’t even will for the place to be cleaned, but we still will to take the job. At least this is my understanding.

Anyway, what i mean is, which would you do?

This is in the wrong forum, and also was supposed to be multiple choice. Oops.

Willing: none. In others words, none of them would be my choice, some are thrust upon me without my choice, like taxation.

 

[Rich_Olszewski]

What principle draws the line between remote and non-existent? Is it the principle you mentioned, where if you provide the service to the general public, then the service doesn’t “count” as cooperation?

The principle is called “using common sense.” By your reasoning, just being a citizen is cooperating, which makes it nonsensical as I see it. That is not using common sense by my lights, and trying to stretch every activity a person might do into some sort of cooperation with evil is pointless and unreasonable.

 

[Neil_Anthony]

The rest of these are etither neutral or basaically unknowable

• Work for company that provides electricity to abortuary
• Employing people who donate to planned parenthood
• Purchasing from businesses whose employees donate to planned parenthood
• Paying tax to governments who provide abortion insurance to employees
• Doing business with people who pay tax to said government

Hi JRKH,

You said they are unknowable, but what if they are known? For example, you work for the electricity company, and they send you out to connect the power to a new abortion clinic. Is that neutral?

Or what if you shop at a store that has a big poster claiming that they’re wonderful because their employees raised money for Planned Parenthood. Then its not unknown.

 

[Corki]

Rich, for once, and it may never happen again, we are in total and complete agreement.

I was about to post the exact same sentiment.

 

[JRKH]

So just to be clear, you’re saying that Paying taxes to a government that uses the taxes to provide abortion isn’t cooperation with evil, even in a very remote way?

I pay taxes to the government. (render unto Ceasar) How the government uses that money may or may not fit with what I want the money used for. As I said earlier, Christ surely knew that the tax money to the Empire was being used for sinful purposes yet he told those asking to pay the tax.

And if being a janitor for the landlord at the abortion clinic is cooperation with evil, then certainly working to provide them with electricity is too. It’s just more remote.

I can be a janitor at a building or company that is not connected with abortions. Someone who works for an electricity providor does nto have that option. Therefore the two options are not comparable, however remote.
I mean how silly does one want to get with “remote connections”. Is the guy working at the pulp mill cooperating with evil because some of the wood pulp goes to a paper mill that sells some of their paper to a printer who prints general medical forms that are sold to a distributor who sells it to medical supply company who sell it to a abortion clinic?

Peace
James

 

[Neil_Anthony]

Is the guy working at the pulp mill cooperating with evil because some of the wood pulp goes to a paper mill that sells some of their paper to a printer who prints general medical forms that are sold to a distributor who sells it to medical supply company who sell it to a abortion clinic?

I would say yes, but its so remote that its easily justified.

 

[JRKH]

Hi JRKH,

You said they are unknowable, but what if they are known? For example, you work for the electricity company, and they send you out to connect the power to a new abortion clinic. Is that neutral?

I suppose one could ask not to be assigned to that task, but if the request is denied, then one needs to complete it to the best of their ability.
I’m reminded of a story told right here on CAF awhile back.
Seems there was a man who worked for a construction company who got a contract to construct a building that was to be used by PP. This man (a blocklayer) had a dilemma. Build the building or risk losing his job. The solution - He went to work and during the course of laying up the cement block walls, he inserted three blessed miraculous medals into the wall. According to the story told, the PP clinic had problems from the very beginning in attracting clients and closed after about a year.
Perhaps our power company employee could find an equally creative way to undemine the evil done in the building.

Or what if you shop at a store that has a big poster claiming that they’re wonderful because their employees raised money for Planned Parenthood. Then its not unknown.

You are right, if such a sign were put up in a store, then it would be obvious that, not only the employees, but the store itself, supposts PP and I would choose not to shop there if at all possible.

Peace
James

 

[JRKH]

I would say yes, but its so remote that its easily justified.

And I would say no because the person at the pulp mill has no reasonable way of knowing where the pulp goes.

I believe your definition of cooperation is too broad.

Peace
James

 

[rwoehmke]

Too loose LaTrek, too loose!