"The bill requires women to wait 72 hours between contacting an abortion provider and having an abortion. It also requires them to seek counseling with crisis pregnancy centers, groups that consult 'with women for the purpose of helping them keep their relationship with their unborn children,' before undergoing the procedure...
"...'I think everyone agrees with the goal of reducing abortion by encouraging consideration of other alternatives,' Daugaard said. 'I hope that women who are considering an abortion will use this three-day period to make good choices.'"
ACLU and Planned Parenthood threatened the state with lawsuit expenses if the Governor signed, and that's exactly what's next.
The hyperbole and emoting are well underway around the net and the news. I'm not linking to the commentary on this as folks on all "sides" can probably recite all the arguments from memory, and we all just aggravate one another.
It is truly hard to add anything of value to this debate - I understand the critique, even within Christian commentary - about churches seeming to line up on this or that "political" side or wallowing in single issue causes.
But I also react badly to the viciousness and, frankly, incoherence on the "choice side." People who are about social justice, "It takes a village to raise a child," (quotes are because it's someone else words I'm borrowing, not sarcasm) and science become libertarians, radical individualists and vulgar know-nothings on this one issue. I've seen their middle fingers on 41st Street here in Sioux Falls, absorbed their F-bombs, and seen the absolute crazy hate in their eyes.
Most of all, I stand aghast at the endless assertion of a "right" to abort that ignores any substantive discussion of when life begins, or when a couple's responsibility for pregnancy kicks in, or what form the community's responsibility to couples should take - a "right" defended in constant abstractions and evasions that stifle rather than support human understanding and relationship.
Look, I will be what the shorthand calls "pro-life" no matter what any particular law says. And there are plenty of other things that people like me preach, at which people - even church people - roll their eyes, walk away and do the opposite. Goes with the job.
Saddest thing? On something as basic as human love, bonding and life-giving, we are politicized and polarized, dehumanized in some really tragic ways. Elective abortion is just one symptom of the deep wounds in our culture. May we find the path to healing and wholeness - to life.
4 comments:
I just saw a few rants from some people on facebook I know about this issue (on both sides of the issue). What is it about politics in general these days that turn people into frothing-at-mouth loons?
Honestly, its like a werewolf movie: nice, quiet people until political night falls and they start howling at the moon.
These people do not care about women. They care about their agenda. How is it Christian to lie like this? The Bible does not say 'Thou shalt not lie, unless it stops abortion.' It is not your place to judge these women, and it certainly isn't your place to manipulate them.
AR - "their" agenda is life. You are projecting some truly crazy crap if you think otherwise.
The moment you played the "How is it Christian to..." card, I knew you were a talking point robot, not interested in a conversation.
In fact, I'd say that's a textbook example of the manipulation of which you accuse others.
My views are out here in public.
The law presents both sides of a profound decision, and you want to keep it one-sided.
You pretty much prove the point of my post, since you have nothing to offer but insults and accusations.
Fr. Tim,
After years of blogging you can identify the "robots" right away. Well done!
I was glad to read of this 3-day wait in the national news. I didn't bother to read comments since the world seems to have gone mad, for the most part.
I hope you are doing well.
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