...should read: "you can kill an unborn child, but it is illegal to kill an unborn sea turtle."
I grabbed this comment from another thread, thought it was worth adding here. Kind of shows how messed up our society is that killing sea turtles is more taboo than having abortions (at least in FLORIDA).
Abortion in the US is but a symptom of a larger sickness. As secularism continues to progressively infect the country, those ideas we once held to be universally sacred have been replaced with a radical autonomy of the individual. Moral relativism now allows behavior which would have been unthinkable in previous generations. This is why we hear liberals say that all moral questions are "grey". To them there is no longer any question of black and white moral distinctions. When I say that abortion is wrong the liberal thinks: "Abortion is wrong for you but who are you to impose this on anyone but yourself."
In American popular culture moral absolutes have gone the way of the dodo bird. We can thank Hollywood, public schools and the liberal media for teaching us that what is right and moral is only that which is right and moral for you, no one else.
We no longer even agree on the meaning of words. Morality, truth, personal responsibility; words of which we all once had a common understanding, now mean very different things to the young.
America is sick and getting sicker. Until we can find a way to return to a culture of moral absolutes and a common understanding that truth is not relative to personal autonomy and individual freedom of action, we will remain a sick and increasingly feeble culture.
Society's attitudes might be changing--but the overwhelming change on the issue is from women who've had an abortion themselves.
Abortion was always an issue I struggled with since my faith tells me it's 100% wrong...but as someone who genuinely believes in individual rights, I can understand the legal argument for abortion. Towards the end of my junior year at UF several years ago, I met a group of women who were carrying signs saying "I regret my abortion" I remember thinking of what incredible courage it took to take an action like that--and wandered over to talk with them and learn a bit more about the group.
What they had to say was pretty eye-opening: significant majorities of women regret their abortion later on in life and an overwhelming percentage struggle with depression, anxiety disorders, and mental health issues. A comprehensive recent study by the British Journal of Psychiatry confirmed those findings:
Quote:
Science supports this sad reality. In the fall, a meta-analysis was published in the prestigious British Journal of Psychiatry. The report was the most extensive of its kind to date -- the author looked at 22 published studies and data from more than 870,000 women. The results showed that women who have an abortion are at an 81 percent increased risk for mental health problems, including anxiety disorders, depression, drug abuse and suicidal behaviors. The study revealed the shocking statistic that close to 10 percent of all mental health problems in women can be directly attributed to abortion.
Curiously enough, while studies are just starting to measure the psychiatric effect on men whose wives or girlfriends had an abortion--initial findings seem to confirm similar results in men as well.
At the very minimum, people need to be aware of these facts before finalizing their opinions on the issue.
Abortion in the US is but a symptom of a larger sickness. As secularism continues to progressively infect the country, those ideas we once held to be universally sacred have been replaced with a radical autonomy of the individual. Moral relativism now allows behavior which would have been unthinkable in previous generations. This is why we hear liberals say that all moral questions are "grey". To them there is no longer any question of black and white moral distinctions. When I say that abortion is wrong the liberal thinks: "Abortion is wrong for you but who are you to impose this on anyone but yourself."
In American popular culture moral absolutes have gone the way of the dodo bird. We can thank Hollywood, public schools and the liberal media for teaching us that what is right and moral is only that which is right and moral for you, no one else.
We no longer even agree on the meaning of words. Morality, truth, personal responsibility; words of which we all once had a common understanding, now mean very different things to the young.
America is sick and getting sicker. Until we can find a way to return to a culture of moral absolutes and a common understanding that truth is not relative to personal autonomy and individual freedom of action, we will remain a sick and increasingly feeble culture.
moral absolutism may make for a better society in your opinion (though there are some examples in the middle east that would suggest otherwise), but it still doesn't make it fact
younger people are increasingly leaning towards science and facts over religion
maybe instead of idolizing about the days of old, change with the times
pro-lifers should be spending their time on contraception and adoption, not wasting their time on abstinence education
pro-lifers should be spending their time on contraception and adoption, not wasting their time and money on abstinence education and anti-abortion legislation/lobbying.
I would add that a nice ad campaign (see: Tebow SB ad) would be a better place to put that money as well. There are compelling reasons to make choices other than abortion (as gatorev hit on), SELL THEM. Stop enriching political types (non-profits, lobbiests) who've done nothing with respect to this in the last 40 years.
I'd be willing to bet that if the Pro-Life movement took all that money they toss into the political machine and focused on adoption services and information campaigns, they could make an immediate impact/reduction on the number of abortions performed in this country. Instead, though, they'll keep pouring it into the political machine, which if one looks at the last 40 years, is basically throwing it in the trash.
The US government is not exactly pro-adoption, especially across racial lines. The pro-life movement is probably the most pro-adoption voice out there. Planned Parenthood doesn't do any adoption referrals at the vast majority of their affiliates. Nice try.
And younger people are edging more towards science, much to the chagrin of NARAL leadership.
Nice try on what? I've lamented that PP doesn't focus more on adoptions (as I said in an earlier post, if means tested it could actually be profitable) and I agree that they are one of the political entities/parasites that are part of the problem. Doesn't mean that your side can't put MORE into adoption and MORE into information campaigns (as I said, compelling reasons NOT to have an abortion) and LESS into the pockets of political operatives and lobbiests.
Abortion in the US is but a symptom of a larger sickness. As secularism continues to progressively infect the country, those ideas we once held to be universally sacred have been replaced with a radical autonomy of the individual. Moral relativism now allows behavior which would have been unthinkable in previous generations. This is why we hear liberals say that all moral questions are "grey". To them there is no longer any question of black and white moral distinctions. When I say that abortion is wrong the liberal thinks: "Abortion is wrong for you but who are you to impose this on anyone but yourself."
In American popular culture moral absolutes have gone the way of the dodo bird. We can thank Hollywood, public schools and the liberal media for teaching us that what is right and moral is only that which is right and moral for you, no one else.
We no longer even agree on the meaning of words. Morality, truth, personal responsibility; words of which we all once had a common understanding, now mean very different things to the young.
America is sick and getting sicker. Until we can find a way to return to a culture of moral absolutes and a common understanding that truth is not relative to personal autonomy and individual freedom of action, we will remain a sick and increasingly feeble culture.
The Constitution is based in individual freedoms and I for one am glad to not live in a totalitarian state of moral absolutes imposed top down by our government or relious leaders.
I expect that if you disagreed with the then "common understanding" you'd be among the first to argue for the immediate reinstitution of your individual autonomy rather than the abolition of them. Situational ethics.
Do you even know how the typical "political" pro-life organization is structured across this country? Your post hints that you do not know. While I sometimes question their priorities, their historical structure is borderline brilliant which allows them to switch gears from lobbying/political to educational in no time.
The Constitution is based in individual freedoms and I for one am glad to not live in a totalitarian state of moral absolutes imposed top down by our government or relious leaders.
I expect that if you disagreed with the then "common understanding" you'd be among the first to argue for the immediate reinstitution of your individual autonomy rather than the abolition of them. Situational ethics.
Do you allow for any "individual freedom" for the unborn child? Abortion of a defenseless child is is always wrong. That is a moral absolute. It is not situational. The imposition of this absolute should start not from the top down but from the inside out starting with a woman's heart attitude about her "situation". When she chose to have unprotected sex and then abort the result of her choice she engaged in the very definition of "situational ethics".
Of course we should work harder to convince women to carry their babies to term. American couples are scouring the world for babies to adopt because American women cannot be bothered to deliver a live child. That is the height of situational ethics.
Moral relativism and situational ethics are diseases which have infected humankind. That is the slippery slope upon which the NAZIs took the German people into ruin. It became acceptable to eliminate all manner of "undesirables" using moral relativism. Surely the German people would be better off if the mentally ill were eliminated. Surely the nation would be better off if the old and infirm were eliminated. Then the gypsies. Then the Jews. All compliments of moral relativism.
Abortion is no different, First the first trimester. Then the second trimester. Then partial birth abortion. Then....... These are human beings being thrown into the dumpster of situational ethics.
The unborn child is the slipperiest of all slopes, as it transforms from a mass of cells to a functioning human over time. Nazi Germany is a much less unclear case.
Don't get me wrong, I don't take abortion lightly and don't think it should be used to replace birth control. It should be the hardest decision anyone ever has to make. However, to a certain point I place a woman's right to choose over the rights of the unborn fetus.
It's not as if our society doesn't allow some legalized murders either-capital punishment, self defense, war, euthanasia to some extent. I've heard some view abortion like that, although an "innocent" fetus makes it much more difficult for ME to apply that line of reasoning.
Do you allow for any "individual freedom" for the unborn child? Abortion of a defenseless child is is always wrong. That is a moral absolute. It is not situational. The imposition of this absolute should start not from the top down but from the inside out starting with a woman's heart attitude about her "situation". When she chose to have unprotected sex and then abort the result of her choice she engaged in the very definition of "situational ethics".
Of course we should work harder to convince women to carry their babies to term. American couples are scouring the world for babies to adopt because American women cannot be bothered to deliver a live child. That is the height of situational ethics.
Moral relativism and situational ethics are diseases which have infected humankind. That is the slippery slope upon which the NAZIs took the German people into ruin. It became acceptable to eliminate all manner of "undesirables" using moral relativism. Surely the German people would be better off if the mentally ill were eliminated. Surely the nation would be better off if the old and infirm were eliminated. Then the gypsies. Then the Jews. All compliments of moral relativism.
Abortion is no different, First the first trimester. Then the second trimester. Then partial birth abortion. Then....... These are human beings being thrown into the dumpster of situational ethics.
The question, IMO, isn't whether it's right or wrong ("acceptable" under current law), but how wrong is it? Is it murder wrong? Is it something less than that?
moral absolutism may make for a better society in your opinion (though there are some examples in the middle east that would suggest otherwise), but it still doesn't make it fact
younger people are increasingly leaning towards science and facts over religion
maybe instead of idolizing about the days of old, change with the times
pro-lifers should be spending their time on contraception and adoption, not wasting their time on abstinence education
There still needs to be some kind of code of ethics that are generally agreed upon...that constitute a somewhat universal sense or right and wrong.
How do you get that from science? Are we all supposed to think like Peter Singer?
__________________
Learn about my daughter's Ugandan home for orphans with AIDS at www.africaourownhome.org
The unborn child is the slipperiest of all slopes, as it transforms from a mass of cells to a functioning human over time. Nazi Germany is a much less unclear case.
Don't get me wrong, I don't take abortion lightly and don't think it should be used to replace birth control. It should be the hardest decision anyone ever has to make. However, to a certain point I place a woman's right to choose over the rights of the unborn fetus.
It's not as if our society doesn't allow some legalized murders either-capital punishment, self defense, war, euthanasia to some extent. I've heard some view abortion like that, although an "innocent" fetus makes it much more difficult for ME to apply that line of reasoning.
The unborn child is human life from the earliest stages...it is simply very young.
In each of the other examples you give, except euthanasia, there is a recognized guilt before "legalized murder" may be accomplished. In most cases of euthanasia (with which I disagree, but that's another thread) the person made their own decision.
The unborn child is perfectly innocent and has no voice. These are the ones we should want to protect the most.
__________________
Learn about my daughter's Ugandan home for orphans with AIDS at www.africaourownhome.org
The unborn child is the slipperiest of all slopes, as it transforms from a mass of cells to a functioning human over time. Nazi Germany is a much less unclear case.
Don't get me wrong, I don't take abortion lightly and don't think it should be used to replace birth control. It should be the hardest decision anyone ever has to make. However, to a certain point I place a woman's right to choose over the rights of the unborn fetus.
It's not as if our society doesn't allow some legalized murders either-capital punishment, self defense, war, euthanasia to some extent. I've heard some view abortion like that, although an "innocent" fetus makes it much more difficult for ME to apply that line of reasoning.
When a pregnant woman is murdered most states will charge the perpetrator with two homicides no matter how early the pregnancy.
We don't consider her child to be a mass of cells or a fetus. We consider that a person has been murdered.
That same woman can go to an abortion clinic and have a procedure which is legal.
The murderer killed a person in the eyes of the law.
What did the woman do inside the abortion clinic?
This is an example of the situational ethics of abortion. We simply define away the humanity of the child.
I know that our society can do better than simply redefining murder. But I am not optimistic that we ever will. We are picking up speed down that slippery slope into the pit.
***Warning it is graphic but you need to know/see what we as a Nation allow to happen and we will be judged for our actions as a society
My God, you just made me cry. Every pro-choicer should see this.
__________________ 1Pe 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
1Pe 3:16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
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