The game of Life
“The taking of an innocent human life is a crime against humanity.”
Who might have possibly made that statement?
A) George W. Bush
B) John Kerry
C) Pat Robertson
D) Jesse Jackson
The answer will appear at the end of this essay.
“Choose life that you may live.” “I have come that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” “I am the resurrection and the life.” The Bible is saturated with references to life in some form or another. But words can be funny things. What they mean to one person may not be the same meaning that another chooses.
The pro-life movement is almost completely Republican and conservative, and almost completely devoted to one issue- that of abortion. Let me get my position on abortion out in the open right off the bat. I’m opposed to it. Life is full of choices, some bad, some good; some I would make but you might not, and vice-versa. But abortion is a choice that I don’t believe people should have the right to make.
Pro-choice advocates are ready to string me up at this very moment. “How dare you deny a woman the right to choose!” Reproductive freedom is the buzzword, “keep your laws out of my uterus” is the slogan, “a woman has the right to do what she wants with her body” is the mantra. Well I have news for you, Molly Yard and Patricia Ireland- most laws out there have something to do with the freedom or lack of freedom to do what you want with your body. It isn’t good enough to say “my body- my choice.” It’s my body, but I’m not permitted to shoot cocaine into it. I can expose it to use the restroom, but not in front of a child in the middle of a park.
“Well, no (spit), Sherlock- laws are established to protect innocent children against perverts and predators.” As well they should be. But think about what you just said. Laws are in place to protect innocent children. But the very law you defend with your life is the same one that permits 4,000 children a day to go to their graves. When a woman is pregnant it isn’t just her body. It isn’t.
Quite a few Democrats are pro-choice advocates. They are also anti-war, for the most part. Hmm… let’s unpack that for a moment. How does a person oppose measures that take innocent life in Iraq but support measures that take innocent life in the United States? How do you stand up for a criminal about to be put to death, but when a baby is put to death you open wide the door?
My Republican friends are licking their chops now, waiting for me to launch another verbal Scud at the Democratic countryside. Not so fast. It’s your turn now.
Quite a few Republicans are pro-life. They picket abortion clinics, they chain themselves to their doors, the Justice House of Prayer geeks even stand in front of government buildings with orange tape over their mouths that reads “LIFE.” (They do it as a “prophetic declaration”, not to get publicity. Umm, yeah, sure.) Very admirable stances to make. But if these conservative Republicans and conservative Christians and conservative LIFE-tape geeks are that pro-life, why are many of them staunchly in favor of the war in Iraq? Have you seen pictures of Iraqi children with their arms blown off? Aren’t their lives precious to God? Have you seen Baghdad women wailing in the middle of the street? Don’t they love their children too?
When the war in Afghanistan started I remember my pastor at the time praying that the bombs would drop on the right targets. Wha…? Are you kidding? Later, when Sadaam Hussein’s sons were being actively sought, dead or alive, a friend of mine prayed that they would be found dead. Hmm. What would Jesus do?
I am not anti-war. I am anti THIS war, but not war in general. There are times in the life of a nation when it must defend itself, but the decision to enter into war should be made soberly, not joyfully. People should NEVER be happy that someone on the other side in a conflict left the battlefield sans their life.
Back to the question I started out with. The answer is… well, it’s a trick question. All four of them could have made the statement. I’m not here to say that one of them is right and the rest are wrong. What I’m saying is that the issues are slightly more complex than the pundits and spin doctors would have you believe. People across the “life” spectrum need to look long and hard at the positions they take, the hills they defend, and decide whether they are taking a consistent position on this most important of issues, human life.
Who might have possibly made that statement?
A) George W. Bush
B) John Kerry
C) Pat Robertson
D) Jesse Jackson
The answer will appear at the end of this essay.
“Choose life that you may live.” “I have come that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” “I am the resurrection and the life.” The Bible is saturated with references to life in some form or another. But words can be funny things. What they mean to one person may not be the same meaning that another chooses.
The pro-life movement is almost completely Republican and conservative, and almost completely devoted to one issue- that of abortion. Let me get my position on abortion out in the open right off the bat. I’m opposed to it. Life is full of choices, some bad, some good; some I would make but you might not, and vice-versa. But abortion is a choice that I don’t believe people should have the right to make.
Pro-choice advocates are ready to string me up at this very moment. “How dare you deny a woman the right to choose!” Reproductive freedom is the buzzword, “keep your laws out of my uterus” is the slogan, “a woman has the right to do what she wants with her body” is the mantra. Well I have news for you, Molly Yard and Patricia Ireland- most laws out there have something to do with the freedom or lack of freedom to do what you want with your body. It isn’t good enough to say “my body- my choice.” It’s my body, but I’m not permitted to shoot cocaine into it. I can expose it to use the restroom, but not in front of a child in the middle of a park.
“Well, no (spit), Sherlock- laws are established to protect innocent children against perverts and predators.” As well they should be. But think about what you just said. Laws are in place to protect innocent children. But the very law you defend with your life is the same one that permits 4,000 children a day to go to their graves. When a woman is pregnant it isn’t just her body. It isn’t.
Quite a few Democrats are pro-choice advocates. They are also anti-war, for the most part. Hmm… let’s unpack that for a moment. How does a person oppose measures that take innocent life in Iraq but support measures that take innocent life in the United States? How do you stand up for a criminal about to be put to death, but when a baby is put to death you open wide the door?
My Republican friends are licking their chops now, waiting for me to launch another verbal Scud at the Democratic countryside. Not so fast. It’s your turn now.
Quite a few Republicans are pro-life. They picket abortion clinics, they chain themselves to their doors, the Justice House of Prayer geeks even stand in front of government buildings with orange tape over their mouths that reads “LIFE.” (They do it as a “prophetic declaration”, not to get publicity. Umm, yeah, sure.) Very admirable stances to make. But if these conservative Republicans and conservative Christians and conservative LIFE-tape geeks are that pro-life, why are many of them staunchly in favor of the war in Iraq? Have you seen pictures of Iraqi children with their arms blown off? Aren’t their lives precious to God? Have you seen Baghdad women wailing in the middle of the street? Don’t they love their children too?
When the war in Afghanistan started I remember my pastor at the time praying that the bombs would drop on the right targets. Wha…? Are you kidding? Later, when Sadaam Hussein’s sons were being actively sought, dead or alive, a friend of mine prayed that they would be found dead. Hmm. What would Jesus do?
I am not anti-war. I am anti THIS war, but not war in general. There are times in the life of a nation when it must defend itself, but the decision to enter into war should be made soberly, not joyfully. People should NEVER be happy that someone on the other side in a conflict left the battlefield sans their life.
Back to the question I started out with. The answer is… well, it’s a trick question. All four of them could have made the statement. I’m not here to say that one of them is right and the rest are wrong. What I’m saying is that the issues are slightly more complex than the pundits and spin doctors would have you believe. People across the “life” spectrum need to look long and hard at the positions they take, the hills they defend, and decide whether they are taking a consistent position on this most important of issues, human life.
posted by The Man at 2:31 PM
1 Comments:
I am totally pro-life.
Post a Comment
<< Home