From: wrr3118@tamsun.tamu.edu (Rick Russell)
Newsgroups: houston.general,tx.politics,rice.politics
Subject: Re: Anti-choice vs. Pro-abortion (was Re: Houston Defending Choice Coalition needs you)
Date: 19 Aug 1992 19:50:11 GMT
Distribution: tx
Organization: Texas A&M University, College Station

In article <1992Aug19.040828.3489@tamsun.tamu.edu> dlb5404@tamsun.tamu.edu (Daryl Biberdorf) writes:
>In article <1992Aug19.015745.13019@tamsun.tamu.edu> wrr3118@tamsun.tamu.edu (Rick Russell) writes:
>>2) Would extend their hands to unwed, pregnant women with promises of
>>comfort and help rather than accusations of sin and ostracism,

>Well, we're not perfect, but we're trying.  I notice that you're 
>in the Bryan-College Station area.  Please call the
>Brazos Valley Crisis Pregnancy Service at 846-1097 and ask exactly
>what services they provide - they provide your two items already.
>You might also try some of the non-profit social services organizations
>(Lutheran Social Services of Texas comes to mind, but that's
>just because I'm Lutheran).

Thanks for the info. It's good to know that some people espouse the
pro-life position without forgetting their responsibilities.

>I don't know of many (any?) pro-lifers who "accuse" pregnant women
>of sin or ostracize them.

Now this sounds wrong to me. Note that in requirement (2) above, I
specified *unwed* pregnant women. While some Christians will put aside
the stricter aspects of their religion and open their arms to unwed
pregnant women, others (including ones I've talked to) still put a
stigma of shame and derision upon women who become preganant out of
wedlock. Heck, if there was no shame involved, the desire for legal
abortion wouldn't be so strong. Unfortunately, many people (Christians
and otherwise) still mark a pregnant and unwed woman with a scarlet
letter, figuratively speaking.

Our conservative political leaders brand unwed pregancies as contrary
to the values of the American family, implying that a family with
unwed parents is somehow less of a family. Is it any wonder many women
don't want to raise children in this atmosphere?

>A Roman Catholic parish in NW Houston (along Hwy 249) boldy proclaims
>that they will provide for any pregnant woman who will carry her
>child to term -- is this accusational?

*Sigh* Does this include unwed women? The supposedly official position
of the Roman Catholic Church is that non-marital sexual intercourse is
forbidden.

>I would highly suggest that you look deeper into the pro-life cause
>before you universally brand us as uncaring.

By 'pro-lifer', I suppose I should have specified the ones who would
rather spend their time on the street screaming in people's faces
rather than the ones actually trying to solve problems. It's good to
know that some pro-lifers have decided to provide a solution, and not
exacerbate the problem.

>Daryl
>-- 
>Daryl Biberdorf  N5GJM    dlb5404@rigel.tamu.edu  or  dlb5404@tamsun.tamu.edu
>        "You're not messy.  You're organizationally impaired."
>                _Real_Life_Adventures_, July 3, 1992 
-- 
# Rick Russell    | TAMU Meteorology   | wrr3118@tamsun.tamu.edu (Internet) #
# "Snow Goons are bad news." - Calvin  |                                    #
Newsgroups: houston.general