From: bskendig@netcom.com (Brian Kendig)
Subject: Re: Only God Can Help Us! [wrt abortions]
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 92 23:43:31 GMT
Organization: Starfleet Headquarters: San Francisco

In article <1992Aug20.175632.1298@medtron.medtronic.com> ck10322@china.medtronic.com (Cameron Kaszas) writes:
>I`m a Christian, thus pro-life.  But I don't think I have the right
>to force my beliefs on anyone by saying that they CAN'T have an abortion. 

YES.  I agree with what Cameron has to say.  (Imagine that -- me, an
atheist pro-choicer, agreeing with a Christian pro-lifer! ;)
Read on...

>Christians, please read and think about this...
>I think that we need to stop trying to tell everyone
>what to do (it's a waste of time, they won't listen to us), and pray that
>God will work his will through us.

The important thing to do in this debate is to try to understand the
other side; after all, there are several pro-lifers out there who are
far more intelligent than I am, and I wouldn't even presume to think
that by arguing with them for a while I could hope to change their
minds.  I hold my opinion because it's what I feel deep down inside,
and I know they do too.

The more that a pro-lifer lays down the law -- "NO, you may NOT have
an abortion" -- the more a pro-choicer becomes frustrated and figures
she or he might as well ignore the pro-lifer, rather than listening to
his or her reasoning.

Similarly, pro-lifers have their reasons; their hatred of abortions
usually comes out of their religious convictions.  While I don't think
I'll ever support a Christian's stand on 'holiness' and 'salvation', I
would _never_ use the abortion issue as a forum in which to take
pot-shots at his beliefs.

But Cameron has a good point here:

>The causes of unwanted pregnancy and the reasons
>to abort/not abort are so complex, that no human "solution" will ever be
>found (maybe it COULD be found, but I doubt it...)  Only God can help us 
>out of this mess!  If we put as much effort into prayer as we do "fighting
>the enemy pro-choicers", I believe God would work wonders.  I think most
>of us are guilty of not truly beleiving that 
>
>      he "is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask 
>      or can imagine" (Eph. 3:20).

If you the reader is a pro-lifer, and your stand is such because of
your religion, then consider Cameron's words.  Instead of wasting time
and effort on confrontation after confrontation, just ask your god to
intervene somehow.  If there is a divine solution, let your god find
it; there certainly doesn't appear to be any human solution.  (Can you
honestly imagine both sides ever agreeing on a solution?)

You can't just say "if you kill your unborn child, we'll throw you in
jail."  You have to say "if you carry your child to term and give
birth, we'll do such-and-such for you."  Why do women have abortions?
Because they don't have the money to care for a child?  Set up some
sort of fund that would help foot the bills for mothers who chose not
to abort!  Because they don't have the time for a child?  Set up good
volunteer day-care centers!  The people in your church would be a
great source of babysitters, and the collection plate is a wonderful
place to start looking for funds.  Is the abortion rate higher in the
seedier parts of town?  Set up some sort of sex-education workshop
that travels to these areas, and distribute free condoms!  Or try to
tell the teenagers there that they really shouldn't be having sex, if
that's your choice.  But sprawling like so many sacks of potato(e)s in
front of an abortion clinic isn't helpful.

Whatever you do, please, please don't just stand there and make it
look like you're loftily imposing your judgement on us pro-choicers.
If you want support, you're going to have to do things to entice
people to not have abortions.  Words alone aren't enough.  Readings
from your holy book might only annoy us more.

And if you're not willing to do what it takes to support a fellow
human being through a decision you're telling her she has no choice
in, then don't act surprised when she is bitter towards you and what
you stand for.

     << Brian >>

-- 
_/_/_/       Brian Kendig  Macintosh Jedi           Live never to be ashamed
 _/_/   Starfleet Captain  Oracle Employee         if anything you do or say
  _/  Intrepid Adventurer  Saturn SL2 Owner    is published around the world
      bskendig@netcom.com  Twin Peaks Junkie    -- even if what is published
    Princeton '92! BSE/CS  Writer/Actor/Singer                   is not true.
Newsgroups: talk.abortion