Monday, 19 May 2008
Shurely shome mishtake?
Mulier Fortis has commented on the campaign by Passion for Life, noting that they have done good work but taking issue with the focus on reducing the number of abortions. She criticises, justifiably in my view, a postcard with the main title "Abortion should be rare". Since she has been challenged on this in the combox by a reader suggesting that the postcard does not exist, I can confirm that it does - it was included in a collection that I was sent last week. Here 'tis:
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13 comments:
You know, I saw the card Sunday and thought that it must be a quote of some pro-abortion MP and that it contained an attack on such a view. "Rare abortions" is the theme of many anti-lifers like the Clintons in the US.
Thanks for this post, Fr. Finigan. I have been debating about this today with others.
There definitely is a problem with the Passion for Life strategy. One can never compromise first principles without losing respect and ground with their opponents. In this case, the first principal must be that the murder of an innocent life, abortion, is always wrong - no compromises, no exceptions.
Pro-life groups in my area have been trying the same kind of erroneous strategy as Passion for Life for the past decade and it has gotten nowhere. It doesn't work.
Even pro-abortion groups lose respect for pro-lifers who they label as hypocritical and irrational because their convictions are not consistent. One can't say that murder of an innocent baby is always wrong and then follow that with an exception. It either is or it isn't.
I would like to see more pro-life groups spend time and money thinking of strategies to change hearts and bring about a culture of life. And for Catholics that includes evangelizing to bring others to Christ and His Church. Where the deepest and longest lasting conversion to the culture of life can happen. (Sorry, this is so long.:)
I can see why they angled the campaign like this - appeal to the mass concsience, many of whom think abortion is alright - but I am coming to the conclusion that these "meet them where they are" arguments ultimately backfire.
There has been a slight turn of public opinion -e.g. doctors stepping back from carrying out abortions -and the PLF people perhaps thought they had caught that mood and decided to jump into the moving slip-stream in the hope of making some progress forward.
I fear their slogan "the time has come to draw the line" should mean a fairly black and white line between good and evil, not between bad and worse. Their well meant campaign amounts to no more than building bridges to evil. The pro-life movement in this country does some great education work, but has become unfocussed and lacking in ambition for the real goal. I am noticing smaller, less well known groups achieving far more. Check out Precious Life Ministries and the often mentioned Sisters of the Gospel of Life.
A National day long conference, involving all the main groups in the UK is what is needed, in order to move forward. A frank and robust and uncomfortable debate, starting with artificial contraception, the explosion of disordered sexuality and promiscuity, to the current humanitarian disaster over which we preside today.
Let`s draw the line, but lets draw it in the right place.
It's a bit like the comment I heard the other day on the radio.
"The pro-life movement have exagerrated the clinical science about whether 20 week foetuses are viable"
This is not about viability (or the rarity of otherwise of abortion) it is about whether or not we should kill children.
A no-brainer
The Fifth Commandment doesn't say : Thou should kill less.
It says : Thou shalt not kill.
.
Just found out that Passion-For-Life is a work of the Parliamentary All Party Pro-life Group...
let's give em a big hand, ladies and gentlemen.
Maybe we can develop a prize:
The Planned Parenthood Own-Goal Prize for pro-lifers dedicated to undermining their own cause.
that would have to be a "lifetime achievement" type of award, of course.
The cards were apparently plaed in a number of churches this weekend. I emptied my local church Brompton Oratory of about 300 of these cards after morning Mass and placed them in my paper recycle bin (there must be some use for them). When I showed a card to one of the priests and asked why they were there, he said, "sorry, don't know, it has nothing go to do with me", and walked off quite disinterested. Obviously not a big deal for him. These priests preach against abortion but allow these cards in the back of the church. So much for the sermons. It's disgraceful because it undermines the hard work of pro-life activists. The money I have been putting into the weekly collections will now go to proper pro-life organisations instead.
"Abortion should be unthinkable"
PAX
www.ewefindit.com/sites/canada/facts.cfm
As we dust ourselves down from the disapointments of the HF&E divisions we can partially console ourselves with the news one piece of proposed mad legislation has been headed off at the pass this week. Regretably this proposal got the stamp of approval from the Church of Scotland, John Knox doubtless birling in his grave. To be fair I have no doubt a large number of the kirk in the pews don't agree with this.
THE Scottish government has rejected a proposal to decriminalise sex between consenting partners under the age of 16.
Children’s commissioner Kathleen Marshall was among those backing the change, which would have effectively lowered the age of consent among couples as young as 13.
It was proposed last year by the Scottish Law Commission as part of reforms to sexual offence laws aimed primarily at improving the low conviction rate for rape.
The commission proposed decriminalising sex between 13 to 15-year-olds — ending all prosecutions provided sex was consensual and the age gap not more than two years.
Plan to lower age of consent rejected
as a non-Catholic I'm sorry to say that I think the only own goals are to be found here on this blog!
I wonder how many people on here have written to thank the 70 odd MPs who voted to lower the upper limit to 12 weeks on Tuesday night, amid jeers, shouting and obvious hostility from an overwhelmingly anti-life parliament?
political naivety is one thing, but to criticise the very people who are fighting your battles seems to me a little hypocritical.
Well thank you for that. Many of us do write regularly to MPs who are pro-life. But saying that "abortion should be rare" is not a pro-life position.
Note to Hannah and other non-Catholics: the opposition to abortion is not predicated on fallible, scientific grounds of “viability” and thus where to draw the line at which point the unborn should be spared. The moral principle - as opposed to the scientific principle - is that life is sacred from conception to natural death. Therefore, there should be no political debate or bargaining on where to draw the line. A 22-week baby is no more worth saving above an 11-week pre-born baby: s/he doesn't have a greater degree of "life-ness". The Catholic Church is defending the interests of humanity, not the interests of Catholicism. If we don't defend human life, that's it: the end of Western Christian civilisation as we know it for 2000+ years. Nothing else will be worth defending, because all other human rights derive from the natural right to life. Thus the moral leadership of the Popes (through the ages) which draws people to convert to Catholicism.
We pray that you reach Catholic understanding.
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