An order of Pro-life, hold the hypocrisy please.
I'll give this to the American Pro-Life movement: just like any other solid and upstanding institution of modern American culture, they have become so riddled with hypocrisy that one wonders how they can possibly continue to hold credibility in the public eye. But like most other societal institutions, they have worked so hard to mangle reason and rationality that they have become a force to reckoned with in American culture. Folks, that takes perseverance and effort, and it deserves a polite though somewhat morbid round of applause.
Abortion is a tragedy, and throughout this post, I will in no way attempt to state otherwise. Over forty-million children have been snuffed from existence due to this legalized form of murder. Yes, I will not hesitate to call it that. Abortion is murder, no matter the way or manner in which it is portrayed. To kill the most defenseless of humans is not simply a travesty of justice, it is a betrayal of all that makes us human in the first place.
But what about killing the thousands of men and women sitting on America's death row? What about waging a preemptive war on a foreign nation? And how about the poor and destitute that languish not only on the streets of America, but in streets the world over as well? Are these causes not worthy of the same attention, protest, and swift action? Though many of you are are probably giving your silent affirmation, I can assure you that the words and actions of America's Pro-Life movement greatly betray the "seamless garment of life" that the American Cardinal Bernadine so eloquently described several years ago. Abortion has become the central and lone obsession of this increasingly moronic movement, and for those readers who associate themselves with this cause (and I assume there will be many), it's past time that someone spelled out egregious hypocrisy of the Pro-Life movement for you.
Indeed, so what about the death penalty, war, and poverty? It seems that too many of those who do include these ideas under the umbrella of "Pro-Life" pay them only lip service the when the chips are on the table. Abortion is referred to as a great holocaust and massacre, and but it seems that literal state-sanctioned killing through capital punishment gets naught but a passing mention. The taking of lives through purely aggressive wars is passed off as necessary for our national security by the very people lauding the sanctity of every human life, regardless of gender, race, or creed. Those zealously opposing abortion seem to support the very individuals making poverty a constant reality in our nation and the world as whole. Anyone beginning to see a trend?
You're doubtlessly all shaking your heads, saying that you do care about this, and that the rest of the Pro-Life movement does as well. If this was really the case, why can't the Pro-Life movement divorce itself from the religious right and support policies and people who further the cause of life in ALL areas? I find it ironic that Pro-Lifers decry litmus tests by liberals on the basis of abortion, yet when elections come around, Pro-Lifers do the exact same thing. Most support a candidate or nominee based on that single issue, and ironically, this is perhaps the most counterproductive action they could take in their aims to cultivate a culture of life. The sad reality is that candidates opposing abortion tend to overwhelmingly support the death penalty, greater military force overseas, and cuts in social welfare and public education. Funny that those with the bumper stickers saying "I vote Pro-Life" often are doing the exact opposite.
The obvious counter to this transarent hypocrisy has been to say that abortion is the most critical issue of them all, and that more people perish from its effects than any other. Yet this is nothing more than the mangling of rationality and reason alluded to at the beginning of this post. Here's something that most devout Pro-Lifers tend to need reminding of every now and then: LIFE DOES NOT END AT BIRTH. You all joyously and correctly celebrate the miracle of birth, yet purposefully or not, you pull your support from the policies that preserve life once it exits the womb. It is also nothing short of pure fallacy to say that abortion is responsible for more damage or potential damage to life than the other things I've mentioned thus far. Ten thousand children in our world die every day from malnutrition, yet most Pro-Lifers have lauded their support for a government that spends more fighting an unnecessary war in Iraq EVERY DAY than they spend on foreign aid to Africa EVERY YEAR. And as the theorem of the butterfly effect teaches us, no action goes without vast consequences. How many children will be affected by the way we've wrecked our state and national education systems? How many will lose a family member because our Congress can't ensure health care for every American? How many retirees could be affected by a loss of guaranteed social security benefits? If the Pro-Life movement really wants to play the numbers game, the facts work against them.
It is no secret that the Pro-Life bases much of its cause in religion, and I actually find this to be a healthy thing rather than something to be criticized and rebuked. However, the movement overall could learn something from the nature of the scripture it professes to follow. There is a quote to justify just about anything in the Bible, but what we should take away from scripture is the overall gospel message of love and inclusion. And just like the Bible is not about any one, singular concept or issue, nor should be Pro-Life movement. What, honestly, is the best way to further the core aim of what it means to be Pro-Life? What is the best way we can further an appreciation for life in every form its encountered in?
First and foremost, we have to ditch the hypocrisy and weave the seamless garment of life mentioned earlier. Secondly, let's unite and tackle the causes that will make the most progress. If people can't recognize prisoners as humans that shouldn't be killed, how can they recognize the sanctity of a clump of cells in a woman's womb? Practically speaking, let's push for the elimination of capital punishment before abortion ever becomes the main issue in the Pro-Life cause again. Over half the public finds abortion morally wrong, yet over two-thirds of the same respondents still support the right of a woman to choose, as they do not want to "impose their morality" upon another. Yet for the death penalty, almost half of all American citizens have said it no longer has a place in society. Why not work in the area where we seem to have the greatest support? By chipping away at our cultures penchant for death, we can make real progress and work towards larger goals as time passes.
The hard truth is that abortion can't end tomorrow, and any intelligent Pro-Lifer will bite the bullet and admit this. America is simply not ready for such a massive switch, and not even the most fundamental Pro-Lifers want to see a return to the days of coat-hanger abortions in back alleys. Thus, let's play the hand we've been given, win what we can, and work towards coming out on top through deliberate and methodical strategy. It's a mentality that's sure to win in the end, and it's a more-than-preferable alternative to the rampant frothing at the mouth over one single issue that seems to plague today's Pro-Life movement.
End the hypocrisy.
Don't live by a Bible full of holes.
Abortion is a tragedy, and throughout this post, I will in no way attempt to state otherwise. Over forty-million children have been snuffed from existence due to this legalized form of murder. Yes, I will not hesitate to call it that. Abortion is murder, no matter the way or manner in which it is portrayed. To kill the most defenseless of humans is not simply a travesty of justice, it is a betrayal of all that makes us human in the first place.
But what about killing the thousands of men and women sitting on America's death row? What about waging a preemptive war on a foreign nation? And how about the poor and destitute that languish not only on the streets of America, but in streets the world over as well? Are these causes not worthy of the same attention, protest, and swift action? Though many of you are are probably giving your silent affirmation, I can assure you that the words and actions of America's Pro-Life movement greatly betray the "seamless garment of life" that the American Cardinal Bernadine so eloquently described several years ago. Abortion has become the central and lone obsession of this increasingly moronic movement, and for those readers who associate themselves with this cause (and I assume there will be many), it's past time that someone spelled out egregious hypocrisy of the Pro-Life movement for you.
Indeed, so what about the death penalty, war, and poverty? It seems that too many of those who do include these ideas under the umbrella of "Pro-Life" pay them only lip service the when the chips are on the table. Abortion is referred to as a great holocaust and massacre, and but it seems that literal state-sanctioned killing through capital punishment gets naught but a passing mention. The taking of lives through purely aggressive wars is passed off as necessary for our national security by the very people lauding the sanctity of every human life, regardless of gender, race, or creed. Those zealously opposing abortion seem to support the very individuals making poverty a constant reality in our nation and the world as whole. Anyone beginning to see a trend?
You're doubtlessly all shaking your heads, saying that you do care about this, and that the rest of the Pro-Life movement does as well. If this was really the case, why can't the Pro-Life movement divorce itself from the religious right and support policies and people who further the cause of life in ALL areas? I find it ironic that Pro-Lifers decry litmus tests by liberals on the basis of abortion, yet when elections come around, Pro-Lifers do the exact same thing. Most support a candidate or nominee based on that single issue, and ironically, this is perhaps the most counterproductive action they could take in their aims to cultivate a culture of life. The sad reality is that candidates opposing abortion tend to overwhelmingly support the death penalty, greater military force overseas, and cuts in social welfare and public education. Funny that those with the bumper stickers saying "I vote Pro-Life" often are doing the exact opposite.
The obvious counter to this transarent hypocrisy has been to say that abortion is the most critical issue of them all, and that more people perish from its effects than any other. Yet this is nothing more than the mangling of rationality and reason alluded to at the beginning of this post. Here's something that most devout Pro-Lifers tend to need reminding of every now and then: LIFE DOES NOT END AT BIRTH. You all joyously and correctly celebrate the miracle of birth, yet purposefully or not, you pull your support from the policies that preserve life once it exits the womb. It is also nothing short of pure fallacy to say that abortion is responsible for more damage or potential damage to life than the other things I've mentioned thus far. Ten thousand children in our world die every day from malnutrition, yet most Pro-Lifers have lauded their support for a government that spends more fighting an unnecessary war in Iraq EVERY DAY than they spend on foreign aid to Africa EVERY YEAR. And as the theorem of the butterfly effect teaches us, no action goes without vast consequences. How many children will be affected by the way we've wrecked our state and national education systems? How many will lose a family member because our Congress can't ensure health care for every American? How many retirees could be affected by a loss of guaranteed social security benefits? If the Pro-Life movement really wants to play the numbers game, the facts work against them.
It is no secret that the Pro-Life bases much of its cause in religion, and I actually find this to be a healthy thing rather than something to be criticized and rebuked. However, the movement overall could learn something from the nature of the scripture it professes to follow. There is a quote to justify just about anything in the Bible, but what we should take away from scripture is the overall gospel message of love and inclusion. And just like the Bible is not about any one, singular concept or issue, nor should be Pro-Life movement. What, honestly, is the best way to further the core aim of what it means to be Pro-Life? What is the best way we can further an appreciation for life in every form its encountered in?
First and foremost, we have to ditch the hypocrisy and weave the seamless garment of life mentioned earlier. Secondly, let's unite and tackle the causes that will make the most progress. If people can't recognize prisoners as humans that shouldn't be killed, how can they recognize the sanctity of a clump of cells in a woman's womb? Practically speaking, let's push for the elimination of capital punishment before abortion ever becomes the main issue in the Pro-Life cause again. Over half the public finds abortion morally wrong, yet over two-thirds of the same respondents still support the right of a woman to choose, as they do not want to "impose their morality" upon another. Yet for the death penalty, almost half of all American citizens have said it no longer has a place in society. Why not work in the area where we seem to have the greatest support? By chipping away at our cultures penchant for death, we can make real progress and work towards larger goals as time passes.
The hard truth is that abortion can't end tomorrow, and any intelligent Pro-Lifer will bite the bullet and admit this. America is simply not ready for such a massive switch, and not even the most fundamental Pro-Lifers want to see a return to the days of coat-hanger abortions in back alleys. Thus, let's play the hand we've been given, win what we can, and work towards coming out on top through deliberate and methodical strategy. It's a mentality that's sure to win in the end, and it's a more-than-preferable alternative to the rampant frothing at the mouth over one single issue that seems to plague today's Pro-Life movement.
End the hypocrisy.
Don't live by a Bible full of holes.