A post in which I'm not very nice at all...
While I was driving around Fargo the past weekend, I saw all these signs in yards about "40 Days for Life".
I'm not normally one to go all PZ Myers, but there are always exceptions.
The premise of this campaign is that people will "fast and pray to end abortion".
This is a complete and utter waste. This is nothing more than a PR campaign which is designed to:
1) try to get the Women's Clinic in Fargo shut down by
2) making anyone uncomfortable about using the Women's Clinic services, regardless of what they are there for.
3) This will also make people who may have a sincere desire to see abortion go away feel good about doing something...without actually doing anything.
4) This, in turn, gives those well-intended people the moral high-ground so that they can call all the rest of us "murderers", even if in our complicity, for allowing it to happen while they are out there "doing something". (Nice and vague, don't you think?)
Seriously, what good is fasting and praying going to do? Are those people going to bring all that food they didn't eat to the potential moms who don't feel like they can afford to keep a child? Is it going to do anything to help the women who don't feel ready for parenthood? Is it going to help the women who are in a difficult relationship and don't feel like they should have a child under such circumstances? Is it going to educate young adults about pregnancy and birth control?
Not so much.
It's in no way even a small step toward a real solution. This is the sort of self-righteous stuff from the pro-life groups that makes me really want to hurl. Seriously, this makes people feel all great, like they're doing something wonderful...but they're doing absolutely nothing of practical value that will in actuality reduce the problem. I'm sorry, but God isn't going to make the problem go away. People have to do that, and I'm sure that if there is a God out there, he/she would be pretty resentful of us trying to duck our responsibilities by pushing them onto him/her.
It's a scam. It's snake oil. It deprives people who may have a sincere and earnest desire to do some good of the opportunity to put do something which could truly be useful.
I think I'll go pray and fast that these sorts of campaigns come to an end. I'm sure it'll do a lot of good.
I'm not normally one to go all PZ Myers, but there are always exceptions.
The premise of this campaign is that people will "fast and pray to end abortion".
This is a complete and utter waste. This is nothing more than a PR campaign which is designed to:
1) try to get the Women's Clinic in Fargo shut down by
2) making anyone uncomfortable about using the Women's Clinic services, regardless of what they are there for.
3) This will also make people who may have a sincere desire to see abortion go away feel good about doing something...without actually doing anything.
4) This, in turn, gives those well-intended people the moral high-ground so that they can call all the rest of us "murderers", even if in our complicity, for allowing it to happen while they are out there "doing something". (Nice and vague, don't you think?)
Seriously, what good is fasting and praying going to do? Are those people going to bring all that food they didn't eat to the potential moms who don't feel like they can afford to keep a child? Is it going to do anything to help the women who don't feel ready for parenthood? Is it going to help the women who are in a difficult relationship and don't feel like they should have a child under such circumstances? Is it going to educate young adults about pregnancy and birth control?
Not so much.
It's in no way even a small step toward a real solution. This is the sort of self-righteous stuff from the pro-life groups that makes me really want to hurl. Seriously, this makes people feel all great, like they're doing something wonderful...but they're doing absolutely nothing of practical value that will in actuality reduce the problem. I'm sorry, but God isn't going to make the problem go away. People have to do that, and I'm sure that if there is a God out there, he/she would be pretty resentful of us trying to duck our responsibilities by pushing them onto him/her.
It's a scam. It's snake oil. It deprives people who may have a sincere and earnest desire to do some good of the opportunity to put do something which could truly be useful.
I think I'll go pray and fast that these sorts of campaigns come to an end. I'm sure it'll do a lot of good.