tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2559056988595933583.post892797867284520351..comments2021-09-10T12:27:05.446-07:00Comments on THE HATCHING OF A HEART: What makes a person "Pro-Life?"Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06989374241519194095noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2559056988595933583.post-52483243595780723262012-03-27T12:52:56.414-07:002012-03-27T12:52:56.414-07:00good post, sarah :) it angered me recently when pe...good post, sarah :) it angered me recently when people were throwing around photos of dismembered body parts from terminated babies on f/b. clearly in blissful ignorance that many people on their f/b would have had a termination, rightly/wrongly, + the traumatic impact these photos would have had on them (maybe that was their intention, but hope not). *women aren't stupid* they know what they're doing. they are allowed to make choices. they sometimes feel they have no other option. also, many women have had this procedure after a miscarriage. sure they heart the photos too ;) abortion laws are in place for a reason. if they weren't there, we would be facing hundreds of thousands of women participating in botched back street abortions. <br /><br />it's also unimaginable for me, as a british citizen, to get my head around there still being a death penalty in some states of the us. :s + from your comment feed it seems people can really distinguish between the takings of life. crazy. <br /><br />i do remember a friend telling me about reading full frontal feminism, and learning that mississippi had banned vibrators but allow people to buy guns without a background check!Elliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16873105392920644979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2559056988595933583.post-21224388405529439262012-01-29T17:09:07.041-08:002012-01-29T17:09:07.041-08:00Your belief lines up with the Biblical line of tho...Your belief lines up with the Biblical line of thought on this issue. The question you so boldly raise here is one that has dogged my mind for a long time. And, in fact, remains alarmingly relevant to the American, and Western, culture in this post modern, synthesizing 21st century.<br />Your insight that most of these folks may be anti-abortion rather than pro-life rings across the divide with shocking truth. The Christian life is decidedly pro-life. <br />To be anti- is actually to be on the side of opposing, against and so therefore tends to be a negative thing, whereas to profess the Christian way is to be positive, to stand for something, and definitely pro-life. <br />The Christian message works to heal divides and chasms created by such devilish attitudes as opposing, standing against and fighting. Why? Because opposition always leads to violence of some sort, and violence is not a Biblical response to any issue we face as human beings trying to make society.<br />As Christians we face so many ethical and moral dilemmas bedeviling this old world. How do we respond? The Biblical implication is to be pro-active and to propagate the righteous way rather than pick the darkness and attack it in opposition.<br />Great writing in your blog post, and excellent thinking. The Christian is called to be of a sound mind - intelligent, questioning and exercising faith with critical thinking very much in the forefront of living, a la the Berians.Shaun Michael Samaroohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16947500161755433416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2559056988595933583.post-35258751145640217112012-01-28T12:19:35.121-08:002012-01-28T12:19:35.121-08:00Thanks for linking my blog to your post. :)Thanks for linking my blog to your post. :)Joehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11663450606002281193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2559056988595933583.post-40141666596795068262012-01-26T20:58:08.242-08:002012-01-26T20:58:08.242-08:00Sara, it’s great that you are thinking of these th...Sara, it’s great that you are thinking of these things. Few people ever do. The problem with your logic as I see it is that you are confusing God’s requirement that we forgive those who sin against us with God’s requirement that government be his instrument on earth to administer justice. We tend to separate out the God of justice of the Old Testament with the God of Love of the New Testament, but they are the same God. The OT deals more with nations and the NT deals more with individuals. The commandment that you quoted is more accurately “You shall not murder.” The Hebrew word refers to an unjust killing. Taking life in war, in self-defense, and yes, even by the government in capital punishment, is never condemned in the Bible. King David was described as a man after God’s own heart, but he killed thousands. He only “murdered” one, however, and for that God did punish him. Yet, God was adamantly opposed to those nations who sacrificed their children (and in some case, their pregnant women) to idols like Molech and Chemosh. He said such a thing “never entered” his mind and he commanded the Israelites to wipe them out entirely. Harsh to our modern ears. But governments are not called to forgive. Individuals are. That is a great distinction.<br /><br />As to welfare. I used to work for the Family Support Division of the DA’s office. Most of the parents were on welfare and I have to say I think the way the system is now is a travesty. Government should not be in the business of providing welfare because 1) It is completely inefficient. It takes $100 of bureaucracy to get $10 worth of groceries into the hands of a needy person. 2) It encourages poor and immoral choices. A single mother gets more money by staying single than by being married. 3) The government cannot provide the support and accountability that can be given through private organizations and churches. I have worked with some outstanding orgs like Habitat for Humanity that are making real improvements in people’s lives. I also remember a 24-year-old GRANDMOTHER who had been on welfare. Her 12-year-old daughter had a baby and she brought her in to our office to get on welfare too. What would have happened if she had gone to a church or non-profit for help? Maybe she would have gotten the real help she needed, rather than just financial support to continue making poor choices and perpetuating a terrible cycle. (I have personally gone out of my way to help several unwed moms in many ways and will continue to do so. I do also support organizations that care for the lives (not just the births) of people.) Governments do a lousy, inefficient job. <br /><br />Health care is a similar thing. I worked at a hospital in the medical records department. There was a woman on Medicare who came to the ER every single week the entire year I worked there. There was never anything wrong with her, but her ER bill was atrocious. She didn’t care because she didn’t pay it. I did, through my taxes. I also lived overseas for 2 years and I saw the results of socialized medicine. Sure you could get free care … but you had to wait in line for hours literally and then find out that they didn’t have what you needed. Again, governments do a lousy, inefficient job.<br /><br />I think we’ve come full circle on this. Just like governments aren’t called to forgive, they are not called to be loving or compassionate. Governments should not be in the business of welfare or health care because they can’t do it right. Those require the loving, compassionate involvement of individuals. God has called us as individuals (and obviously groups of individuals like churches and non-profs) to reach out and minister, support, train, reprove, those who are in need. Governments aren’t equipped or called to do so and they fail miserably when they try. <br /><br />Anyway, that’s my two cents. --Dara Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05769628089567295355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2559056988595933583.post-31068104499898420022012-01-26T06:09:32.588-08:002012-01-26T06:09:32.588-08:00"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure..."Religion that God our Father accepts as pure & faultless is this: to look after orphans & widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27<br /><br />(BTW: Thanks for quoting me, Sarah. :) )<br /><br />Yeah, there is a massive difference between being supposedly "Pro-Life," or merely "Anti-Abortion" or "Pro-Birth."<br /><br />Certainly your average teen girl who made a mistake is in an almost identical situation as a widow. The same for a child born in this circumstance. I get more than a bit tired of people caring enough that this child be born, but then walking away because it is no longer their or societies' responsibility.<br /><br />We feel mighty self-satisfied and "Religious" by our voting records, but our lack of concern after that only shows it to be an empty ritual.Joehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11663450606002281193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2559056988595933583.post-72955943105871884352012-01-26T05:41:51.823-08:002012-01-26T05:41:51.823-08:00Thank you so much for sharing this. I had never re...Thank you so much for sharing this. I had never really thought of it as two seperate issues. This post has really given me alot to think about and ponder on.Debbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12044665732030030186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2559056988595933583.post-68223392297342686172012-01-25T21:34:48.353-08:002012-01-25T21:34:48.353-08:00Well spoken. I think a lot of people have never t...Well spoken. I think a lot of people have never thought of it from this perspective. I know I had not until a friend of mine started asking me what I thought about the death penalty some years back. She really made me think. It's hard to realize you might need to check yourself when you grow up listening to Hank Jr, LOL! Thank you for sharing. Good stuff. I'm going to share your post with her. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2559056988595933583.post-90822194632783411382012-01-25T20:45:21.376-08:002012-01-25T20:45:21.376-08:00i read another blog a couple of months ago along t...i read another blog a couple of months ago along the same lines and it really, really made me think. because, truthfully, it never occurred to me to think about what would happen to the babies if they weren't aborted. i talked to my mom about it and she asked if i would adopt. i told her that if i knew of a girl/woman who was thinking about abortion, or if a girl/woman came to me and said she was going to abort her baby if we didn't adopt it, the answer would be 100% yes, i would adopt the baby. i think you're right. people just have blinders on or, like me, just never thought far enough past the birth of the baby. <br /><br />when it comes to voting, i do look across the board. it matters to me what their stance is on abortion, but it's definitely not the only thing i look at. <br /><br />and i agree about the tim tebow thing. it's great that his mom didn't abort him, but you can't compare her circumstances and options to a teenage girl's.<br /><br />i don't know how i feel about the death penalty. i never really have. what you said makes complete sense though.Kelliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08718565959065266835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2559056988595933583.post-22241742375332495212012-01-25T20:18:47.155-08:002012-01-25T20:18:47.155-08:00I agree 100% that our "job" as pro-lifer...I agree 100% that our "job" as pro-lifers can not end when the baby is born. Too many people like the warm and fuzzies but aren't willing to do the tough work of helping the poor/uncomfortable/unpopular mom and child.<br />It's not enough to be pro-life while the mom is pregnant. It has to continue through that child's life.<br /><br />I, personally, have been able to separate capital punishment from abortion but I respect your opinion and your reasons why you don't. But I am only okay with capital punishment when the verdict is beyond ANY doubt. If there is a single whisk of doubt, it should be life in prison. We cannot execute an innocent person... ever.David Harnshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00350428486017900829noreply@blogger.com