Andare, Partire, Tornare

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A small soapbox on a large topic, along with a healthy dose of self-loathing

I don't know why I feel the need to discuss my views on abortion. In fact, I'm fairly reluctant to. After all, there's no better way (aside from the declawing topic) to get scads of accusing emails, hostile guestbook entries, and other other things that basically make me go take an antacid and lie down. But something is telling me to write, so I'm doing it, and will keep it as brief as possible.

Frankly, part of it all is that the two camps can't seem to make any attempt to understand each other, even if it's only to make their attacks on the other's idealogical camps more effective. There have been attempts, sure, but none of them seem to show any true understanding of how the other half feels, which means it all falls down into the lowest muck of name-calling and vile accusations. For either side, this is a battle from which there is no compromise because each side feels that to compromise is to fail in a war that *must* be won by their side.

Anyway. Basically, I'm anti-abortion. Pro-life. Convenient handles, because nobody is truly "anti choice or anti life" and it's just the way the jargon has fallen. I balance my views on abortion by taking an opposite stance on another issue - I'm pro-birth control, in a "rain condoms down from the sky" sort of way. As much as we may rail against it, enough people will not practice abstinence to reduce the need for birth control, so why not simply shut up and provide it? Especially since the use of birth control is, in my own faith, a smaller sin than abortion is. I also don't think that adoption is given a fair shake - with so many people in the world desperate for a child, why is abortion the *first* option so many seem to go to? Why isn't adoption?

(I'll insert another side note here - I don't have any specific objection to the death penalty in its more theoretical aspects, but the chance of being wrong makes me quiver. And so many times, we've been wrong...fallen into the "he might not have done *this* crime but he's done enough that he needs to be put down. Of course, another side of me occasionally wonders what is so damn special about a human life that has set itself against the rest of humanity, and why making sure that that life never hurts anyone again is so wrong. The thing about abortion is that it takes away a human who is innocent of any crime, and is full of potential. A tabula rasa.)

So many religous positions come from the idea that people must be forced into doing the right thing, and not simply shown both choices and allowed to pick for themselves. But the hands-off approach - "Abortion is murder, but God will deal with it when that person dies" seems so limp. After all, if I do have the faith of my convictions (which is another question entirely), I should be outraged, I should want to scream, be an activist, lobby for laws to protect those who I see as being threatened.

Enough. I'm already tired of listening to myself talk (type?). I'm going to go home and take a long shower. Whatever mad impulse that has come over me and compelled me to put a bullseye on my back by actually, god forbid, taking a controversial position will surely go away. But then, I don't suppose anybody really cares that much about this damn diary and my damn thoughts.

2:43 p.m. - 2002-08-22

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