EFFECTIVENESS VS. RIGHTS
Today is the selected day for the Pro-Life, Pro-Contraception Blogswarm. Most of my contributions for the day are going to be cheating (referring to posts that I already wrote long ago). But I'll add one thing that's currently on my mind.
When it comes to our support of the use of contraception, some pro-lifers want to put an onus on us to prove that contraception reduces the rate of abortions. When statistics come out about the number of abortions going in one direction or another, they want to examine all the numbers to see whether allowing women to use contraception is "working".
But this ignores a larger issue. That issue is whether a woman has a basic right to do whatever she chooses to do in order to avoid conceiving. We assert that abortion is wrong because there are two people involved in the situation and one of them is going to end up dead. But before a woman conceives, there is no other person in the equation. One person, by herself, making her own decisions about what she wants to do. What she decides is nobody else's business. Whether the availability of contraception reduces the abortion rate or not does not change the fact that it is only right for women to have the right to use it. If we want to reduce the number of abortions, we need to do it by preaching the true message of the sanctity of life of the unborn, not by denying women their right to prevent pregnancy through non-violent means (and I still don't see how people think that taking contraception away would reduce abortions anyway).
Similarly (and I shudder to think about it), there are some people who oppose allowing abortions to save the life of the mother because they fear it would be used as a loophole to achieve unrestricted abortion on demand. The fundamental truth is that no one should ever be required to lose their life in favor of the life of another person. Concerns about subversion of that principle to achieve other ends would have to be addressed in other ways, but not by denying someone their right to save their own life.
Similarly (if I may stray from today's subject), a lot of people try to look at capital punishment in terms of whether it has a "deterrent effect" on other would-be criminals. I don't believe that the effect it has on other people should take priority over the principle of whether or not we believe that the government should have the authority to kill people.
So the overall principle is that if I believe someone has a right to something, I'm not going to be persuaded to trade their rights away to achieve some other goal.
(Ooh, now that's got me thinking about stuff like The Patriot Act. Stay on topic, Joan. Stay on topic.)
When it comes to our support of the use of contraception, some pro-lifers want to put an onus on us to prove that contraception reduces the rate of abortions. When statistics come out about the number of abortions going in one direction or another, they want to examine all the numbers to see whether allowing women to use contraception is "working".
But this ignores a larger issue. That issue is whether a woman has a basic right to do whatever she chooses to do in order to avoid conceiving. We assert that abortion is wrong because there are two people involved in the situation and one of them is going to end up dead. But before a woman conceives, there is no other person in the equation. One person, by herself, making her own decisions about what she wants to do. What she decides is nobody else's business. Whether the availability of contraception reduces the abortion rate or not does not change the fact that it is only right for women to have the right to use it. If we want to reduce the number of abortions, we need to do it by preaching the true message of the sanctity of life of the unborn, not by denying women their right to prevent pregnancy through non-violent means (and I still don't see how people think that taking contraception away would reduce abortions anyway).
Similarly (and I shudder to think about it), there are some people who oppose allowing abortions to save the life of the mother because they fear it would be used as a loophole to achieve unrestricted abortion on demand. The fundamental truth is that no one should ever be required to lose their life in favor of the life of another person. Concerns about subversion of that principle to achieve other ends would have to be addressed in other ways, but not by denying someone their right to save their own life.
Similarly (if I may stray from today's subject), a lot of people try to look at capital punishment in terms of whether it has a "deterrent effect" on other would-be criminals. I don't believe that the effect it has on other people should take priority over the principle of whether or not we believe that the government should have the authority to kill people.
So the overall principle is that if I believe someone has a right to something, I'm not going to be persuaded to trade their rights away to achieve some other goal.
(Ooh, now that's got me thinking about stuff like The Patriot Act. Stay on topic, Joan. Stay on topic.)
I just had to comment here. I have recently found your blog and I do enjoy it. By chance tonight I just clicked on the pro-life post.
I have to say that I used to think like you do. I am writing to ask you to research more into what you are saying here.
Do you know that most birth control causes abortion? Since we know life begins at conception abstence is the best policy. We should be teaching this instead of handing out birth control. I realize for married couples this isn't the route to take. There is always natural family planning. A very safe effect way to prevent pregnancy.
I haven't read enough to know if you are a Christian. I see "my Church" over in the side lines. I have to say that no, we should never be in a position to have to die for someone. But Jesus Christ died for us. He gave His life so that we may have life to the fullest.
Life to the fullest is doing what He says we should do. Not what feels good to us. Even if that includes having more children than we plan. Or more children than we think we can afford.
Posted by: Momma12 | Sunday, January 18, 2009 at 05:15 PM
"Stay on topic, Joan. Stay on topic."
Hey, it's your blog. You can wander if you want to.
I try to never stay on topic. Cilantro makes for excellent burritos and the weather is getting warmer, have you noticed? The answer to everything plus three.
Posted by: UncaAlby | Sunday, May 24, 2009 at 09:42 PM