This is a completely secular observation. I don’t present a biblical case at all.
Thou shall not murder? Except in war, self defense, home invasion, crimes of passion, when not guilty by reason of insanity… People have attached so much red tape onto those four little words that they hardly have any integrity anymore. You could make a sound argument that abortion should fall under the self defense clause and you wouldn’t exactly be wrong. If it’s okay for a man to take a human life because his TV is being threatened, it stands to reason that a woman can take a life when she feels her body is being threatened.
This is a harsh reality for some Christians to confront, but I believe that due to the historical behavior of many Christians and the church, we forfeited the moral upper hand long ago. Somewhere in the midst of hypocrisy, compromise of scriptures, and the outright abuse of women and children in some quarters, our moral authority on the issue of abortion has been revoked.
So, I make no religious argument at all, not even a moral one. I simply cannot sit in
judgment of some woman in Africa who has watched four of her children die of AIDS and
seeks an abortion so two others won’t starve. Even an animal will eat their young when conditions on the ground are deemed unsuitable for raising offspring.
I can’t condemn a genuine rape survivor and self righteously proclaim that she should
just make that heroic leap into forgiveness and trust herself to embrace the sacrificial nature of motherhood. Right, like that’s a piece of cake.
I can’t even be horrified by the 16 yr old girl not far from where I live who gave birth and put her baby in the garbage can. That girl lived in a house with five older men, not one who cared enough to notice she was pregnant, to help her seek medical care, to assist her during childbirth at home. She was charged with murder, they weren’t, because our system doesn’t recognize that there are whole lot of different ways to kill somebody.
I can’t even judge some of the girls in the western world who casually approach abortion as if it were just like preventative dental care. I can however, condemn those who promote this ideology and profit off of it. It’s exploitive towards women and leads girls to perceive themselves as having little value.
Religion and morality aside however, there are multiple secular reasons why our culture is going to suffer the consequences of abortion, not individual women, but us as a society. We’re promoting a culture of death, one that does not respect and value the nature of conception, does not value what women, and only women, can bring to the biological equation. Not only is human life being perceived as nothing more significant then a clump of cells, the full significance and value of women is slowly being disregarded. Women are losing value in the biological equation. We were once perceived as the gatekeepers of sex, the path to reproduction, and a kind of economic exchange would occur between men and women. A bit of a cold and clinical perspective perhaps, but that was the social structure at one time.
Children are also now being presented as a burden, a failure. We don’t want women
punished with a baby. Pregnancy is perceived as an accident, motherhood is something
you’re now encouraged to avoid, almost as if it were evidence of some kind of failure.
It’s a bit ironic, women think they’ve made such gains in feminism, such progress.
We’ve actually lost a great deal of ground. In some ways, feminism has been more
beneficial for men than for women. Men now have access to consequence and commitment
free sex, with few strings attached. What have women gained? Access to birth control?
Abortion rights?
As lovely as sex is, casual sex for women is just not quite the same thing as it is
for men. We talk about empowerment and choices and being sexually liberated and yet
many women are instinctually aware something is just wrong here. Taken to it’s (il)logical conclusion, the rad/fems now like to talk about how all PIV must than be rape, since so many women are feeling as if something is being stolen from them. We’re losing our minds.
I say in all sincerity, I don’t see women of today becoming more open, more liberated
and educated sexually, I see them as becoming more and more sexually confused. Wrecking Ball and Teddy Bear kind of confused. Miley Cyrus kind of confused. Not to be impolite, but sometimes I start to suspect that our mothers and grandmothers may have had healthier attitudes and more self awareness. Scary thought, but your grandmother may have known more about sex than you do.
Women are learning not to respect their bodies and we’re teaching men not to respect our bodies either. We’re deluding ourselves into believing it’s somehow about empowerment and choices and bodily autonomy. A little secret about they myth of bodily autonomy, an unwanted pregnancy is evidence of you not having any. You surrendered your autonomy, that was kind of the whole point. An unwanted pregnancy is proof that a violation, a betrayal of your body has occurred. Abortion is not choice or the exercising of our bodily autonomy, it’s damage control.
Abortion is really bad for women from a cultural and social perspective, and especially offensive because it’s presented to us as a right, a benefit. Many men fall for this, too, thinking they’re promoting equal rights and fairness for women. That’s also insidious because it exploits the protective nature of men and makes it difficult for them to see the whole nature of the issue.
Some people like to say abortion should be safe, legal, and rare, and hold onto this idea that abortion is a difficult and heartbreaking decision that weighs heavy on women’s hearts. That may have been true at the start of the struggle for abortion rights, but it’s fading fast. I’m sure individual women struggle with it morally, but those who are now tweeting and blogging and bragging about their abortions, are no longer connected to the emotional weight of the matter. Those are hearts that have been hardened to the significance of the choice they are making.
The world has changed in the last 40 years, attitudes have changed, what girls think, feel, and believe about things has been heavily influenced by propaganda. That’s no longer a potential human life, it’s now a meaningless clump of cells.
Girls these days are less likely to perceive themselves as the givers of life and more likely to perceive themselves as sexual receptacles, defending themselves from biological inconvenience. There’s something really damaging happening to women’s psyches because of the shift in our sexual mores. When men enter our bodes they enter our souls, but girls tend to not believe that anymore. They have been sold this idea that there are no psychological consequences to having sex, only physical ones.
A wise man once told me, if the world truly loved women, no woman would ever need an abortion. That is so profoundly true. Sometimes I think we offer women abortion rights as a kind of consolation prize for living in a broken world. It’s a bit cruel, really, because we than feel as if we can just ignore the issues on the ground that have led to abortion in the first place.
Believe it or not, I actually think men have a huge seat at the table when it comes to the abortion issue, one that perhaps many would prefer to avoid because it requires them to not only empathize with women, but to confront the reality of their own behavior, not so much as individuals, but as players in this kind of symbiotic relationship between men and women. Unfortunately, I suspect our never ending fondness for shaming each other will prevent that meeting of minds from ever happening. But you never know, sometimes people can surprise me.
Doobster418 said:
Of course, I don’t agree with you.
I’m one of those who says I’m not pro-abortion, but I am pro-choice. I think every woman has the right to decide for herself what she wishes to do about an unplanned, unwanted pregnancy, regardless of how that situation came about. But at the same time, I don’t believe that abortion is the first or best option for women in those circumstances to consider.
Yes, there are always going to be some callous, shallow women, mostly younger, unattached women, I would think, who will go to Twitter and Facebook and brag to the world about their abortion. But I don’t buy the argument that they represent most women. And I also don’t believe that the availability of safe and legal “abortion is really bad for women from a cultural and social perspective.”
I find it sort of ironic that you would quote a “wise man” who told you that “if the world truly loved women, no woman would ever need an abortion.” Personally, I think the biggest issue facing women today is that there are too many “wise” (or not so wise) men who believe they know what’s best for women.
But then again, I’m a man, so what the hell do I know?
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insanitybytes22 said:
“Personally, I think the biggest issue facing women today is that there are too many “wise” (or not so wise) men who believe they know what’s best for women.”
Doobster, it always strikes me as kind of amusing, this is an argument so many men make. Men, not women. Believe it or not, many women actually tend to seek out men’s opinions, they want their input, their perspective on things, their approval even. However, there’s a political meme dominating, that declares men should have no opinion on the issue of abortion at all. It’s a silencing and shaming tactic, very effective, because many men would probably prefer to avoid the issue entirely anyway. Ironic, because we never tell pro-choice men to butt out, as if they don’t know what they’re talking about.
My wise guy was correct, regardless of which side of the issue you’re on. If the world was a nice place, if women respected their bodies, if there was more economic, cultural, social support for motherhood, if men were more committed to never causing an unwanted pregnancy, no one would ever ponder the need for an abortion. Abortion is not a symptom of a healthy society, it’s evidence of collateral damage.
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Doobster418 said:
IB, you’re being very defensive. My comment in no way implied or even hinted that women should not seek out men’s input or opinions. Of course they should. Dare I say, that’s their choice? Nor did I imply that men should have no opinion on the issue of abortion. Of course men are entitled to have an opinion. I’m a man and I have an opinion.
What I was saying is that it seems to be mostly men — whether the Catholic Church hierarchy, or federal, state, and local politicians — who feel they are entitled to and responsible for making these very personal and private decisions on behalf of women.
As to economic, cultural, and social support for motherhood, it is often these same male politicians, those who belong to a certain political party whose name starts with the letter R, who are doing every they can to cut back on the very economic, cultural, and social support programs that can be of assistance to women who have children, particular single mothers who don’t have a personal support system or their own economic resources to assist them.
I’m sorry that you have such a dismal view of our 21st century society, but you can’t turn the clock back to the 1950s. Why would you even want to? Nor can you turn the clock back to the turn of the 20th century when women in this country didn’t even have the right to vote.
No one in today’s society is forcing a woman to have or even to consider having an abortion. But society should not prevent abortion from being an option available to all women.
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insanitybytes22 said:
Sorry doobster, am I being defensive? If so, I have no awareness of it.
“No one in today’s society is forcing a woman to have or even to consider having an abortion.”
“Force” is an interesting concept when it comes to women, because we tend to go along with the crowd, tailor ourselves to social pressure. That’s why so much marketing is directed at women, it has the power to influence our behavior. So when you say no one is being forced to consider an abortion, you’re right, that has only happened a handful of times. However, we are being manipulated and led into believing that abortion is normal, healthy, and evidence that the world loves us.
Some of this “force” ironically comes from the right side of the aisle with their never ending campaigns against welfare, no fault divorce, emphasis on personal responsibility, and continuous shaming of women. Intentional or not, they can often be found mocking and ridiculing single mothers and bemoaning teen pregnancy, as if it’s helpful to close the barn door after the horse has escaped.
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Doobster418 said:
Are you saying, IB, that women “tend to go along with the crowd and tailor [themselves] to social pressure,” more so than men? Are you suggesting that women are more susceptible to marketing and are more easily influenced by advertising than are men? Are you saying that women are more easily manipulated and led to believe things that may not be true than men?
I must say, IB, you don’t have a very good opinion about your own gender.
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insanitybytes22 said:
“I must say, IB, you don’t have a very good opinion about your own gender.”
I don’t know, doobster, I rather enjoy being a girl, so much so I’m not the least bit concerned about facing the truth of our nature.
Yes, women are more easily influenced by advertising and social pressure, which is why billions of dollars are invested into deliberately targeting women. Do you suffer a constant barrage of yogurt commercials? Oven cleaner, anti-depressants, diet pills, the fashion industry? The truth is, they sell to us because it works, it’s effective, we’re vulnerable.
I’m not ashamed about this at all. Women are simply more responsive to emotional triggers and we lay down memory patterns better than men do. We also tend to operate a bit more collectively, so as the herd goes, so go we. To some degree, anyhow, there’s always a few rebels in every crowd.
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erkkig said:
“That’s no longer a potential human life, it’s now a meaningless clump of cells.”
And this is the tragedy. There are no comparisons to the issue of abortion which is what makes it so difficult. There are two lives and two bodies involved. One is temporarily dependent on the other, but it doesn’t the change the fact that it is two separate human lives. It is quite possible, contrary to popular opinion, to fully support a womans right of autonomy over her own body and the life’s within her right to exist. It doesn’t mean I hate women because in this particular issue I mostly stand on right to exist as trumping ones rights over their own body.
And I also wish application of such rights were discussed secondarily to the larger question of why does anyone have a right to exist at all? And I’m not necessarily implying a religious answer, but like it or not, this debate by default thrusts everyone who entertains it into a complex philosophical, moral, and at times, religious conversation. It touches upon almost every issue at the core of what defines a worldview.
One cannot morally approach this topic without being confronted with deeper questions such as where do our rights come from? Why does one lifes rights trump others? What is the determining factor? Who’s the authority on this and why? Do we have a right to exists simply because we exist or not? When does one become a human? What constitutes a human life? Etc., etc.
These are hard questions and I don’t think there are easy answers. But these questions need to be asked before we can put the conversation in its proper perspective and genuinely discuss what is or is not an ethical abortion. It doesn’t have to mean abortion doesn’t exist at all either. But it’s a grave and solemn topic, and I think asking these question would help ensure it gets treated as such and that the application of rights determined is appropriate to the seriousness of the lives affected. The goal should be to minimize as much unnecessary death and suffering all around as is possible.
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insanitybytes22 said:
“And I also wish application of such rights were discussed secondarily to the larger question of why does anyone have a right to exist at all?”
Yikes, now there’s a scary topic. That is the discussion we are going to be having one way or another, as a culture, as we move more into the lab and some of the disturbing ethical issues we’re facing, cloning people, gene manipulation, growing human organs. I’m fairly certain I’m not quite emotionally prepared for this brave new world we seem to be entering 🙂
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erkkig said:
Scary for sure depending on how its answered and applied. But it’s being discussed already regardless of whether or not it’s recognized. It is precisely what the abortion debate is about.
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claire said:
Excellent point that there are two lives concerned in the question
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Paul said:
Good post IB.
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higharka said:
The Bible gave us pretty clear guidance on this one, and I tend to agree with it. Abortion.
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siriusbizinus said:
Hello! This is very thought provoking! I had just a couple of comments for you.
This one is a bit nitpicky of me. It’s actually not okay for a man to defend his TV with deadly force. That’s defense of property. It used to be legal, but nowadays the only time deadly force is justified for self-defense is defense of self or others. Different states have other requirements, and though I hope no one ever has to resort to self-defense, it’s always wise to know that those requirements are (like a possible duty to retreat).
With regards to the main points you’re making, I agree with some and disagree with some. I think that abortion should be made a moot choice through addressing the outlying causes of it. But I don’t think public changes in perceptions about sex is responsible for women getting abortions. I think the problem lies in that education about sex doesn’t go far enough in explaining how to responsibly regulate one’s sexual identity for both genders. Without explaining the full consequences of one’s actions, how can anyone expect younger people to make informed decisions?
Perhaps some girls are changing how they see themselves. Then again, maybe girls now express themselves in different ways, so we are just now realizing some things that weren’t broadcast as easily in previous years. If a woman is sexually active, does it really mean she doesn’t respect herself? I think the only woman who can answer that is each woman individually.
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insanitybytes22 said:
Hmm, interesting. Thanks for your comment. In my state, I think homicide is allowed if you are protecting your property. Much of the country was recently focused on Florida and castle doctrines, which struck me as a bit weird, because in this state I’m pretty sure it’s always been an established right that nobody ever questions. We’ve had numerous cases on the news where no-one was arrested or charged because it was evident they were protecting their property. Good suggestion, however, research your own state, because laws vary.
As to sex ed not going far enough, that may be true in some ways, or rather what we are teaching must be so separated from morality, that kids are being taught something distorted, disconnected from the whole humanness of it all. At the moment, you really aren’t allowed to address any of the consequences of sex beyond the physical dangers.
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outstandingbachelor said:
For the pro-choice side, once the innocent unborn is formed there seems to be a great deal of interest generated in keeping all options open – including terminating this life (for the good of the unborn, we are occasionally told).
If the option of abortion on demand were outlawed, perhaps there would be greater respect for the sanctity of life, and the weightiness of bringing a child into this world.
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higharka said:
(Am I banned, or am I just having a problem with WordPress?) Testing, testing, 1,2,3.
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insanitybytes22 said:
Naw, I wouldn’t ban you. I enjoy your comments. Blame wordpress.
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higharka said:
(Ah yes, the old one appeared up there, now, a full day later. Carry on. :-))
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Leo said:
Good post. I however believe that the Church has the responsibility to be the moral, rational and compassionate voice that says abortion is wrong in all circumstances. Many Christians have failed to live up to this call, but it doesn’t mean it is forfeit. Thanks for writing about this.
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insanitybytes22 said:
Oh yes, the church has the responsibility to be the rational, moral, and compassionate voice! In fact, I have a rather desperate plea that they stand up and do so! The world is a chaotic and scary place and people so desperately need something to hang onto right now.
The problem with “the church” however is that they are not all on the same page. On one hand we have churches endorsing gay marriage and expressing pro-choice support, while others are reveling in their own moral superiority while clearly demonstrating “do as I say, not as I do.” So, hypocrisy and inconsistency makes it very difficult to claim moral authority with any kind of authenticity. Not that others shouldn’t try, I’m just not up to the task myself.
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suckmywake said:
“How does a woman have any power or control over a man when she’s giving a man exactly what he wants?”
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violetwisp said:
Well. it’s not too bad a post. I agree with quite a lot of what you say, it’s a complicated subject. Next time a Christian man is annoying me with his lack of perspective I might send him over here.
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insanitybytes22 said:
LOL, gee thanks Violet, who couldn’t use a few Christian men lacking perspective? Glad to see you’re doing well 🙂
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Lex Solo said:
You deserve a standing ovation! Well, said. Abortion is damage control. Can our society fall any lower than that?
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claire said:
Good article, well expressed. I agree wholeheartedly.
Additionally as one of those grandma’s mentioned I would definitely say women have lost out a lot over the past 40 years. Oh for the days when sex equaled love and caring commitment. The “free love” of the 60s has become a dubious toy and abortion an escape from its consequences. Historically fertile women where valued and to be barren esteemed a curse. I wouldn’t want to go back to all of that, but now in a society steeped in selfishness the balance has shifted way too far.
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Grace and Truth Ministries International said:
Great responses InsanityBytes22, especially to Doobster418. Women are the initial target of all manipulative tactics of corruption in society, because they are the #1 influence in the lives of men. If they don’t have the support and leadership of strong fathers and husbands, they become the #1 weapon of seduction against men. There is nothing new under the sun. What worked in the Garden of Eden in the beginning, still works today. There is no need for the enemy to change his tactics, because all of the characters in the play are still the same. Both men and women are accountable for their own decisions, but fathers and husbands have the greatest accountability before God for abdicating their responsibility of family leadership. (Numbers 30)(Malachi 4:5-6)
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