Letter to the Editor
The abortion issue
Published Sunday, July 27, 2008
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To the editor:
I would like to write in support of Joe Smith who wrote a letter that posited that “abortion is the pre-eminent issue of our time.” He is right. Even though as a nation of Christians, most of us have been shouted down by the more vocal minority, the truth has a way of shining through.
Abortion is the biggest war and the greatest horror of all time. Just because it is committed under sterile conditions and behind closed doors doesn’t make it any less violent.
We are repeatedly told that the answer is more sex education and more contraceptives. Does anyone really believe that our kids do not know about sex and contraceptives? They are bombarded with these images 24/7 through the mass media. The so-called sexual revolution and the contraceptive mentality are what got us into this mess to begin with — the idea that we should have indiscriminate sex with anyone at anytime (just don’t forget your protection! ) has led to the breakdown of marriage and the family. Women are treated as disposable playthings, children are seen as burdens who are also disposable.
Christianity has taught for 2000 years that abortion is wrong. One of the earliest Christian writings, the Didache, written about 60 A.D., says, “You shall not kill the human embryo by abortion.” Many, many good people have fallen prey to this master deceit of the abortion industry. I grieve for them and their loss. As a nation, it is time to set this wrong right, before God is forced to step in for us.
Community Discussion
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Not everyone in the US is Christian, and we as a country do not have a national religion. I do not want your religious beliefs imposed upon my body thank you very much.
Nation of Christians, eh? Failing to remember that our founding fathers were Diests, hmm? But I digress. Sex education is an avenue for prevention of pregnancy and disease. Abstinence only ed doesn’t work – hence why nearly all of the states have refused federal funding last year and this approaching school year. And really, education through TV and flashy magazines, as our esteemed letter writer pointed out? That isn’t education- that’s advertising. Education involves someone (I’m not going to touch the learn it at home vs. at school debate) sitting down with facts, not feelings. Here’s how you get pregnant. Here’s what an STI is. Here’s how to avoid these things. And clearly our kids need to know more. The teen pregnancy rate increased this year for the first time in 15 years. 15 years! Clearly, we’re failing somewhere…
So why are you imposing your beliefs upon the innocent baby's body?
There were only a few diests among the founding fathers, that vast majority were Christians. Sex education has been manifestly shown not to work.
As I've previously stated on the topic, as long as the cells involved can not survive out side of my body, it's a part of me, and I can do with my body as I wish.
Besides, if we are going to make it illegal to impose a parents beliefs upon a child we should start making it illegal to send children to christian school, or church.
So well said "SpeakUp"! To the writer, you speak of abortion by human choice being wrong, yet you accept the abortions (that is the technical term for a dead embryo or fetus in utero regardless of the cause) brought upon a person by your God? Why is it acceptable for a supposed divine being to make that choice, but not for the human that God so graciously gave the gift of free will? For the record, I do not feel as though abortion should be used as birth control, and I feel as though I can say this having dealt with abortion in my own family - a teen pregnancy seen through, and an abortion later in marriage. However, who are you to say that the young girls and many women that are raped and molested each year must give birth to a child that may simply serve as a constant reminder of a violating brutal crime??? They did not choose to become pregnant in such a fashion. What do you say to them? And if you allow them the right of abortion, how do you deny others the same right? I agree it is a terrible mess, but I don't think that it takes the cake over topics such as drugs, alcohol, physical and emotional abuse of people of all ages, etc. And truly, if those things I just listed were not going on, then it is pretty safe to assume that some of those unwanted pregnancies would not be occuring either. Oh, and I might add that the tools used to removed an aborted fetus or embryo brought on by God, are the same tools that are used in optional abortions.
America is not a nation of Christians. We are a nation of all races and religions and no one religion's view should be imposed upon all of us. Constantly writing about abortion from strictly a Christian perspective (not that there's anything wrong with that) makes it seen as if only Christians are against abortion. With that being said...one does not necessarily need religion to argue against abortion.
Marie Barr - constatly referring to a baby inside it's mother as a mass of cells is absolutely disgusting and trivializes both sides of the abortion argument. Pro-lifers feel that a life begins with conceptions. That is not a unreasonable belief. At the same time, I'm sure that most women who get abortion treat it as if they're having a wart frozen off. Most women don't fret about having a wart frozen off for days and weeks on end. They don't then think about it for the rest of their lives either. Please have some more respect for the topic with which we're dealing.
Additionally, your argument is severaly flawed - Newborn babies can't survive on their own either, but it doesn't make them less worthy of our protection. All life is worthy of protection. Yes, if at the moment of conception the baby is taken out of the mother and left alone it will die....but so would a full term baby. But with the right shelter and source of nutrition, that full term baby will live, right? Well so would a newly-fertilized egg. Just look at invitro fertilization.
That should have read... "At the same time, I'm sure that most women who get abortion DON'T treat it as if they're having a wart frozen off."
"Sex education has been manifestly shown not to work."
Lance, care to back that up with some proof?
I'd like to read it if it's available.
I have plenty of respect for the topic, and I also have plenty of respect for science, which many people choose to ignore or demonize in this debate. A zygote, by definition is a mass of cells that were formed by fertilization of a cell. Science may seem callous, but not everything can be emotionally driven. I don't see at all how that trivializes anything. Scientifically this topic is very simple, it's the emotional, religious, and moral aspects that make it complicated.
That all being said, my argument isn't flawed at all.
Scientifically speaking the relationship between a fetus and mother is a parasitic relationship (specifically a commensalistic relationship), the fact that the non-scientific community has attached a negative meaning to parasite doesn't change how the relationship between fetus and mother biologically works.
The zygote/embryo/fetus can not function independently of the host's body, where as a baby can. It many not be able to obtain the necessary sustenance by itself but it is capable of the processes of life. Even an adult needs some sort of assistance obtaining food, shelter etc.
Are you seeing the difference here? One can not exist without a host, while another is fully functioning on it's own.
As for the emotional aspect of the whole situation, that is something that each woman and associated people involved have to sort out using their own moral system.
I'm not going to try an convince anyone what moral system they should or shouldn't use.
hey! i'm no disposable plaything! but i'm sure my parents percieved me as a burden when i was kid though....
It is unfortunate that this useful tool the Newsminer has provided for us has become such an intellectual vacuum. Does anybody even think about what they are saying here before they post?
What is sad about all this is that most of you blame our social problems on others when you should be looking in the mirror for the real source.
tdoval...I have a mirror I need you to look at.
As I sit here holding my own baby I can’t believe that people in this world can be so cruel.
For me I believe Abortion is wrong. Becoming pregnant is something that can happen and will happen if you CHOOSE to have unprotected sex. Which I learned in sex Ed. How ever I do understand in which there are times in which a choice must be made. I do believe that it’s our (women’s) body, which was given life from God. I do NOT judge people who choose to have it done. I am not the one that will judge these women. But REALLY makes me mad is the numerous women that use abortion as a way to deal with an unwanted pregnancy, a form of birth control. Because they are to unreasonable to use a Condom or any other form of birth control that you can get for FREE!!!!!!!!!! Abortions are not free!!!!!!!!!!
Yes maybe we need more sex education but tell me why it is up to the public and the schools to teach children? thats what becoming a parent is. If we are not teaching our children then who is and what are they teaching them……It’s ok to have sex with this man because he SAYS he loves me and what HE says is true???? If its true then these women or young girls wouldn’t find them self’s making the choice. Life or Death? Maybe we should offer more parenting classes to all women to insure they are teaching there children how to make the RIGHT choice about there own bodies.....
TO the ones who say they are PRO choice, Fine your right it is your choice so why not make the choice to use a method to prevent the unwanted pregnancy in the first place? Why make a baby if you don’t want it??? Just a thought.
~Shantelle
I think this world would be a better place if all you abortion rights people would abort yourself. Then we wouldn't have to listen to your lame and selfish excuses to kill your babies.
If the people in this country would just do the right thing?/!! Many thousands of women can't have children due to some medical reason, women that would love to have the chance to be a loving mother. For others, children are parasites. If a woman is raped, kill the S>O>B> that raped her, then let her carry the child to full term. If she finds she doesn't want to keep the baby because it's too difficult for mental or any other reason, then let it be adopted. After a few hundred killings of the real problem, the rapist, men would start to get the idea that it's not worth death for a few moments of pleasuse. On the other hand if a woman gets pregnant just because she's too horney to wait till she's married, should have this choice>if she wants an abortion she must also sacrifice her own life and the father when the baby is killed. It wouldn't take too many of these to change the minds of everyone. Re-education, not education. Today's laws are too convenient for people.
personally, i'm really looking forward to the day when god does step in and stop all this insanity. and it IS coming.
Dear Author, to write and agree with Joe's statement that abortion is the pre-eminent issue of our time is highly over rated. You must just be focusing all your time and energy on the Fairbanks Daily News Miner's letters to the editor. Step out side of your narrow thinking box and go global... yah have the internet!!
My body, my rights, my freedom to choose. That's why we live in the USA!
I have little doubt that the Western world is headed for collapse and annihilation, and it will be by suicide, not at the hand of terrorists or enemy states—although that may well facilitate the demise. As Abraham Lincoln asserted, “If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.”
Pseudo-Christian Europe has had an extremely low birthrate for decades, while the burgeoning Muslim population is growing exponentially. With the average European family having less than 2 children and the average Muslim family having 8-10 children it won’t be long until Europe as we know it will be no more. Muslims vote and they will vote to radically alter laws that facilitate gross immorality. In our case, abortion and samesex marrige. I assure you they will not need bombs and bullets; mathematics will more than suffice.
GOD SAVE ME! KILL ALL THE ABORTION RIGHTS PEOPLE! GOD! GOD! GOD! ABORT! KILL! KILL THE WHOLE FAMILY! ...save the unborn?
An unwanted child will become an unwanted person.
Let's be practical. We are going to have sex and we are going to have unwanted pregnancy. It is far better to take care of this early than to make a child suffer an eternity by being unwanted, resented and likely less that provided for.
Here this topic again in a public setting. Socially, it seems abortion is very destructive to a nation - religion aside for a moment. It would be interesting to do a historical study of the result of abortion aside of religion on nations - what social affects does it have.
From a national standpoint. Please understand that it is the God given right to express opinion in the public setting. This freedom of speech is what makes our country great. Just as you can choose to comment with your opinions which are based in secular humanism, likewise the author can state opinions which are based in Bibilical Christianity. She is no more imposing her religion on you, than this country has imposed secular humanism on her, and the children that have been aborted. The problem I see once again, is that we do not view secular humanism as a religion - but it is.
From a religious standpoint - obviously the Bible teaches that this is wrong, without question. But TO THE CHRISTIANS.... PLEASE READ THIS!
I agree that we must contend for the widows and the orphans (in this case the unborn) However while we contend. Why do you expect those who do not know Jesus Christ as there personal saviour to except the beliefs taught in the Bible. SOmetimes we act (as Christians) as though those secular humanists and other religion will and should accept truth taught in Scripture as if it is accepted by them. If they accepted scriptures as truth, we would not be arguiing this point in the first place.
More importantly, perphaps instead of spending so much time debating abortion and capital punishment, we should spend more time learning to walk with God, studying scriptures, and being a light to those in the world in WORD AND DEED!
Christians are not meant to be repulsive, and yet they will offend unbelievers, simply because they are living by a different set of standards (or at least they should be).
What do you as a Christian work harder at? Defending abortion, capital punishment, specific pet doctrines etc... or Doing the work of an evangelist and fulfilling your ministry.
How about this, as a group of Christians in our nation we start paying attention to government again. Have Christian leaders get involved in government. Instead, we've regressed to the point were our next president might be someone who speaks of Marxism and Black liberation theology. Where are the men in our nation? Why aren't they standing up and leading their families from the roots up? Why aren't they taking their place at the city gates?
Christians - wise up and stop acting foolishly
I am emphatically NOT a christian. I do NOT claim any one party political affiliation. I AM a mother.
Those of you supporting "a woman's right to choose", have you ever had an abortion? Ever been with child? Have you ever felt that single, solitary moment in time when you KNEW you were not alone?
I've been there, done that and speak from experience.
I'm also the product of an "oops". How many of us were planned? Before I had my son, and obviously before my abortion, I did believe it was "my body, my choice". Never again.
I sincerely believe that we women are at our strongest when we graciously accept the times in our lives when we know we have no other choice. When we realize it isn't about me, when we sacrifice.
I wasn't supposed to be able to have children; thanks to birthcontrol from the twighlight zone: IUD perforated my uterus. As grateful and blessed as I am for my nearly 20 year old son, I will take my last breath mourning the child I cast aside.
Abortion lasts forever.
Mrs S
Shantelle - What about the couples who use protection and still become pregnant? They made the choice to have sex, but they also made the choice to prevent pregnancy by using protection.
Last time I checked freedom of speach was a constitutionally guaranteed right, not a god given one.
This country is officially a secular one. Given the multitude of different belief systems in the US personal choice for moral decisions is the fairest way to go. It allows each individual make a decision based upon their own moral guidelines.
Obviously, on some issues the law is going to interfere, such as with the "honor killings" that happen in some cultures. However, for the most part the US gives people quite a bit of personal freedom to exercise their own belief system.
Abortion- THE BEST CHOICE!!! I love these Christians! They never really help people who have these kids, as kids. But they complain if a zygote is removed! IT’S NOT A BABY!!! And even if it is- get over it! If someone wants it out of their body- it's their choice!!! Why don't you all keep your tumors? You smoked! You drank! You ate McDonalds! You asked for it and now you got it! So keep it! It is a mass of living cells!!! Sorry, AM radio won’t save you from that tumor you brought upon yourself from your lifestyle.
Get your OWN life and you won’t worry so much about other's!!!! I love the wackos outside Planned Parenthood. Do these people work or are they on welfare??? Ahhh...there it is! Protect the next generation of welfare babies so they can protest!!!
Good day