States of grace

Further to last week's column and post about the 40 Days for Life Campaign, there has been some peaceful pushback in some cities.

Gotta love those Ottawa Valley grrls.

Meanwhile, the anti-choicers, who insist on inflicting their religion on women  seeking abortions, claim to have saved 38 babies and induced one clinic staffer to quit. I wonder how many of those young women were intimidated by seeing a chanting people holding up shaming signs?

Over on Twitter, pro-choice types are being harassed by this one-man vigil-ante squad.

Notice his reference to this:

ARLINGTON, TN (WMC-TV) - Shelby County Sheriff's deputies say a pregnant Arlington woman was murdered by her boyfriend after the couple had argued about an abortion.

Well, since she's dead and he's not, we'll have to take the police explanation as the reason for the dispute.

"There was a bullet wound in the side of her stomach, one in her chest, one it looked to be in the back of her head. There was so much blood you couldn't tell," (a neighbour) said.

<SNIP>

Witnesses told detectives that (the accused) Nelson was the father of (the victim's) Johnson's child, and that he wanted her to have an abortion, but she refused.

Ingram says Nelson's intent to kill the child was obvious by her wounds.

"It looked like he was intent on killing both of them," he said.

Detectives agree. Nelson will be charged with double murder.

Two thoughts on that.

One is that, intimate partner violence is one of the leading causes of maternal death during pregnancy. Motives range from jealousy to not wanting a child. This victim was way past the abortion point, unless her life was in danger from the fetus -- and there's no indication that's the case. So there's probably much more to this story. (And why do I think we'll hear from the Men's Rights guys among us on this one?)

The other thought is, a double homicide charge here is venturing on to legal turf that could restrict a woman's right to choose -- as we saw last year in Canada when most Conservatives (and many Liberals) endorsed a private member's bill that could have done exactly that.

And, just like I suggested last week, more and more US states are looking at legislative means to end women's reproductive rights. This time, it's California.

From Florida to California, abortion foes are gathering signatures, pressing state legislators and raising money to put personhood measures on ballots next year. In Louisiana, a class at a Catholic high school is lobbying state legislators as part of a civics exercise.

"We have big and small efforts going on in 30 states right now," said Keith Mason, co-founder of Colorado-based Personhood USA. "Our goal is to activate the population."

Critics deride the effort as the "egg-as-person" movement and say it threatens in vitro fertilization; some kinds of birth control, including IUDs and pills; and stem cell research. They say that Americans will reject it as a government intrusion into their privacy.

"It's a backdoor abortion ban," said Ted Miller, spokesman for NARAL Pro-Choice America, which has worked with Planned Parenthood and other abortion rights groups to defeat such measures.

But, before you think that all Christians are trying to bring women back to the swords and sandals age, here are some truly enlightened people. (H/T I am Dr. Tiller)

The Religious Coalition is pro-choice, not pro-abortion. We do not at any time advocate for abortion but we do advocate for women and men making their own decisions about their reproductive life, in consultation with their faith tradition, a condition that we believe is the very basis of an individual's dignity and of moral behavior.

Being pro-choice means we believe women and men should be able to decide what is best for themselves and their families, including giving birth, choosing adoption, and deciding to have an abortion. We work to keep family planning and sexuality education available to all Americans because these are the tested and proven ways to reduce unintended pregnancies and abortions.

The fact is, we communicate the grave moral nature of abortion. As people of faith, we support individuals in making their own moral decisions and stand with them as they struggle with the very real complexities of life. It is clear that, while people of all religions anguish over abortion, most feel this is a moral decision, one a woman must make for herself in keeping with her faith, beliefs, conscience, and her own personal situation.

Which is the way it should be.

Here's the deal.

I'll stay out of your Church.

You stay out of my ... face.

Comments

[Robert McClelland]

"Gotta love those Ottawa Valley grrls."

Not really. They're a perfect example of why the pro-choice side is beginning to lose in this country. You don't counter "Abortion is Murder" with vapid slogans like "Choice: Keep abortion safe and legal." You counter it with slogans along the lines of, "Covering up child rape is a crime," and "Don't let an organization filled with pedophiles make your health decisions."

You all know what church is the driving force behind this and you all know it doesn't have a moral leg to stand on. When they picket an abortion clinic, you picket a church on Sunday. Give them a taste of their own medicine; demand to know how they can support an organization whose hierarchy perpetrated and covered up horrendous crimes for decades. Make them feel uncomfortable walking past you as you point out the log in their eye. In short, stop playing nice with these people and give them a hard boot to the...um, you know what.

[Luna]

FWIW, the United Church of Canada takes a pro-choice stance. The difference is that the UCC doesn't insist that every one of its members believe the same thing. The other difference is that the resolution to be pro-choice (as well as every resolution made) came from the members themselves, not from a supposedly infallible, old virgin in a dress.

When I talked about it with my minister, she said she'd go with me for support if I ever decided to have an abortion. Now that's support!

[The Stygian and his Shemitish Dogs]

"In short, stop playing nice with these people and give them a hard boot to the...um, you know what."

and do it in an Ulster accent while you're at it.