Monday, November 03, 2008
Alasandra's Place: Oh Please
Alasandra's Place: Oh Please: "Contrary to Janna O'Donnell's post Obama and the Danger to our Freedoms, Christians can still 'speak about your beliefs to other believers and share those beliefs in discussion (public or private)' , what they can't do is force their beliefs on other people, harass people who belief differently then they do and spew hatred. You wouldn't think that would be a problem for them."
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Except that the government has shown increasing tendencies to force individuals to choose between their beliefs and their livelihoods. Just look at the case of Elaine Huguenin, the wedding photographer fined $7k for refusing to accept a lesbian couple as a client because of her Christian beliefs. Or Dr. Christine Brody, the fertility specialist who was successfully sued by a lesbian whom Dr. Brody refused to treat on religious grounds. Or all the Christian-affiliated hospitals and adoption agencies denied religious exemptions for laws mandating such things as giving out the Plan B chemical abortifacient or homosexual adoptions.
ReplyDeleteIt's not like homosexuals can't go elsewhere to find a photographer, fertility doctor, or adoption agency. Why does their convenience overrule the right of Christians to live in accordance with their religious beliefs?
But why should one group get to discriminate against another group?
ReplyDeleteAlso Plan B is a form of birth control not abortion. From the website http://www.go2planb.com/
Plan B® does not protect against HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Plan B® isn't effective if you're already pregnant, and it won't terminate an existing pregnancy.
I find it upsetting that so many pro-lifers object to birth control.
Education and reliable birth control is the key to ending abortions. Unfortunately many of the religious right object to sex education where kids would learn how their bodies work, how to prevent STD's and unwanted pregnancies. And many of the religious right want to prevent women from using birth control. Thus making abortions necessary.
Hopefully one day all women and men will have the sex education they need to protect themselves from STD's and unwanted pregnancies and everyone that wants it will have access to birth control, making abortions obsolete.
You said
ReplyDeleteIt's not like homosexuals can't go elsewhere to find a photographer, fertility doctor, or adoption agency. Why does their convenience overrule the right of Christians to live in accordance with their religious beliefs?
Where do you suggest they go? In the Bible Belt I doubt they could go anywhere without being discriminated against.
Also Plan B is most often used in the case of rape and must be taken as soon as possible. I find it horrifying that anyone would expect a rape victim to run around looking for a hospital and doctor who would give her Plan B. Especially as if she runs out of time she could wind up pregnant with her rapist baby.
Alasandra, the reason you find this line of argument horrifying is because it IS horrifying. It makes women mere vessels of some manmade godly intent, and our lives forfeit to it.
ReplyDeleteEver read The Handmaid's Tale? Margaret Atwood, don't miss it!
I have added it to my reading list. I think I read a book review of it awhile back as the title sounds familiar.
ReplyDeletePlan B® isn't effective if you're already pregnant, and it won't terminate an existing pregnancy.
ReplyDeleteActually, it does. The Plan B pill stops the fertilized egg from implanting in the uterine wall, which will end the pregnancy (in other words a chemical abortion).
I personally have no problem with a rape victim taking the Plan B pill *IF* she has not yet ovulated. That truly would be contraception since it's preventing a pregnancy from occurring.
But if a healthcare provider has religious reasons for not giving the Plan B pill under any circumstances whatsoever, that should be his/her right. Protecting the free exercise of religion is more important than protecting a patient against the inconvenience of having to go elsewhere.
Also, I recently read a statistic that the percentage of pregnancies that end in abortion is the exact same in Sweden as in the U.S. (25%). This is true even though the former has a very generous welfare state, birth control is free and readily available, and contraceptive use is high.
ReplyDeleteSo clearly the solution to reducing the abortion rate isn't contraception or providing financial support to moms but rather changing hearts and minds.