As I write this on the Christian Good Friday, I am listening to the news on the Terri Schiavo case and the last ditch pleas of her family and supporters to save her life. The biblical ironies that this modern day represents simply overwhelms me. Once again, it seems that we are called to account.
There are those among us who claim there is no moral high ground. They have eyes but cannot see a path that leads to either right or wrong. They wash their hands from judgment and pass the towel to others to do what they will to execute the decision of the court. Once again, on this day there is another Mary who is forced by law to do no more than bear witness to her child’s slow death that the judges among us have decreed the law allows.
And to you who cannot see any difference between paths I would say this; never say let it be said that you were not warned that we will be judged by how we treat the least or "other" among us.
4 comments:
Well said Kate.
God bless.
There's an interesting article today on the OpinionJournal.com site.
I am, to my surprise, finding myself more and more on the pro-life side of these arguments -- right to die w/ a clear and sworn living will, sure, but presume on the side of life in all these tough cases...
hi Kate, Steyn chimed in on the schiavo case in the chicago sun-times: http://www.suntimes.com/output/steyn/cst-edt-steyn271.html
justin case you hadn't found it yet.
have a fine Easter Sudnay!
Ben, I cannot say I am surprised that your view is changing slowly. I tend to think that if we start examining things in more detail our social positions tend to move in the pro-life side.
There was a time that I was very, shall we say liberal socially, the change in mind thinking was cause by having to examine what my ethnics were in order to present a consistent values system for my optional lifestyle accessories.
For example, I don't have a issue with gay unions per say though my best case scenario would be for the government to get out of marriage all together. Since that does not seem to be an option I would like to see civil partners for all regardless of sexual orientation and leave marriages to the various religious authorities to work out. Furthermore, I would have revoked all governmental recognition of common law unions. Either you sign on the dotted line and acknowledge responsibilities for your spouse and have all the property and tax benefits that are inclusive with civil unions/and marriages or you don't. No free ride for those who are lax or lazy about their committments. I consider it the height of irony when you have these common-law unions talk about marriage being such a big step and their unwillingness to make a commitment though they do not hesitate to create children from these relationships. Furthermore, the data is in and more children live in poverty when they are the products of common-law relationships. Furthermore, the chances of a parent being a financial deadbeat when the relationship ends are considerably greater than parents who took the extra step to have a civil union or marriage.
Where I take issue with gay unions is that the religious rights of the religious will be sacrificed on the alter of political civil correctness. The government should never be in the position where it can dictate the conscience or beliefs of its citizen. Don't think so, then look at the Knights of Columbus human rights suit.
Or take abortion. Morally I feel abortion is murder. Though I am not ready to have the government outlaw the practise but I would like to see partial birth and late term abortions outlawed. I believe there should be a law governing abortion. I don't believe that my tax dollars should be used to subsidized the cost of an abortion. But rather than ban the practise outright I would prefer that my society work towards creating a "culture of life". Where women see adoption and birth control as alternatives to abortion. One of the arguments against regulation of abortions is that we will regress to the back alley days but what foes of pro-life forget is that birth control has come a long way since the days of the back alley.
Now I am rambling, and will probably do a post rather than ramble on in the comments.
Keith, thanks for the tip. I hadn't read it and have now. Sometimes I wonder if Steyn lives in my mind.
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